Charlie Appleby’s Native Trail won the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh on Saturday as the Englishman’s excellent form this season continued.
Runner-up by three-quarters of a length to his less-fancied stable companion, Coroebus, at Newmarket, Native Trail, the son of Oasis Dream, started at prohibitive odds of 2/5f at The Curragh.
Last season’s European Champion two-year-old was settled in mid-division by his jockey William Buick in the early stages of the one-mile contest as Malex took the field along.
The leader was challenged by Wexford Native in the latter furlongs of the race, with the eventual winner still in fourth position.
Jockey William Buick began to push Native Trail approaching the three furlong marker. The Godolphin-owned colt took the lead approaching the final furlong of the first Irish Classic of the season and kept on well in the final 100 yards to hold off the challenge of outsiders New Energy (40/1) and Imperial Fighter (28/1), both fast finishers in the race.
Speaking to host broadcaster, RTÉ Sport, the winning English trainer spoke of his delight the weather was in his horse’s favour prior to the race:
“I was delighted the rain didn’t come, for a big horse and a horse with his action I’m always more confident when he’s on a sounder surface.”
Appleby admitted to being confident once he saw Buick ask his stable star to produce an effort:
“I knew once he angled him out, gave him the office and told him to go to work it’s the one thing this horse doesn’t do, he won’t falter. When you ask him, he’ll give it to you. He’s done it in spades in the end.”
The Newmarket-based handler became the first trainer to win the English, French and Irish 2000 Guineas in the same season with three different horses. Commenting on his three 2000 Guineas achievement, Appleby was quick to pay tribute to his team, stating:
“It’s the first time it’s ever been done with three different colts in the three Guineas. It’s a huge achievement for everybody and I’m delighted to be part of it.”
Native Trail ended his juvenile season in 2021 unbeaten in four races. His victories included two Group 1 successes, The Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at The Curragh in September 2021 and The Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, England, the following month. He began his three-year-old season by winning the Group 3 bet365 Craven Stakes at Newmarket, a traditional trial for Classic hopefuls, before finishing runner-up at the same track on 30 April.
Moulton Paddocks conditioner Appleby sent Coroebus out to land the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket earlier this month, and then trained Breeders’ Cup hero Modern Games to claim the French equivalent, the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp.
Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien was the last trainer to win the 2000 Guineas in England, France and Ireland in the same year, 2002, but he did it with two horses – Rock Of Gibraltar and Landseer.
