Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes 4k5h73
Group 1, Curragh 16:05
€300,000 added,
2yo, 7f, Class 1   
Sunday 12th September 2021

135nu

1 Native Trail 7/2
2 Point Lonsdale 8/13F
3 Ebro River 13/2
7 ran Distances: 3½l, ½l, 2¼l
Time: 1m 26.27s (slow by 3.27s)

Native Trail stormed into 2000 Guineas favouritism as he maintained his unbeaten record with a decisive victory, giving trainer Charlie Appleby a third win in the Curragh showpiece.

Previously successful in the Group One contest with St Leger at Doncaster – sent another high-class juvenile across the Irish Sea in search of top-level honours.

A son of Oasis Dream, the Superlative Stakes winner faced a far from straightforward task, with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Phoenix Stakes.

William Buick had to nudge Native Trail into contention with a couple of furlongs to run – but he really found top gear late on.

Point Lonsdale did his best to make a race of it, but Appleby’s ace was three and a half lengths clear of the odds-on shot at the line, with Ebro River close up in third.

Appleby said: “This is a route we’ve taken with Pinatubo and Quorto before him – and it was always our plan immediately after the Superlative to come here with this horse.

“People ask ‘why don’t you look at the Champagne Stakes (at Doncaster), but I didn’t feel carrying a penalty there on softer conditions was potentially going to suit him.

“I think this is a great race and an indicator to the Dewhurst. It’s a Group One and a great weekend to be involved in.

“To have another winner of the National Stakes is very satisfying.”

He added: “He’s an interesting horse to be around. I took him to Newmarket a couple of weeks ago and if you’d asked me there if we’d have been winning a National Stakes, I might have been sat on the fence slightly.

“Full credit to the team at home. We definitely felt the horse had come forward for that gallop and we changed a bit of equipment on him today.

“William said he’s still so green and it felt like he was going down to the start on a maiden. 

“He gave him a shove early doors to get up the revs, but I knew with two furlongs to go the one thing this horse was going to do was gallop out strong.

“I’d say we’ll go straight to the Dewhurst. I don’t know if he’s quite got the head for a Breeders’ Cup yet.”

FormRatings

Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes (Group 1)
€300,000 added, 2yo only, 7f
7 ran
Going: Good

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (7)     Native Trail 2 9-5 Charlie Appleby William Buick 7/2
2 (1) 3½ Point Lonsdale 2 9-5 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 8/13F
3 (4) ½ Ebro River 2 9-5 Hugo Palmer James Doyle 13/2
4 (5) 2¼ Ultramarine 2 9-5 Joseph O'Brien Shane Crosse 100/1
5 (2) nk Great Max 2 9-5 Michael Bell Rossa Ryan 28/1
6 (6) 3¾ Duke De Sessa 2 9-5 D K Weld Colin Keane 8/1
7 (3) 8½ Anatoli 2 9-5 John James Feane Kevin Manning 125/1

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