Brother to Blackbeard and €2.6m sales ring stunner Run Away set to debut for Coolmore

Our resident bloodstock experts profile the well-bred eyecatchers and expensive purchases set to grace the track.

TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden (1.20 Navan, Saturday)

Forecast odds: 8-11

What's the story?

Tunbridge Wells just happens to be a full-brother of Blackbeard, who won six of his eight starts as a two-year-old in 2022, including the Group 1 Prix Morny and Group 1 Middle Park.

He was due to have a tilt at the Breeders’ Cup but incurred a small chip in his right knee and was promptly retired to Coolmore. He stood this year for €20,000.

Two-year-old newcomer Tunbridge Wells is likewise trained by Aidan O’Brien and it will be fascinating to see how he fares on his debut in the 6f maiden at Navan on Saturday.

How's he bred?

By No Nay Never, dam Muirin, by Born To Sea, certainly hasn’t missed so far, producing not only the exceptional Blackbeard but his full-sister Run Away, who got off the mark at the first time of asking at Yarmouth last month for the Andrew Balding yard.

Blackbeard romps away with the Middle Park StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Run Away has the baggage of being the most expensive of the 30 or so yearlings bought by agent Richard Knight for Saleh Al Homaizi in 2022 but not paid for. She topped the Goffs Orby Sale at €2.6 million, but was subsequently sold privately.

Tunbridge Wells, like his full-siblings, was bred by Newstead Breeding, but he did not pass through a public auction in ending up carrying the Michael Tabor silks as part of the Coolmore ownership team.

Muirin won as a two-year-old on her debut but couldn’t surpass that achievement on the track, while Prix Morny winner No Nay Never has six other top-level scorers to his name in addition to Blackbeard, led by Alcohol Free.

Who does he face?

It’s possibly not the deepest juvenile event run this year. Invincible Army’s son Dr Ali may be the one to beat having run a good third over course and distance on his debut last month behind another Ballydoyle blueblood in Camille Pissarro.

There are two other debutants here, Ardad’s son King Thistle, who is a half-brother to five winners, and Sounds Like A Plan, whose sire Night Of Thunder had the Dante winner the other day. 

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