By Tom Frary
Relishing a mix of an easy lead and aggressive home-straight tactics in Navan's G3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes, Wemightakedlongway (Ire) (Australia {GB}) led at every step to dominate this Classic trial. Fifth taking on the colts in Leopardstown's G3 Ballysax Stakes over this 10-furlong trip earlier this month, the 15-2 shot who races for E S Racing and Joseph O'Brien was able to saunter along for Dylan Browne McMonagle before being the pedal was pushed to the floor three out.
Giving generously from there, she was ultimately too strong for TDN Rising Star Catalina Delcarpio (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who was asked too much of a question and wound up 2 3/4 lengths away in second. Ballydoyle's second-string Island Hopping (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) wound up 3 3/4 lengths away in third, with the field strung out due to the hard effort of the winner throughout the last two furlongs.
“Wemightakedlongway is a good filly and I thought her last run finishing behind Delacroix was really good for a first run back,” O'Brien said. “We were looking at going to Chester but, when the drop of rain came, decided to come here and she has won impressively. The [G1] Pretty Polly is the race we are really building towards–she is out of a No Nay Never mare, so she just wouldn't be guaranteed to go a mile and four furlongs. We will see whether we look at Epsom or whether we look at something else before the Pretty Polly.”
Group Three success for Wemightakedlongway 🤩@JosephOBrien2 and @DylanBrowneMcM land the @IrishEBF_ Salsabil Stakes 👏@NavanRacecourse pic.twitter.com/5Mw9724Jf4
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 26, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Wemightakedlongway is the first foal out of the unraced Dont Ask Me At All (Ire) (No Nay Never), a full-sister to the G2 Ridgewood Pearl Stakes runner-up Emphatic Answer (Ire) and a half to the G2 Debutante Stakes-placed Kalispera (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) and G3 Silver Flash Stakes-placed La Dolce Vita (Ire). A family that has served the O'Briens well as breeders, owners and trainers, the third dam is the Listed Garnet Stakes winner Queen Titi (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) who is the producer of the G1 Dewhurst Stakes hero Beethoven (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}).
This family features heavy influence from Sadler's Wells and his sons and grandsons, with that Coolmore giant responsible for the G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Saffron Walden (Ire) and GI E. P. Taylor Stakes heroine Insight. Dont Ask Me At All, who is also connected to another Group-winning progeny of Sadler's Wells in the Concorde Stakes winner Psalm (Ire), has 2-year-old and yearling full-sisters to Wemighttakedlongway, with the former named Yousaynothingatall (Ire).
Saturday, Navan, Ireland
IRISH STALLION FARMS EBF SALSABIL STAKES-G3, €65,000, Navan, 4-26, 3yo, f, 10f 20yT, 2:15.25, sf.
1–WEMIGHTAKEDLONGWAY (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Australia (GB)
1st Dam: Dont Ask Me At All (Ire), by No Nay Never
2nd Dam: Ask Me Nicely (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
3rd Dam: Queen Titi (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-E & S Racing; B-Mrs Annemarie O'Brien (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien; J-Dylan Browne McMonagle. €39,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-0-2, $64,082. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Catalina Delcarpio (Ire), 128, f, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Queen Guenevere (Ire), by Camelot (GB). TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (400,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Robert J W Moran; B-Ballylinch Stud & Ecurie des Charmes (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey. €13,000.
3–Island Hopping (Ire), 128, f, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Heaven Of Heavens (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €6,500.
Margins: 2 3/4, 3 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 7.50, 2.00, 18.00.
Also Ran: Medici Venus, Spicy Margarita (Ire), J M's Joy (Ire), Ecstatic (Jpn), Tarima (Ire). Scratched: Barnavara (Ire).
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