Ruler of the World's Brother Norway Takes the Zetland

First Japan (GB) and now Norway. Ballydoyle continue to re-draw the map and their momentum is flowing relentlessly into the autumn, particularly with the 2-year-old brigade. Carrying on where stablemate Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) left off 12 months ago, the chestnut was firmly on top at the end of this event which had listed status, lost it and then regained it again. Introduced in the same seven-furlong Curragh maiden as the yard's Mount Everest (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at the start of July, Norway upstaged that pair of distinguished colts when fifth before running third behind Sydney Opera House (GB) (Australia {GB}) over a mile back there two months later. Leaping forward next time when off the mark by 6 1/2 lengths over the latter trip at Naas Oct. 2, he was travelling clear best throughout this race but was always on heels as Seamie Heffernan waited patiently behind Donnacha's pick and the well-back 11-8 favourite Sydney Opera House. Switched around rivals and delivered on the lead with 150 yards remaining, the full-brother to the Derby hero Ruler of the World (Ire) and half to the legendary Duke of Marmalade (Ire) (Danehill) stayed on powerfully to deny the game pair of I'll Have Another and Nate the Great. “Our two-year-olds are probably going to finish the season off real strong, as they weren't as fit as we wanted them to be for the middle part,” Heffernan said. “Aidan knows how to make these well-bred horses good.” The trainer added, “He is a lovely big horse, he stays well and the last day he won well and galloped to the line. It is possible that he could go to France for the [Oct. 27 G1] Criterium de Saint-Cloud, but he doesn't have to go there as he has had that experience coming here.”

Norway is the last known foal out of the G3 Killavullan S. third Love Me True (Kingmambo), whose six stakes horses include the aforementioned Ruler of the World who enjoyed his first stakes winner at this track on Friday as Iridessa (Ire) took the G1 Fillies' Mile. The five-times group 1-winning sire Duke of Marmalade was her chief performer, while she also had the G2 Adelaide Cup winner Annus Mirabilis (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). The second dam Lassie's Lady (Alydar) is also the dam of the GII Sanford S. scorer Bite the Bullet (Spectacular Bid) and is the ancestress of the GI Metropolitan H. hero Bee Jersey (Jersey Town). The third dam is the outstanding producer Lassie Dear (Buckpasser), whose progeny includes the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and G1 Prix de la Foret victor Wolfhound (Nureyev) and the high-class Weekend Surprise (Secretariat) whose own offspring includes the Classic-winning champion sires A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew) and Summer Squall (Storm Bird).

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
GODOLPHIN FLYING START ZETLAND S.-Listed, £40,000, Newmarket, 10-13, 2yo, 10fT, 2:07.87, g/f.
1–NORWAY (IRE), 128, c, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Love Me True (GSP-Ire), by Kingmambo
2nd Dam: Lassie's Lady, by Alydar
3rd Dam: Lassie Dear, by Buckpasser
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Southern Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. £22,684. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $40,602. *Full-brother to Ruler of the World (Ire), Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 9-11f, Hwt. 3yo-Eng & Ire at 9 1/2-11f, Hwt. Older Horse-Ire at 11-14f, G1SW-Eng, GSW-Fr, $1,648,640; and Giovanni Canaletto (Ire), G1SP-Ire & GSP-Eng, MSP-HK, $619,556; and 1/2 to Duke of Marmalade (Ire) (Danehill), Ch. Older Horse-Eur, Hwt. Older Horse-Ire at 10 1/2-13f, Hwt. Older Horse-Ire at 9 1/2-10 1/2f, Hwt. Older Horse-Eng at 9 1/2-10 1/2f, Hwt. Older Horse-Eng at 10 1/2-13 1/2f, MG1SW-Eng & G1SW-Ire, G1SW-Fr, $2,777,768; Annus Mirabilis (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), GSW-Aus, $409,375; and Countess Lemonade (Storm Cat), GSP-US.
2–I'll Have Another (Ire), 125, f, 2, Dragon Pulse (Ire)–Jessie Jane (Ire), by Dylan Thomas (Ire). (£32,000 Ylg '17 GOUKPR). O-Paul & Clare Rooney. £8,600.
3–Nate The Great (GB), 128, c, 2, Nathaniel (Ire)–Theladyinquestion (GB), by Dubawi (Ire). (30,000gns RNA Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-Mildmay Racing & D H Caslon. £4,304.
Margins: 1, NK, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.50, 12.00, 9.00.
Also Ran: Waldstern (GB), Sydney Opera House (GB), Flying Dragon (Fr). Scratched: You Never Can Tell (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.