AIDAN O'BRIEN, who has some very nice two-year-olds introduced a patently promising youngster in No Slouch to win yesterday's six-furlong Castlemartin Stud Maiden by a comfortable four lengths. O'Brien and Christy Roche had also combined to win the opener with Klinsman and the stable completed a treble with the Charlie Swan-partnered Jane Digby in the Coughlan Handicap Hurdle.
"He could be a Guineas horse," said the successful young trainer of the good looking No Slouch, who looked a little green once he hit the front inside the distance, but motored away to beat the John Oxx-trained newcomer Kharshai by four lengths with Roche sitting still. "I love him," said the veteran jockey. Bred by Edmund Loder and sold to agent Demi O'Byrne for 190,000 guineas, the winner is by Royal Academy out of a mare by Shirley Heights and is owned in partnership by Michael Tabor and Mrs John Magnier.
Fourth behind his better fancied stable-companion Check The Band in the listed Blenheim Stakes at the on his previous colt, Klinsman, broken well and out on his own before a furlong, made all on the far rails to win, eased down by four lengths. His trainer is hopeful he will make into a decent sprinter next year. He was bought for 45,000 guineas by agent Jack Doyle and is also owned by the Tabor-Magnier partnership.
O'Brien was well pleased with Check The Band's good second in Saturday's Group Three Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot and this well regarded colt is expected to shine over sprint distances. Incidentally, the Geoff Lewis trained Referendum, touched off by the stable's Desert King in the National Stakes, finished fourth behind Revoque in yesterday's Grand Criterium.
Melleray was expected to win the Derrinstown Stud Birdcatcher Nursery for the O'Brien-Roehe partnership, but in finishing a close up third behind Mosconi - beaten six lengths by Check The Band at Navan - and stable-companion Gaultier Gale, defeated herself by wandering across the track. Nevertheless, it was a good performance on the part of the Jim Bolger-trained, Kevin Manning-partnered winner, who defied top weight of 9st 7lb. Bolger has now won this feature five times.
Pat Flynn has his charges in top form and French Ballerina, running in Mrs John Magnier's colours, completed a stable double when coming through with a strong run near home to collar Inchacooley in the listed Ali Retza & Mamadi Soudavar Garnet Stakes. She will run again at the Curragh next Saturday. By Charlie Allen initiated the Flynn double with a convincing three-length success.
Difficult Times looked set to win his fourth successive race in the Coughlan Handicap Hurdle but the concession of 16lb to Jane Digby proved too much in the closing stages.
Mark Johnston's Branston Abby (2/1), ridden by Michael Roberts, made history by establishing a new-post-war record for wins by a British-trained filly or mare in the Listed Grosser Buchmacher Springer Sprint Preis over an extended six furlongs in Munich yesterday. The seven-year-old, taking her career tally to 23 wins, gained a hard fought head win over Macanal.
