Wootton Bassett Colt Makes His Mark At The Curragh

The future looks bright for Al Riffa (2c Wootton Bassett - Love On My Mind, by Galileo) after winning Saturday’s competitive seven furlong maiden at the Curragh.

A promising second on debut over course and distance, Joseph O’Brien’s charge was sent off favourite under Dylan McMonagle, who rode the bay to chase the leaders. Ridden to lead two furlongs from home, he kept on strongly inside the final furlong to win by a length and a half, as well-bred newcomer Salt Lake City (Galileo) kept on in second.

“The future is bright,” assistant trainer Brendan Powell said after the race. “He could be anything. I think he'll be a cracking three-year-old.”

Powell also noted the Group 1 National Stakes as a possible target; a route successfully taken by O’Brien’s 2020 winner Thunder Moon (Zoffany).

Owned by Jassim Bin Ali Al Attiyah, All Riffa also holds entires in the Group 2 Futurity Stakes, Group 2 Champions Juvenile Stakes and next year’s Epsom Derby. The son of Wootton Bassett was bred by Haras d’Etreham, Benoit Chalmel, Cofinvest and Meridian International.