Gr.1 National Stakes goes to Native Trail

Oasis Dream two-year-old Native Trail posted an emphatic win in the Curragh's Gr.1 National Stakes yesterday. He becomes his sire's 18th Gr.1 winner.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 13th September 2021:

Putting the seal on a stellar weekend for Godolphin's Charlie Appleby stable, Native Trail brushed aside TDN Rising Star Point Lonsdale for an emphatic three and a half-length success in Sunday's Gr.1 National Stakes at The Curragh.

Coming off a win in the Gr.2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket on 10th July - like the operation's past winners Dubawi  and his son Quorto - the 7-2 second favourite was notably green throughout. Picking up the favourite, Point Lonsdale, instantly once the whip was applied, the imposing bay readily asserted from the furlong pole to race to the top of the juvenile division, with the long-time leader Ebro River losing a private battle with Point Lonsdale by half a length in third.

"This is a hugely exciting race and a very important one that I've been fortunate enough to ride some great two-year-olds in and this fellow is no different," the winning jockey William Buick said.

"I was confident - he's still learning on the job, but he answered every call and I really like what he did in the last 100 yards. He felt like a very good horse - it was a good renewal of the race and the pace was on, so there is every indication that it was a good race. He's a fine big horse and even physically, there is improvement left in him and there is something to work on. Next year he should get a mile no problem."

Appleby had won this with the aforementioned Quorto and Pinatubo, while another son of Dubawi in Master of the Seas was fourth 12 months ago having looked
the winner a furlong from home. Native Trail looks every bit in their league on this evidence.

"We took Native Trail for a racecourse gallop a couple of weeks ago and if you'd asked me then if we would be winning a National Stakes, I might have sat on the fence slightly," Appleby commented.

"Full credit to the team at home. We definitely felt the horse had come forward for that gallop and we put a cross noseband on him to help him concentrate. William said Native Trail is still very green and it felt like he was going down to the start on a maiden. He gave the horse a shove early doors to get the revs up, but I knew with two furlongs to go the one thing Native Trail was going to do was gallop out strongly. We will see how he comes out of this and discuss things, but I would say that we might give him one more start this year in the [Gr.1] Dewhurst Stakes [at Newmarket 9th October]."