By Tom Frary
Given the recent history of The Curragh's opening 2-year-old maiden of its Guineas weekend, it was no surprise that Aidan O'Brien was to unveil another TDN Rising Star for Wootton Bassett in the deeply promising newcomer Brussels. Sent off at 11-4 for the six-furlong contest won in the past five years by the stable's subsequent luminaries Henri Matisse, Unquestionable and Arizona, the 300,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 graduate cruised along behind his experienced stablemate Kansas with Ryan Moore poised.
Cajoled by that fellow son of Wootton Bassett inside the final furlong, he readily asserted for a 3/4-of-a-length success, with the well-supported 13-8 favourite Learntodiscover 1 1/4 lengths away in third in what should prove a maiden to follow.
“Ryan was very happy. He said he was very green, he was very babyish when he got on and going down,” O'Brien said of the sire's 14th TDN Rising Star, four of which are among the stable's current crop of juveniles after Italy, Simply Astounding and Albert Einstein. “He said he will come forward a lot from it. All these horses are running with Ascot in mind, but Ryan said that he was so babyish that it might come too quick. We'll see how much he comes on.”
“He said that he thought he would have no problem getting seven,” he added. “He's very big, a massive big powerful horse. I mentioned the [G3] Tyros to Ryan and he said he'd also love to ride Italy in that, but the fact that he'll get seven leaves a lot options for him. The second horse ran lovely. Six is far enough for him. It was five in Naas and he might be a fast horse. I think the third horse was well fancied, Ger [Lyons] liked him too, so it might not have been a bad race.”
Brussels is the last known foal out of Shamardal's Listed Prix Ronde de Nuit winner Fond Words, a sprinter-miler for Godolphin whose dam was the four-times Listed scorer Nashmiah by Elusive City. The family is a Fittocks Stud one, with the fourth dam Fern a half to the G1 Fillies' Mile winner and Oaks runner-up Shamshir and also the ancestress of the GI Northern Dancer Turf Stakes-winning Canadian grass champion Forte Dei Marmi.
1st-Curragh, €30,000, Mdn, 5-24, 2yo, 6fT, 1:12.40, gd.
BRUSSELS (GB), c, 2, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Fond Words (Ire) (SW-Fr), by Shamardal
2nd Dam: Nashmiah (Ire), by Elusive City
3rd Dam: Frond (GB), by Alzao
(300,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $20,455. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree
O-Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg; B-Haras des Trois Chapelles; T-Aidan O'Brien.
1-2 for Aidan O'Brien 👌
Brussels (Wootton Bassett) leads home stablemate Kansas to make a successful start under Ryan Moore @curraghrace in a maiden previously won by Henri Matisse 🥇@AvenueBstock | @IrishEBF_ pic.twitter.com/UFPp8i8qdY
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 24, 2025
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