By Tom Frary
Naas's opener on Saturday saw Ballydoyle and American Pharoah off the mark at the first attempt in the 2019 Irish flat turf season as Peter Brant and Coolmore's 2-year-old colt Monarch of Egypt made virtually all to win in convincing style over five furlongs. Roused from the break by Ryan Moore to sit in the firing line, the $750,000 KEESEP graduate who was sent off the 9-10 favourite extended approaching the furlong pole and hit the line strong with 2 3/4 lengths to spare over Ming Warrior (Ire) (No Nay Never), with In the Present (Karakontie {Jpn}) 1 1/2 lengths behind in third. Aidan O'Brien was emitting notable enthusiasm for the landmark winner, a new TDN Rising Star. “You'd have to be excited about what we see at the moment,” he said. “Everything looks really right, but he was our first runner of the year so we didn't really know what to expect. We'd be thinking of [Royal] Ascot, but he'll have to run before then for experience. That's what we always thought he was, an Ascot horse.”
Naas, €25,000, Cond, 4-13, 2yo, 5fT, 1:01.77, g/y.
MONARCH OF EGYPT (c, 2, American Pharoah–Up {Ire} {MGSW-Ire & G1SP-Fr, $379,468}, by Galileo {Ire}) Sales history: $750,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $17,375. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
O-Peter M Brant & Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Ran Jan Racing, Inc. (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien.
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