TDN RISING STARS

May 25, 2024 - CURRAGH, Msw, EUR €20,000, 10.0F, .0000

Jan Brueghel (IRE), C, 3, 2021 by Galileo (Ire)

1st Dam: Devoted to You (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Alleged Devotion, by Alleged
3rd Dam: Morning Devotion, by Affirmed

Owner: Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith
Breeder: Barronstown Stud (IRE)
Trainer: Aidan O'Brien

Day two of the Curragh's Irish Guineas Festival concluded with a bang when Coolmore and Westerberg's hithero unraced 3-year-old colt Jan Brueghel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}-Devoted To You {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) outclassed nine rivals in imperious fashion to garner the EUR20,000 McDonnells Bar Newbridge Irish EBF Maiden and a 'TDN Rising Star' rosette. He becomes the 43rd Rising Star for the Coolmore icon.

The June 21 G2 King Edward VII and June 30 G1 Irish Derby entry was swiftly away and raced in a close-up second through halfway in this 10-furlong test. Inching forward to match strides with Ozark Daze (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) at the entrance to the straight, the 7-2 third favourite assumed control passing the quarter-mile marker and bounded clear in taking fashion to defeat the long-time leader by a highly impressive eight lengths.

"He just wasn't straight forward to train, he's a big horse and took a bit of time," commented Aidan O'Brien. "Ryan [Moore] loved him, but said he mightn't be ready, mentally, for [Royal] Ascot as he doesn't know enough and he'd never been at a track before. He said to go to a winners' race with him and then go to the [G3] Gordon S. in Goodwood. I asked him if he'd stay further than a mile-and-a-half and he said he will, but don't go further yet, so that's all positive. Ryan also said he didn't come on the bridle until he joined the leader and then he said he came alive. He's probably a fair horse and he has the pedigree to be a mile-and-a-half horse."