One to Watch – Ireland

Tara Madgwick - Tuesday April 29

When you call a filly Simply Astounding there is a level of expectation and the debut win of this blueblood Wootton Bassett filly overnight in Ireland would suggest the name was not bestowed lightly.

A homebred for the Coolmore partners trained by Aidan O’Brien, Simply Astounding gave Ryan Moore an easy steer as she kicked away for a length and a quarter win in the 6f maiden over another nice filly in Cape Sounion with seven lengths back to the next horse.

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Simply Astounding is likely headed to Royal Ascot next month and is the second Wootton Bassett 2YO winner this year in the Northern Hemisphere.

She is a half-sister to Group I winning 2YO Henry Longfellow, who was multiple Group I placed at three and the son of Dubawi heads to Australia later this year to stand at Rosemont Stud in Victoria.

Simply Astounding and Henry Longfellow are the first two foals to race from Galileo’s champion daughter Minding, who was 2016 European Horse of the Year and won nine races, seven of them at G1 level!

Minding is a full sister to Champion European 3YO Filly Tuesday and Group I winner Empress Josephine from dual Group I winner Lillie Langtry, so this family really is something special even by Coolmore standards!

Wootton Bassett (GB) is headed back to Australia this spring.

Wootton Bassett is expected back at Coolmore Australia this spring.

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