UNBEATEN in three starts in three different countries as a two-year-old, No Nay Never was also never out of the first two the next season. A handsome bay or brown horse with tremendous speed, he was a Group winner on both sides of the Atlantic, scoring at that level in England, France and the USA. He also has the great attraction of being a genuine outcross for almost every European broodmare, as he is the first son of the leading American sire Scat Daddy to go to stud over here.

His American trainer, Wesley Ward, describes No Nay Never as the most talented horse he has ever trained. After the colt had comfortably won a maiden race over four and a half furlongs at Keeneland at the end of April 2013, Ward made the brave decision to bring No Nay Never to the Royal Ascot meeting, with the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes as his objective. Ward had already saddled two Royal Ascot winners in recent seasons. Quickly out of the stalls, No Nay Never was always in the first two of the field of 14 and ran on well in the final furlong to score by a length from Coolmore’s smart colt Coach House in a new record time for a two-year-old over the five furlongs.

Soon after this, Coolmore purchased a major share in No Nay Never and he carried their colours in his third and final outing that season, the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville. Although Wesley Ward was worried about the overnight rain, his charge put up another sparkling performance, up with the pace all the way and drawing clear in the last of the six furlongs to win comfortably by a length from the talented fillies Vorda and Rizeena, who respectively went on to win the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.

That fine effort preserved No Nay Never’s unbeaten record for his first season and in the European Rankings he was rated equal third best two-year-old of 2013 on 119, sharing that honour with the Dewhurst Stakes hero War Command, who also stands his first season at Coolmore this spring; they were 1lb above the French champion Karakontie and 2lbs ahead of the subsequent dual Derby star Australia.

In 2014 No Nay Never raced exclusively in the USA, again making only three appearances. His first outing was early in March at Gulfstream Park, where he was second in the Grade 2 Swale Stakes over seven furlongs. It was another seven months before he raced again, winning the Grade 3 Keeneland Woodford Stakes at Keeneland over 5½ furlongs early in October, starting favourite in a strong field of 10 runners. The final racecourse appearance for No Nay Never was at Santa Anita a month later, when he was ridden by Frankie Dettori in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint over 6½ furlongs and put up a great fight before being caught in the last few strides and beaten just half a length by Bobby’s Kitten in an international field of 14 sprinters.

Scat Daddy, the sire of No Nay Never, was a Grade 1 star at both two and three years of age, first in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont and then in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. He has had runners for only four seasons, but this son of champion juvenile Johannesburg already is the sire of 34 blacktype winners, with his stock winning over 550 races worldwide and more than $20,000,000 in prize money.

They include Lady of Shamrock, successful in the Grade 1 American Oaks and the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks, and Daddy Long Legs, who won the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes and the Group 2 UAE Derby, but many of Scat Daddy’s best winners have been in Chile. He has shuttled there regularly and has been the leading sire in Chile, with eight different Grade 1 stars to his credit. His male line traces back through Storm Cat to Northern Dancer.

Cat’s Eye Witness, the dam of No Nay Never, is a young daughter of champion sire Elusive Quality who scored at two years in USA and is dam of two winners; she is a half-sister to Cat’s Career, who took the Grade 3 Ack Ack Stakes at Churchill Downs, and to the Hollywood listed winner Al’s River Cat. The next dam, Comical Cat (by Exceller), was a graded-placed winner in California and she was a half-sister to Half A Year, one of the best milers in England in 1987, when he won the St James’s Palace Stakes.

No Nay Never is inbred 3x4 to Mr Prospector and he has three crosses of Northern Dancer, but all way back in his pedigree.

COOLMORE STUD

AS always, Coolmore’s impressive list of 28 stallions for the 2015 stud season gives good reason for their belief that the supremacy of their sires can continue for many years to come. Once again, they had the champion sire in Britain and Ireland in 2014, with Galileo in pride of place for the sixth time. It was the 25th consecutive year that the champion sire had stood at Coolmore. The leading second crop sire in Britain and Ireland was another Coolmore stallion, Mastercraftsman.

There will be five newcomers starting their stud careers at Coolmore in 2015, the last two Epsom Derby heroes Australia and Ruler of The World, also three Group 1 winning two-year-olds, Kingsbarns, No Nay Never and War Command, all rated very close to the top of their respective generations at that age.

NO NAY NEVER (USA)

Race record: Joint third highest rated two-year-old in Europe in 2013. Winner of four races and £413,849 Sterling, in France, England and USA, from 6 starts at 2 and 3 years, from 4½-6 furlongs, inc. Prix Morny, Deauville, Gr.1, Norfolk Stakes, Royal Ascot, Gr.2, and Keeneland Woodford Stakes, Keeneland, Gr.3; second in Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Santa Anita, Gr.1, and Swale Stakes, Gulfstream Park, Gr.2.

Stud record: Retires to stud in Ireland in 2015.

Stands at: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Ireland. Enquiries to (353) 52 6131298.

Web: www.coolmore.com.

Fee: €20,000.