By Sean Cronin
Never No More (Ire) (No Nay Never), who bettered a Sept. 19 debut second at Naas with a breakthrough score at Dundalk next time Oct. 5, closed his juvenile campaign with a close seventh in Navan's Oct. 14 Listed Legacy S. and bounced back this year to plunder a Mar. 24 Naas handicap last time. Within range throughout Saturday's Listed Ballylinch Stud 'Red Rocks' 2000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown, the €300,000 Goffs Orby yearling dug deep to deny the hitherto undefeated Madhmoon (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) by a half length. The chestnut found an early pitch against the fence in third, but was shuffled back one spot as Madhmoon improved from off the pace after the early exchanges. Nudged along rounding the home turn, the 5-2 second favourite found the necessary gears once angled to the outside approaching the final eighth and was driven out to claim a career high in the dying strides. “He came forward lovely from Naas and we're delighted,” revealed Aidan O'Brien. “Donnacha [O'Brien] liked him in Naas, we liked him last year and Ryan [Moore] was delighted with him today. He got a nice position and when Ryan eased him out he found plenty for him. He'd be very happy with nice ground, but he handled the ease well today. We could look at a Guineas with him, either France or England, and he could be a French Guineas horse. He's tactical and he seems to get that trip well. He finishes off and he did that in Naas as well.”
Never No More, half-brother to a 2-year-old by Camelot (GB), becomes the eighth black-type winner for his sire (by Scat Daddy) and the first stakes scorer for Law of the Jungle (Ire) (Catcher in the Rye {Ire}), herself kin to G3 Athasi S. and G3 Concorde S. victrix Eastern Appeal (Ire) (Shinko Forest {Ire}). From a family featuring G1 Epsom Derby victor Erhaab (Chief's Crown), Law of the Jungle is a granddaughter of Haitienne (Fr) (Green Dancer), whose descendants are headed by MGISW Winchester (Theatrical {Ire}) and G1 Prix de Diane heroine Star of Seville (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}).
BALLYLINCH STUD 'RED ROCKS' 2000 GUINEAS TRIAL S.-Listed, €50,000, Leopardstown, 4-6, 3yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:32.01, sf.
1–NEVER NO MORE (IRE), 129, c, 3, by No Nay Never">No Nay Never
1st Dam: Law of the Jungle (Ire), by Catcher In The Rye (Ire)
2nd Dam: Haut Volee (GB), by Top Ville (Ire)
3rd Dam: Haitienne (Fr), by Green Dancer
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (€300,000 Ylg '17 GOFOR). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-RJB Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €29,500. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $83,306.
2–Madhmoon (Ire), 132, c, 3, Dawn Approach (Ire)">Dawn Approach (Ire)–Aaraas (GB), by Haafhd (GB). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum. €10,000.
3–Could Be King (GB), 129, c, 3, Bated Breath (GB)">Bated Breath (GB)–Poyle Dee Dee (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). (9,000gns Wlg '16 TATFOA; €52,000 RNA Ylg '17 GOFOR; 25,000gns RNA Ylg '17 TATDEY). O-Richard Barnes. €5,000.
Margins: HF, 2, 3/4. Odds: 2.50, 0.65, 10.00.
Also Ran: Wargrave (Ire), The Irish Rover (Ire), Copia Verborum (Ire), San Andreas (Ire). Scratched: Breaking Story (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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