Folsom Blues provided Al Shira’aa Racing with a breakthrough Group 1 homebred success as the Blue Point Colt took the Vincent O’Brien Goffs National Stakes.
Folsom Blues has improved with each run this season. Following his staying on third to subsequent Champagne Stakes runner up Sergei Diaghilev on debut, he bolted up seven lengths at Gowran park.
He proved his talent for the top level when second in the Phoenix Stakes to Sun Goddess, before his dominant display on Sunday. The highly-touted Monogram followed him home some six lengths behind in second. Florida Bay couldn’t uphold their Tyros Stakes form, and Giant Sequoia blew out entirely. Acomb Stakes winner Haffner also failed to fire, with that pair perhaps suffering from the minor infection at Ballydoyle.
Speaking to Racing TV after the race, via Racing Post, Al Shira’aa Racing manager Kieran Lalor said: “It’s absolutely incredible, the best day of our whole existence to date. To have a homebred colt win a Group 1 so impressively is very special.”
Folsom Blues capped off a sensational weekend for Joseph O’Brien, who had the 1-2 in the St Leger. Lowther runner-up Star Of State took the valuable Auction Stakes, and Thundering On returned to form in the Blandford Stakes.
Lalor hailed his trainer, stating: “Joseph has done an incredible job, and it’s particularly special because he’s a homebred. As you know, generally our colts go to the yearling sales, but we kind of fell in love with him and we had to come up with a reason to keep him. I’m delighted it’s worked out so well.”
Dewhurst the ‘obvious stepping stone’ for Folsom Blues, suggests Joseph O’Brien
It was another big race 1-2 for Joseph O’Brien with Monogram finishing second, with the latter shaping still inexperienced.
O’Brien told the Press Association, via Racing TV: “We felt we were coming here with two really nice colts. They both had very good preparations, obviously different preparations and the winner looked really, really good today.
“It was really was top-class form. We’ve had a big opinion of the horse all along and he put it all together today.”
Going forward for Folsom Blues, O’Brien suggested: “I suppose the Dewhurst would be an obvious stepping stone. We had America in the back of our mind as well, before this race. I suppose it would be along those lines.
“He’s a good horse. Dropping him back to six furlongs was probably a big thing to ask him and he ran great. He loved coming back to seven.”