Pearls And Rubies books Royal Ascot ticket with smart Navan win

Albany Stakes on the cards for Aidan O’Brien’s filly.

Pearls And Rubies will head to Royal Ascot as an exciting proposition for Aidan O’Brien following a very promising debut success at Navan.

An imposing daughter of No Nay Never, Ryan Moore let her find her feet in the five-furlong Lynn Lodge Stud Irish EBF Maiden, as up front Lightening Army took them along.

Keeping close tabs on the leaders was 6-5 favourite I Am Invictus, who looked like getting his head in front when leading over a furlong out, having filled the runner-up spot behind O’Brien’s Coventry Stakes-bound River Tiber first time out.

Plenty to smile about for connections of Pearls And Rubies
Plenty to smile about for connections of Pearls And Rubies (PA)

But Pearls And Rubies (3-1) started to find top gear late in the day, coming home really well to get the verdict by a neck from Michael O’Callaghan’s charge.

O’Brien said: “We thought she was very smart, we had it in our head could she be an Ascot filly.

“Obviously, she needed experience badly. We came here to see if she would be forward enough for Ascot. Ryan rode her accordingly and left her alone and educated her. She could be an Albany filly.

“She has won there and doesn’t even realise she has raced yet. She just kept coming and finished off very strong.

“She’s obviously a filly with plenty of class.”

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