Aidan and Donnacha O’Brien were both on the scoresheet at Naas on Sunday with their winning fillies set Royal Ascot targets.
It was Aidan’s turn first, who won the Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Group 3 Fillies Sprint with Victorious.
The daughter of Wootton Bassett made a winning debut at Naas last month. She backed that up, travelling strongly under Ryan Moore who delivered her with aplomb. Victorious fended off outsider Controlla, as the Amo Racing filly ran a hugely promising race on debut. Out of the Galileo mare Heaven On Earth, a sister to Lillie Langtry, she’s bred to have a big future.
Speaking to Racing TV after the race, Aidan O’Brien said: “She’s still green but I’m delighted with that. Ryan just said he followed two and they died in front of him at halfway and he got left there. She was a bit green when she was in front but it was good for her. The Albany is the plan for her.
Aidan won that race with Fairy Godmother in 2024, who subsequently won the Albany at Royal Ascot. He also won it in 2022 with Meditate who followed up in the Albany. Donnacha O’Brien’s Porta Fortuna landed the Naas and Ascot double in 2023, thus Victorious has a a strong chance of following in those footsteps.
Havana Anna in the mix for Commonwealth Cup
Next up was Havana Anna, who won the Group 3 Goffs Lacken Stakes in gutsy fashion. The Evs favourite Charles Darwin blotted his copybook, having reportedly momentarily lost his action. The Havana Grey filly was always prominent under Gavin Ryan, fending off Oh Cecilia who took the lone route on the stand-side rail.
Second to True Love in the Cheveley Park, she’s evidently trained on and will now head to the Royal meeting. Donnacha O’Brien said to Racing TV: “I’m delighted with her. I thought there was plenty to work on today. It was kind of a starting point. I think she’ll improve a lot for that so we’ll head for the Commonwealth Cup now all being well. She deserves a crack at a big one so I’m really delighted.
“For a filly that wasn’t over big last year she has grown and strengthened. You never know going from two to three whether they’ll train on but she seems to have anyway. She tries very hard and she’s always able to jump well.”