Folsom Blues strikes for impressive National Stakes victory

Folsom Blues upstaged his better fancied stablemate Monogram to claim top honours in the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes.

Having made a big impression on his course and distance debut three weeks ago, Monogram was the 9-4 favourite to successfully step up to Group One level for Joseph O’Brien, with his father Aidan’s Futurity winner Giant Sequoia and Oliver Cole’s British raider Dr Rascal rated his two biggest dangers.

But Folsom Blues brought strong Group One form to the table himself, having filled the runner-up spot best of the rest behind the earlier Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine Sun Goddess in last month’s Phoenix Stakes, and went one better in some style at 11-2 under Joey Sheridan.

Always travelling powerfully, the Blue Point colt engaged overdrive in the last of six furlongs to score by six lengths, with the less experienced Monogram making late gains into second to give his trainer a one-two.

“We felt we were coming here with two really nice colts,” said O’Brien. “They both had very good preparations, obviously different preparations and the winner looked really, really good today.

“It was really was top-class form and we’ve had a big opinion of the horse all along and he put it all together today.

“It was a great ride from Joey, very cool and executed perfectly.”

The Owning Hill handler is now considering a potential trip to Newmarket as well as the Breeders’ Cup for the winner.

He said: “I suppose the Dewhurst would be an obvious stepping stone. We had America in the back of our mind as well, before this race. I suppose it would be along those lines.

“He’s a good horse. Dropping him back to six furlongs was probably a big thing to ask him (last time) and he ran great. He loved coming back to seven.”

Of the runner-up Monogram, he added: “I thought it was a great run, just a bit of inexperience told through the middle of the race but he hit the line really strong. He’s very exciting for the future.”