By Tom Frary
All the rage for Sunday's six-furlong maiden at The Curragh, Ballydoyle's Great Barrier Reef (No Nay Never) proved the buzz was spot-on with a command performance to become the first two-year-old of the 2026 crop to become a TDN Rising Star, Presented by Hagyard.
Always travelling easily tracking the pace under Ryan Moore, the 4-9 favourite loomed on the front end approaching the furlong pole and opened up for a six-length success from the 100-1 outsider Ischgl (Inns Of Court). He is the second colt to sport the title for Coolmore, with his initial namesake having been second on debut in the 2007 Gimcrack Stakes.
“We always viewed him as a Coventry, Phoenix, Middle Park or even Dewhurst horse and you would imagine he will come on a lot for that,” Aidan O'Brien said of the half-brother to the Superlative Stakes winner Mystery Power.
“He always showed plenty of speed and you couldn't be happier really,” he added. “We like our Royal Ascot horses to have two runs before, so he will be out again. We always thought he was nice, everything he was doing at home was very effortless. We'll look forward to him the next day.”
Wow! 🚀
Great Barrier Reef (No Nay Never) impresses on debut for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore 🟣⚪️@IrishNatStud | @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/vCMZutCV05
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 19, 2026
Great Barrier Reef, who becomes the 12th TDN Rising Star for his sire whose roll of honour in that sphere includes the stable's Charles Darwin, Little Big Bear, Ten Sovereigns and Camille Pissarro, is out of the moderate handicapper Gems (Haafhd) who registered her three successes between 12 and 13 furlongs. Her second foal was the G3 Prix Miesque runner-up Seaella (Canford Cliffs), while the aforementioned Mystery Power was second in the G2 Mill Reef Stakes over this trip after taking the Superlative over seven.
Gems is a half to the strong-staying triple Listed scorer and multiple Group-placed Frank Sonata (Opening Verse) and to the speedier Peaceful Paradise (Turtle Island) who captured the Sweet Solera Stakes when it carried Listed status and was third in the Prix du Calvados as a Group 3. Her yearling filly is also by No Nay Never.
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