By Tom Frary
The Curragh's Barronstown Stud Maiden has been a testing ground for some of Aidan O'Brien's best colts for some time now and Saturday's edition followed the trend with a stable one-two-three led by Giant Sequoia (Frankel).
Third on debut behind stablemate Aix La Chapelle over this course and seven-furlong trip earlier this month, the son of the Oaks runner-up Pink Dogwood (Camelot) made no mistake this time to record a 2 1/4-length success from Hawk Mountain's brother Oklahoma (Wootton Bassett). There was another 3 3/4 lengths back to Shakespeare (Dubawi), the 1.3million gns son of the Nassau heroine Lady Bowthorpe (Nathaniel).
“He is a lovely big horse who'll have no problem staying at seven and he'll have no problem going up to a mile,” O'Brien said of the winner, who returned as the 4-9 favourite in the Resolute Racing silks. “He'll only get better and is a big, powerful horse.”
O'Brien used this for the likes of Rip Van Winkle, Gleneagles, Roderic O'Connor, Duke Of Marmalade, Horatio Nelson, Australia and City Of Troy, while 12 months ago Benvenuto Cellini was second.
No worries for favourite backers! 🌬️
Frankel colt Giant Sequoia scores nicely at 4/9 – the same price he was beaten on debut.
He looks very useful indeed 👊@Ballydoyle | @resracingky pic.twitter.com/4edVNNcR54
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 27, 2026
The winner is the third foal out of the talented dam, who was also third in the Irish equivalent and the Pretty Polly. A full-sister to the Irish Derby hero Latrobe, she is connected to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Just a Game heroine Newspaperofrecord (Lope De Vega) and her son Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel) who lines up as favourite for Sunday's Classic. Her yearling filly is by Justify.
1st-Curragh, €30,000, Mdn, 6-27, 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:26.96, g/f.
GIANT SEQUOIA (c, 2, Frankel {GB}–Pink Dogwood {Ire} {SW & MG1SP-Ire, G1SP-Eng}, by Camelot {GB}) Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $22,771. O-Resolute Racing, Coolmore, Westerberg; B-Resolute Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien.
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