Blackbeard wins his second Group 1, highly impressive in the 6f Middle Park Stakes

A MONTH after his victory in the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville, Blackbeard adds a second Group 1 to his CV with a dominating victory in the Middle Park Stakes (G1).

The son of No Nay Never and out of the Born To Sea mare Murin performed his usual antics at the start, but it had no effect whatsoever on his performance and he galloped clear to give trainer Aidan O’Brien a seventh success Middle Park Stakes victory.

It was a one-two for Ballydoyle – The Antarctic, by Dark Angel and out of Anna Law, the dam of Battaash, finished second (having finished second to the winner in the Prix Robert Papin (G2)), with Persian Force (Mehmas) in third, also taking  a second Group 1 placing behind Blackbeard, and giving another good result today for Amo Racing.

“He is a character,” admitted O’Brien,”but there is no badness in him. He does not have a lot of patience, he wants to get on with stuff, like some people don’t mind waiting, some like to get need to keep going and that is the way he is. If you start curtailing him too much, he starts slamming the ground and doing those goose steps, which is unusual for a colt. He has always done it but he can do what he wants really!”

O’Brien added: “He is very fast, a very quick horse, he is a very professional, precocious fast two-year-old. He loves it when there is pace in front. He started very early, and held his form very strong.”

Of options moving forward such as possibilities of a run in the Breeders’ Cup and a Guineas campaign for next season, O’Brien said: “He is a very important horse for us, when you get a horse who is this precocious, fast and strong. He has been very busy so we will see how he is, and what everybody wants to do, his speed is his thing. He has always been very quick, he got to the front and he was n’t killing himself then.”

It has been a good Group 1-winning day for Jamie McCalmont – the agent purchased Blackbeard at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for 270,000gns from Norelands Stud, also manages Lezoo for owner Marc Chan and purchased the filly alongside Kelsey Lupo of Atlas Bloodstock.