By Brian Sheerin
LEXINGTON, KY–Meditate (Ire)'s barnstorming display in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf provided one of the strongest indications yet that No Nay Never would produce Classic types as well as deadly speedballs, according to the winning trainer Aidan O'Brien.
It has been a season to remember for No Nay Never with Little Big Bear (Ire) and Blackbeard (Ire) winning three Group 1 juvenile races in Europe over six furlongs between them.
However, in pulling over two lengths clear of her rivals to win the Keeneland Group I in stylish fashion, the Ryan Moore-ridden Meditate did her bit to alleviate any concerns about No Nay Never producing horses who will stay the Guineas trip and beyond.
O'Brien said, “She is by No Nay Never, who is a big speed influence. This is the first year where we have had such high quality 2-year-olds by him. We were a little bit worried if they were all going to be big sprinters or if they would stay further than five, six and seven furlongs.”
There are countless examples of high-class runners by Galileo (Ire) who hailed from speedy mares and O'Brien suggested that crossing No Nay Never with stamina-influenced dams can achieve similarly high-class results on the track with the progeny.
He explained, “She is out of a Dalakhani (Ire) mare who has an Aga Khan pedigree so this was about finding out if No Nay Nevers out of stamina mares stay. Obviously, looking at the filly there, we found out if she is going to get a mile next year as a 3-year-old.”
“She's a very good mover, has a very good mind and she's relaxing very well. I think Ryan would have always thought that she was a lovely uncomplicated filly.”
Moore, who would go on to double his Group I tally aboard the fellow Ballydoyle-trained Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) in the concluding GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, added, “Very straightforward, does everything you want her to do. I think she's got an awful lot of class and I felt that she was a level above these.”
Meditate was trimmed into a general 6-1 chance for next year's 1000 Guineas and O'Brien is convinced that her Breeders' Cup victory makes 2023 even more exciting for the progeny of her sire.
He concluded, “Blackbeard, the horse we were going to run in the Juvenile Sprint, he was coming here but obviously he got injured. He had an awful lot of speed, a great mind and a big personality. They're very exciting horses, really. For this filly to be able to do what she did over a mile makes him [No Nay Never] even more exciting.”
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