Back To Back Group 1 Wins For Brilliant Blackbeard

Blackbeard (2c No Nay Never - Muirin, by Born To Sea) provided No Nay Never with a fourth top-level success of the season when capturing the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained bay was last seen taking the Group 1 Prix Morny and came into Saturday’s race with a total of four Stakes wins to his name. Ridden to track a brisk pace by Ryan Moore, he looked a likely winner from two furlongs out and was pushed along to lead approaching the final furlong, keeping on to score by two lengths.

Speaking after the race, O’Brien said, “Usually they don't go fast enough to lead him and he has to make his own running, but it's always better to get a lead, especially in these big races. It's tough when they are there to be shot at.”

Looking to the future, he continued, “He could do anything after this, but in all fairness to him he's been at it a long time as this was his eighth run of the year. I'm not sure about next year, but he's fast and looks to be a five or six-furlong horse.”

Saturday continued a fantastic season for Ballydoyle’s juveniles and, in particular, those by No Nay Never, with Little Big Bear (No Nay Never) having proved a class above his rivals in the Group 1 National Stakes, marking a fourth consecutive success for the 124-rated colt. Stablemate Meditate (No Nay Never) completed a hat-trick of Group wins before finishing second in a pair of Group 1 contests, while Aesop’s Fables (No Nay Never) ran out a commanding winner of the Group 2 Futurity Stakes.

Blackbeard is the first foal bred by Newstead Breeding out of the highly-rated Muirin and brings great anticipation to the sale of his full-sister at next week’s Goffs Orby Sale.