Wootton Bassett Juveniles Dominate In Curragh Maidens

A pair of Coolmore homebreds by Wootton Bassett completed a quickfire double for Ballydoyle and Ryan Moore at the Curragh on Wednesday. Well-backed newcomer Amadeus Mozart (2c Wootton Bassett – Pendant, by Galileo) was first to oblige when leading home a 1-2 for connections in the seven-furlong maiden.

Sent off a short-priced favourite under Ryan Moore, he raced prominently and was asked to quicken with two furlongs left to race. Ridden to lead a furlong later, he kept on to beat stablemate Dorset (Wootton Bassett) by half a length.

On the first two home, Aidan O’Brien commented: “They are lovely big horses - they were never away, so they are going to come forward plenty. Ryan liked him (the winner).

“He said he was a lovely horse and he wouldn’t mind stepping up. He’ll be a lovely horse next year, he’s a very big horse. He was very green.”

Flushing Meadows (2c Wootton Bassett – Hence, by Galileo) won the six-furlong maiden in similarly likeable fashion. Racing prominently in the early stages, he was asked to quicken three furlongs out and ridden to lead inside the final furlong. He kept on to score by a length and a half, with another length and a quarter back to the third horse.

“I’m delighted with him, he’s a lovely horse,” O’Brien said after the race. “Again, he was never away and he’ll come forward loads. He’ll have no problem getting seven furlongs.

“The reason those horses were here was in case they were Ascot horses. Ryan said he’s lovely, but that Ascot might be a little bit too quick for him and to give him a little bit of time.

“He doesn’t have to step up in trip and he might come back here for the Railway.”