Military strikes on Naas debut

Gary Carson
September 14, 2023 5:38 pm

Group One goals on the horizon for maiden scorer.

Military could be set for bigger and better things having made a winning debut at Naas on Thursday.

Aidan O’Brien’s son of Siyouni cost 375,000 guineas as a yearling and although making a belated racecourse bow, holds plenty of entries for high-class events later this autumn.

Sent off 2-7 favourite for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden, Military went some way to booking his ticket for those contests with an impressive display in the hands of Dylan Browne McMonagle.

Having travelled through the race like a classy operator, he overcame greenness a furlong from home, before kicking the best part of three lengths clear of his nearest pursuer in the closing stages.

O’Brien is now considering an immediate step up in class for the colt’s next outing, with Newmarket’s Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (September 30) and the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp on Arc day (October 1) both on the radar.

He said: “He was working like a lovely colt. We knew that was probably plenty short for him but it was to get him out and get him started. He will come forward lovely from that.

“You’d be very happy with him. He could maybe go to the Middle Park or the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

“We knew he was a six or seven-furlong type horse and he will be probably be a miler next year. We just needed to get him started.

“Dylan said he was very green but he would have learned a lot there today.”

However, there was disappointment for the Ballydoyle stable later on the card when the highly-touted Gallantly could finish only seventh as the 8-11 favourite in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

The seven-furlong contest was won by Jessica Harrington’s Bluedrum (6-1), who ran out a cosy two-and-a-half-length victor.