The winning connections for Abraham Lincoln in the Winner’s Circle, Courtesy Breandán Ó hUallacháin
Breandán Ó hUallacháin
Abraham Lincoln (11/8 favourite) won on debut for trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore in The Keadeen Hotel Irish EBF Maiden at The Curragh on Friday.
Racing for the first time this evening at The Curragh Racecourse, County Kildare, Ireland, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Jean Philippe Dubois-bred colt, out of a daughter of Invincible Spirit in High Celebrity, ran out a one-and-three-quarter length winner.
The victor’s stable companion, Haffner, a son of Coolmore America’s Justify, carrying the colours of Peter Brant, Coolmore, Westerberg and B Smith, was runner-up at 18/1 under Betfred Epsom Derby-wining rider Wayne Lordan.
Jewel In A Crowd (40/1) was a neck further back in third for Ciaran Murphy and rider Dylan Browne McMonagle.
Abrahan Lincoln, purchased for €2.3 million at Arqana August Sale last year by M.V. Magnier for the Coolmore partners, the son of Wootton Bassett was bound to get an important and notable name. Hence the decision to call the juvenile Abraham Lincoln after the 16th President of the United States of America, the man who led his nation through the Civil War, preserved the Union and abolished slavery in rebelling states.
The equine Abrahan Lincoln is a half-brother to Highbury who was a winner over one-and-a-half miles and was runner-up in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot over one mile and six furlongs.
Speaking to the media in the winner’s circle post-race, the successful handler Aidan O’Brien admitted:
“We were very happy with him; he’s a lovely horse, he’s still very green. He hadn’t been asked much at home, but he was working fantastically.
“Ryan (Moore, winning rider) said that when he asked him to go, he got there very quickly. He just ended up being there probably much earlier than he wanted but then he said he was only looking around; he was very green. I’d say he’s probably classy.
“This fellow will be very comfortable going up to seven (furlongs) or going up to a mile. He would be very comfortable going up to a race like the Tyros (Stakes) or the Futurity (Stakes) and those types of races. It’s nice to have a race into him now. You’d have to be happy really.”
Abraham Lincoln was the opening winner at The Curragh on the first day of the three-day Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Weekend.
Saturday’s feature will be the Group 1 Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes, with the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, the headline race on Sunday.
