Two Group I juvenile features were run at The Curragh overnight with interesting winners of both races albeit not the favourites that punters thought with victory going to a filly by Mastercraftsman that is a full sister to a champion and a colt from the family of Coolmore shuttler Calyx (GB).
The Group I Moyglare Stud Stakes (7f) for the fillies continues a brilliant run of success for Jessica Harrington, who prepares the winner Discoveries, a full sister to Champion 3YO filly Alpha Centauri.
A homebred for the Niarchos family, the Mastercraftsman filly scored a three-quarter length win for Shane Foley over Agartha (Caravaggio) with Time Test filly Sunset Shiraz in third place.
“Discoveries is a lovely filly with a lovely temperament. The ground came up soft in the Debutante, but she wants top of the ground,” said- Jessica Harrington.
Discoveries has two wins and a third from four starts and aside from being the younger sister of Alpha Centauri is also a sibling to Group I winner Alpine Star and stakes-winner Tenth Star being among six winners from blue hen Alpha Lupi.
She is the 17th Group I winner for Coolmore’s glorious grey Danehill Dancer stallion Mastercraftsman, who passed away earlier this year.
The National Stakes (7f) for colts was won by Godolphin, the Charlie Appleby trained Oasis Dream colt Native Trail too good for Aidan O’Briens’s race favourite Point Lonsdale, a son of Galileo stallion Australia.
A last start winner of the Group II Newmarket Superlative Stakes, Native Trail made it three wins in as many starts when cruising away from Point Lonsdale to win by three and a half lengths.
“This is a route we've done with Pinatubo and Quorto and it was always our plan after the Superlative to come here with Native Trail,” said Charlie Appleby.
“This is a great race and an indicator to the G1 Dewhurst. He's an interesting horse to be around, like a lot of the good ones, when you get to learn their characteristics. We changed some equipment on him and put a cross noseband on to make him concentrate as he was free and messing around. I'd say we will go straight for the Dewhurst.”
Native Trail was bought this year at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale by Godolphin for 210,000 guineas after fetching 67,000 guineas at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale when bought by Margaret O’Toole/ Oak Tree Farm.
He is a three time sale ring veteran having been bought out of the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale as a foal for 50,000 euros by Sam Sangster Bloodstock.
Native Trail is the 18th Group I winner for Juddmonte Farm’s Oasis Dream, who featured here on Saturday as the sire of Turaath (GB), winner of the Group II VRC Let’s Elope Stakes.
Native Trail is the first winner for Needleleaf, an unraced sister to Group I winner African Rose and Group III winner Helleborine, the dam of Kingman’s brilliant Group II winner Calyx (GB), who is covering his second book of mares at Coolmore in Australia this spring.
