A runaway leader for Europe's leading first season sire, Coolmore Stud's red-hot young stallion No Nay Never (IRE) was represented by his first Group 1 winner when Ten Sovereigns kept his unbeaten record intact in Saturday's Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (6f) at Newmarket on Saturday.
Trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by his son Donnacha, Ten Sovereigns defeated the Kodiac colt Jash by half a length with Bungle Inthejungle's son Rumble Inthejungle three and a half lengths back in third. (photo Sporting Life)
"He learnt plenty. He is a very fast horse with a lot of speed," Aidan O'Brien told Sporting Life.
"It is exciting for the lads as they have the stamina in the Galileo mares and now they have justified having the No Nay Never and Scat Daddy speed.
"That was the exciting thing today - he was going to Group One standard and you don't really know how they will go until you run them.
"I'm delighted and Donnacha gave him a super ride. Donnacha said when he came in that it was the first time he showed greenness and I was worried about that as the first day he ran he galloped up the Curragh by himself.
"It wasn't ideal to go back so quick for the next one, but obviously we were delighted that he did go back."
O'Brien said it was doubtful that Ten Sovereigns would back-up in the Dewhurst Stakes on October 13.
"I think it might not be the right thing to do. It's not long since he started, we rushed two runs in together and he just about made it back for this one.
"I think to be fair to him the best thing will be to leave him alone (until next year), but the lads will decide. He is very exciting. He probably won't get much further than a mile, if he gets a mile."
A seven-length winner of a 6-furlong maiden at the Curragh on August 28, Ten Sovereigns returned to the same track a week later to capture the Group III Round Tower Stakes.
One of four stakes-winner from the first crop of Scat Daddy's Norfolk Stakes and Prix Morny No Nay Never, Ten Sovereigns is out of the stakes-placed Exceed And Excel mare Seeking Solace.
An Australian stallion also featured on the dam's side of Ballydoyles Group II Royal Lodge Stakes winner Mohawk (Galileo) who is out of the Encosta de Lago mare Empowering who won the Group III Leopardstown One Thousand Guineas Trial.
The powerfully made No Nay Never (pictured) covered his first two seasons at a fee of $11,000 but had an increase to $19,250 this spring.
He was joined at Coolmore this year by Scat Daddy's flying grey son Caravaggio (USA) and who knows, maybe in 2019 Scat Daddy's Triple Crown hero Justify (USA) may join the team.
