STRONG & FABLE
Moore’s mount powers to victory
BY
THE King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot is next on the agenda for Aesop’s Fables after he bounced back to form at Naas yesterday.
Aidan O’brien’s speedster was placed twice at Group One level last season, finishing third in both the Prix de l’abbaye at Parislongchamp and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.
Ryan Moore’s mount failed to fire on his first start of the year in the Woodlands Stakes at this venue three weeks ago, but raised his game to claim the Listed Sole Power
Sprint Stakes by a neck from
Twilight Jet, with 150-1 shot So Majestic just a neck further behind in third.
“He came really good last year and was only just beaten in an Abbaye and a Breeders’ Cup Sprint,” said O’brien (inset).
“He usually takes a few runs to get right. We ran him the last day in blinkers on soft ground and he ran very keen and just didn’t finish out, so we left them off him today.
“We’re delighted with him. The ground is beautiful here and he’s a big, powerful, fast horse. He’s hardy and a real sprinter. We are thinking of the five-furlong race at Ascot.”
Treasure Isle is also likely to be on O’brien’s Royal Ascot squad after putting his experience to good use to provide the trainer with a third successive victory in the Coolmore Stud Calyx Race.
Second on his debut at the Curragh four weeks ago, the No Nay Never colt was an 8-13 favourite to go one better and follow in the hoofprints of the previous two winners, The Antarctic and River Tiber.
Sent straight to the lead by Moore, Treasure Isle was given a thorough test by Jessica Harrington’s newcomer Saratoga Special once challenged, but dug deep to see her off by half a length. “Ryan said he was very green and was surprised how green he was as he was swapping and changing his legs and looking. He felt that he had plenty still to learn but has a lot of speed,” said O’brien.
“We thought he was going to be one for Royal Ascot and hopefully he knows enough. He certainly has the speed for it.”
The Ger Lyons-trained Mutasarref claimed top honours in the Owenstown Stud Stakes under a confident ride from champion jockey Colin Keane.
The well-backed 13-8 shot looked all dressed up with nowhere to go when pinned against the rail, but Keane did not panic and once the daylight came, his mount was well able to reel in the leaders and score by three-quarters of a length.