Benvenuto Cellini Storms To Group 2 Victory At Leopardstown

Benvenuto Cellini (2c Frankel - Newspaperofrecord, by Lope De Vega) continued his progress with an impressive victory in the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.

The Ballydoyle-trained juvenile was an easy winner of his second start at Killarney in July and took another step forward under Christophe Soumillon for a first Group-race victory.

Settled in second, the Frankel colt challenged for the lead two furlongs out and came home in the final furlong to win by an easy five lengths. Half-a-length behind the runner-up in third was Nil Bua Gan Dua (by American Pharoah).

Aidan O’Brien said: “He’s lovely, he’s coming lovely. He has a big open stride. He won his maiden lovely and looks like he’s going to be a lovely middle-distance horse.

“Dylan [Browne McMonagle, rider of runner-up Hardy Warrior] took him along out in the middle of the track and Christophe had the choice of coming to the right or left rail and it was easier to go to the right rail.

“I couldn’t be happier. He was always going to be a Derby trial horse, Christophe said he feels like a French Derby horse.

“He can go again this year to Doncaster or one of the French races and then start in the Derby trials next year, I’d imagine.”

Benvenuto Cellini was bred by Coolmore and White Birch Farm.