By Tom Frary
The Curragh's opening six-furlong maiden featured the Group 2-placed Go Just Do It (Kingman), but there was a surprise in store as Ballydoyle's newcomer Trojan Warrior (Wootton Bassett) emerged best.
Always travelling strongly for Wayne Lordan, the 13-2 shot looked booked for second as that 6-4 favourite took off in the lead approaching the final furlong but found a surge to overwhelm the Futurity Stakes third late on and win by 1 1/2 lengths.
“He's a fine big horse physically, looking at him walking around the ring. The penny has really only dropped with him at home in the last six weeks,” stable representative Chris Armstrong said. “Wayne felt in the last half furlong, when he really got him gathered and got him galvanised, he really stretched for the line. He'll be a lovely horse to come back next year, hopefully to start in a trial and see where he goes.”
“Obviously Joseph's horse had the form in the book and had a good run the last day. On that performance you'd think he could have a nice future,” he added.
The winner is the second foal out of the smart Monday (Fastnet Rock), the Listed Ingabelle Stakes winner who is out of the Prix Marcel Boussac heroine and 1,000 Guineas runner-up Ballydoyle (Galileo). A half to Justify's Group 3 winner Red Riding Hood, she is a granddaughter of the unraced Butterfly Cove (Storm Cat). Kin to the European champion Fasliyev, her chief performer was the four-times Group 1-winning Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Misty For Me.
Misty For Me is in turn the dam of War Front's U S Navy Flag and Roly Poly who captured three Group 1s apiece. Her and Ballydoyle's Group-placed full-sister April Showers is responsible for the stable's leading two-year-old colt Puerto Rico, with the son of Wootton Bassett taking off in recent weeks when collecting the Champagne Stakes and Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. Monday's yearling colt is by Gun Runner, while she also has a colt foal by Justify and was bred back to the latter for 2026.
Drama!
Trojan Warrior (Wootton Bassett) is from the family of Misty For Me and rallies for an unlikely debut success for @waynemlordan and @Ballydoyle @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/Sb1WL7ctSL
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 21, 2025
1st-Curragh, €20,000, Mdn, 10-21, 2yo, 6fT, 1:16.15, hy.
TROJAN WARRIOR (c, 2, Wootton Bassett {GB}–Monday {SW-Ire}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $13,970. O-Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Chelston/Orpendale/Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien.
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