Australia’s Group 3 Winner Earns Group 1 Targets

Wemightakedlongway (3f Australia – Dont Ask Me At All, by No Nay Never) completed Coolmore Stud sires’ cleansweep of Saturday’s Stakes races at Navan when making all to win the Group 3 Salsabil Stakes.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained filly earned a rating of 102 for her maiden win and Group 3 placing as a juvenile, and returned last month to finish a respectable fifth against colts in the Ballysax Stakes. Reunited with Dylan Browne McMonagle at the weekend, she was asked to quicken after the three-furlong pole and ridden a furlong later. She found plenty under pressure, running on to score by two and three quarter lengths, with another three and three quarter lengths back to Island Hopping (Wootton Bassett) in third.

“Wemightakedlongway is a smart filly,” the winning trainer commented. “I thought her last run finishing behind Delacroix was really good for a first run back. I have campaigned her aggressively and she ran against colts on both of her last two runs.”

On future plans, O’Brien continued: “The (Group 1) Pretty Polly is the race we are really building towards; she is out of a No Nay Never mare so she just wouldn't be guaranteed to go a mile and a half. We will see whether we look at Epsom (the Oaks) or whether we look at something else before the Pretty Polly.”

Owned by E S Racing, the daughter of Australia was bred by Mrs Anne Marie O’Brien out of an own-sister to Group 2 runner-up Emphatic Answer (No Nay Never).