Ballydoyle Blueblood Impresses On Debut

Aidan O’Brien was full of praise for Simply Astounding (2f Wootton Bassett – Minding, by Galileo) after the Coolmore homebred made a winning debut at Naas on Monday.

The Ballydoyle newcomer was sent off favourite for the six-furlong fillies’ maiden in which Fairy Godmother finished second last year, with Ryan Moore adopting similar tactics on his latest mount. Racing prominently, she was pushed along to lead two furlongs from home and ran on well inside the final furlong. She led by a length and a quarter on the line, while the well-supported Cape Sounion (No Nay Never) claimed runners-up honours, finishing seven lengths clear of the rest of the field.

“She’s a very nice filly,” O’Brien said after the race. “She might come back here for the fillies’ race (Group 3 on May 18th) and then the Albany. That’s the same plan we had with Fairy Godmother last year. She’s very smart and very natural.”

Simply Astounding is a full-sister to unbeaten juvenile Henry Longfellow (Wootton Bassett), out of the top-class Galileo mare Minding.