Brant Silks To The Fore As 1.3m Buy Shakespeare Breaks Through

Getting his head in front at the third attempt on Sunday, Ballydoyle's Shakespeare (Dubawi) was adding his name to a rich list of winners of the seven-furlong Curragh maiden.

Beaten here and at Leopardstown so far, the son of the Nassau heroine Lady Bowthorpe (Nathaniel) who cost 1.3million gns at Tattersalls October Book 1 was sent straight to the front by Ryan Moore in this Guidenstown Stud Irish EBF Maiden won recently by Delacroix, Diego Velazquez, Al Riffa and Thunder Moon. Maintaining to the line, the colt who races for Peter Brant, the Coolmore partners and Westerberg had two 1 1/2-length margins to spare over the Joseph O'Brien-trained newcomers Benown (Starspangledbanner) and Loughrea N Roll (Lope De Vega).

“He's a big powerful horse who does everything right, but he's a little bit of a baby and that's why it took two runs for him to get to where he is,” Aidan O'Brien said. “He was too green and all he wanted to do was run off the bend last time at Leopardstown and he's still not there.”

“He has a lot of quality and a lot of ability and is in that could-be-anything category I'd say,” he added. “He has the size, power, quality, speed and stamina, everything. Mentally, he is still a little bit babyish but that'll do him good being able to make the running today and it's lovely that he's had three runs before stepping into a Group race. He was ready to go forward today and it was a no-nonsense ride from Ryan–when he caught hold of him he got down and stretched. Hopefully he's going to be something to look forward to.”

🇮🇪Guidenstown Stud Irish European Breeders Fund Maiden @curraghrace
Curragh – Maiden – 2 ans – 1408m – 13 Pts – 25 000 €

🏆Shakespeare (m2) (Gb) 🏇R L Moore
📖(Dubawi (Ire) @DarleyEurope – Lady Bowthorpe (Gb) par Nathaniel (Ire))

🕶️A P O'Brien… pic.twitter.com/T9G2AF7wVj

— French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) August 9, 2026

The winner is the second foal and first runner out of the talented dam, who also captured the Dahlia Stakes and Valiant Stakes and was placed in the Lockinge and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. A half to the four-times Group-winning sprinter Speak In Colours (Excelebration) who was also third in the Prix de la Foret, her yearling son of Too Darn Hot is due to sell at the upcoming Tattersalls October Book 1. She also has a filly foal by Wootton Bassett.

3rd-Curragh, €25,000, Mdn, 8-9, 2yo, 7fT, 1:23.96, g/f.
SHAKESPEARE (GB) (c, 2, Dubawi {Ire}–Lady Bowthorpe {GB} {G1SW-Eng}, by Nathaniel {Ire}) Sales history: 1,300,000gns Ylg '25 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-1, $25,399. O-Brant/ Magnier/ Tabor/ Smith/ Westerberg; B-ELB Bloodstock Ltd; T-Aidan O'Brien.