The first two year-old stakes race of the year in Ireland was run at The Curragh on Monday and the Aidan O’Brien trained winner has a name that is going to be familiar to so many people… Whistlejacket!
Speedy No Nay Never colt Whistlejacket improved on his debut second at the same venue last month to score a stylish three and a quarter length win booking his ticket to Royal Ascot.
A 500,000 guinea purchase from Tattersalls October Book 1 Yearling Sale for MV Magnier and White Birch Farm, Whistlejacket is bred to be good as a full brother to Group I winning juvenile Little Big Bear, the Champion European 2YO Colt of 2022. He is the sixth winner from eight foals to from stakes-winning Bering mare Adventure Seeker.
“Whistlejacket is one we thought would win first time but we are very happy with that. He could go five or six, he has plenty of speed. He will probably go straight to Ascot,” said Aidan O'Brien.
Am sure when the Coolmore partners bestowed the name of Whistlejacket on this colt they were hoping for something special and this victory is a good step in the right direction for a colt, who is the right colour to carry the name of one of the most famous horses in the world.
Any visitor to the National Gallery in London that has even the slightest interest in horses will remember one thing from their visit and it will be Whistlejacket, the famous painting of a chestnut thoroughbred colt by renowned artist George Stubbs.
I brought the print home with me when I saw it some 30 years ago and it has remained with me every since and hangs above my desk.
The interesting thing I have found over the years is that so many horse people and friends of mine have the same thing hanging somewhere in their world.
The magic of Whistlejacket speaks to the horse lover in a way no other art work does, you can keep the Mona Lisa, we’ll stick with Whistlejacket!
