SIOUX HITS THE TARGET
SIOUX Nation will return to Royal Ascot after an emphatic win in the Group Three Goffs Lacken Stakes at Naas yesterday.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt, who won the Coventry Stakes at the royal meeting last season, made short work of the opposition to score by a length and a quarter under Ryan Moore, ahead of stable companion Fleet Review.
The win gave both jockey and trainer a treble after Broadway and Sergei Prokofiev both scored earlier in the day.
Sioux Nation has either the Commonwealth Cup or the King’s Stand Stakes as possible targets.
“We came here to find out if it was five or six furlongs at Ascot,” said O’Brien.
“Ryan said he has all the speed in the world and he would have no problem going back to five, but maybe let him take on the three-year-olds this year (Commonwealth Cup). He also said he would be looking forward to the Nunthorpe.
O’Brien has a potential star in Sergei Prokofiev who cruised to victory in the Rochestown Stakes.
The 2-7 favourite soon put the race to bed and is now 3-1 favourite for the Coventry Stakes.
“He’s very natural and gets there very easy,” said O’Brien. “Ryan is very happy with him.
“It will be either the Coventry or the Norfolk and will depend on what we do with some of the other two-year-olds.”
Brother Bear got back on track when taking Listed honours in the Owenstown Stud Stakes for Jessica Harrington, who scored an across-the-card double after Jetez went in at Limerick.