He won the first two year-old stakes race of the year in Ireland back in May and the Aidan O’Brien colt with the famous name is now a Group I winner with Whistlejacket capturing the Group I Prix Morny (1200m) at Deauville in France overnight.
A speedy son of No Nay Never, Whistlejacket has had a busy year having five starts before the Morny and never finishing worse than fourth.
Ridden by Ryan Moore, Whistlejacket worked forward to lead and kicked clear to win by three-quarters of a length improving on his last start second in the Group I Phoenix Stakes to quality filly Babouche.
The victory emulated that of his sire No Nay Never, who won the Prix Morny in 2013.
“Whistlejacket is a very fast horse. He's very quick. At the Curragh, it didn't set up perfectly for him but because he's so fast and precocious we thought he could do both races,” said Aidan O’Brien.
“It's hard for a horse to do both, especially when they're only a week apart, but speed is his big thing really He's a five and six furlong horse. He's very quick so I'd say it's the Middle Park for him and then go from there with the Breeders' Cup as an aim as well.”
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.
He is the eighth Group I winner for No Nay Never, who has had 17 juvenile winners this year, six of them stakes-winners.
Am sure when the Coolmore partners bestowed the name of Whistlejacket on this colt they were hoping for something special and with a Group I win on the resume he has done the name proud.
This lovely colt has the overall record of three wins and two seconds from six starts and 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!
