Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (Group 1)

THE National Stakes belongs to Charlie Appleby these days and the Godolphin trainer made it three wins in four years in the country’s foremost prize for juvenile colts as Native Trail lowered the colours of Point Lonsdale with a striking level of authority.

In an intriguing match up between two of the best colts on either side of the Irish Sea, who were joined by the Phoenix Stakes winner Ebro River, Native Trail made it three wins from as many starts. In winning one of the key prizes in the pivotal autumn period for two-year-olds Native Trail has announced himself not only as the horse to beat in the Dewhurst but he has emerged as the benchmark for success in next year’s 2000 Guineas.

Very few of the runners ever managed to get involved as Ebro River cut out the running from the odds-on Point Lonsdale, with the Godolphin-owned winner looking on from third. Point Lonsdale was the first to come under pressure but he responded well to Ryan Moore’s promptings and one always felt that he would find a way past Ebro River.

Great style

For his part Native Trail (7/2) took a while to get organised and still looked relatively raw, but when he got on an even keel he finished out his race in great style.

He quickened up to strike the front in the last furlong and then went to the line with real authority to pull three and a half lengths clear of Point Lonsdale, who finished half a length ahead of Ebro River.

“It was always the plan after he won the Superlative Stakes to come here. I think this is a great race and it’s a great indicator for the Dewhurst and it’s just great to be involved on a weekend like this,” stated the trainer.

“I took him to Newmarket a couple of weeks ago for a gallop and if you asked me then would he win the National Stakes I’d have been sitting on the fence as he was a bit workmanlike in that gallop. We switched equipment on him and put a cross noseband on him to help him concentrate better and that’s worked.

“At home he’s a big sleeper but for around 30 seconds in the morning he sets off fireworks. I was confident coming into this that we had the form to run well and the plan from here would be the Dewhurst Stakes.”

Moyglare Stud Stakes (Group 1)

A WONDROUS weekend for Jessica Harrington and Shane Foley continued as they made it two Group 1 wins in as many days when Discoveries stepped forward to emerge as one of the luminaries of her generations.

As is often the case the Moyglare Stud Stakes provides the perfect stage upon which to establish a definitive pecking order amongst the country’s juvenile fillies, and it was Discoveries who seized upon this opportunity in good style. In a race where her elder sister, Alpha Centauri, came up short four years ago, Discoveries (17/2) answered every question asked of her and more, to comprehensively reverse last month’s Debutante form with Agartha and Sunset Shiraz.

Back over a course and distance over which she won her maiden on Irish Derby Weekend, the Niarchos Family-owned daughter of Mastercraftsman was ridden a good deal more positively than she was in the Debutante. Indeed from the outset Shane Foley had her tracking the admirable front runner Agartha who was looking to add this race to her Silver Flash and Debutante wins.

Tough

The latter proved a tough nut to crack and even when she was headed she refused to give in. However, once Discoveries got the lead she never looked like relinquishing her advantage and she got to the line three-parts of a length ahead of Agartha. The maiden Sunset Shiraz posted another cracking effort to secure third with Concert Hall taking fourth.

“She’s from the most amazing Niarchos family. Her dam has produced Alpha Centauri, Alpine Star and now this filly. They all look totally different but they all have the same engine and this filly has done what Alpha Centauri couldn’t do and win a Moyglare,” said Harrington.

“We felt that she had improved a good bit from the Debutante and the ground was slower than ideal for her that day as well. Having said that you need to improve plenty to win a Group 1 and you need everything to go right which it did and it’s very special to win this race.”