Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (Group 1)

A TRULY memorable weekend for Joseph O’Brien yielded a second major success in as many days and one of the most exciting three-year-old prospects for 2021 as Thunder Moon showed both prodigious heart and class to overcome a troubled passage.

A graduate of this season’s series of barrier trials at Dundalk, Thunder Moon posted one of the most impressive maiden performances of the season when winning on his debut at this track last month.

That display prompted his sale to owner Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez and, in overcoming both a relative lack of experience and a less than clear passage on his second start, he has established himself as the outstanding Irish two-year-old colt of 2020. Joseph O’Brien suggested that his charge could now tackle next month’s Dewhurst Stakes.

Just as he was when Thunder Moon (15/2) won on his debut, Declan McDonogh was on board this son of Zoffany and the rider was bridging a seven-year gap since his last Group 1 success on Maarek in the Prix de l’Abbaye.

However, the likelihood of a victory for Thunder Moon looked remote entering the last couple of furlongs.

Trapped

At this point, the €25,000 supplementary entry found himself looking on from midfield in a heavily congested field. At this point, racing room was at a premium for a number of the runners and Thunder Moon had none of it. Even approaching the last furlong he was trapped behind a wall of horses, but somehow McDonogh was able to extricate the colt from a decidedly unpromising position.

Once he got into the clear, Thunder Moon again showed an electrifying turn of foot to mow down those in front of him and nothing could live with his devastating finishing kick. He got to the line a length and a half in front of Wembley, who showed huge improvement from last month’s Roscommon maiden win.

St Mark’s Basilica finished a fine third with the English raider Master Of The Seas losing his unbeaten record in fourth. The Phoenix Stakes winner Lucky Vega enjoyed no luck in running and he had to settle for fifth.

“He was impressive and he quickened very well. Just when I was trying to angle out he got caught on heels and I had to sit and suffer,” reflected the winning rider. “He showed really great heart to run them down though and he was very, very impressive. He’s got a serious will to win and when things got tight there all he wanted to do was try and run by them. The ground is as slow as he would like and fast ground will suit him very well. The whole way through the race he seemed like he was in third gear.”

Joseph O’Brien was not at the races, opting to stay at home as a precautionary measure following the news that three jockeys associated with his yard had tested positive for Covid-19. Speaking on Monday, the trainer said: “It was a bit of a messy race, but he showed a great turn of foot to go away and win well. We did supplement him, so we were hopeful he’d run a nice race, but I suppose I was surprised by the manner of his victory.”

Considering future plans, he added: “If he was to run again this year, the Dewhurst would probably be the race for him, but we’ll see how he comes out of the race on Sunday and a lot will depend on the ground as well. The Breeders’ Cup is there as an option as well, but that wouldn’t be on my radar at the moment. He’s an exciting colt.”