'It's like fantasy land' - Lavery targets Royal Ascot with Irish Guineas second

The bright lights of Royal Ascot are calling for trainer Sheila Lavery and her excellent Irish 2,000 Guineas second New Energy, after the high-class colt threatened to cause a fairytale upset against Native Trail on Saturday.

Lavery was still on cloud nine on Monday after the colt, owned by her brother John, gave connections a "massive kick" when trading at 6-4 in-running before going down by a length and three-quarters to last year's European champion juvenile.

Partnered by Billy Lee due to regular rider Robbie Colgan being injured, the 40-1 outsider ran the race of his life to earn €100,000 in second-place prize-money and is now on course for a tilt at the St James's Palace Stakes on June 14.

St James's Palace Stakes: entries and betting

Lavery told the Racing Post: "I was really looking forward to running him because he hadn't ever been in a race where there was proper pace he could sit behind.

New Energy: sole win from five starts came in a Curragh maiden on debut last SeptemberCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

"We don't have that kind of lead horse so didn't know how good he was until he ran in a race that suited him. I wasn't particularly nervous because I knew he was well, and that if he was good enough he'd run a big race."

New Energy travelled sweetly while picking off rivals in the closing stages, but Lavery said she always thought Native Trail would prevail, adding: "Having watched Native Trail in the past, I thought he'd always keep pulling out more.

"He's a beast of a horse. Running second to him, to us it was like winning. It was just brilliant. Our horse lost a bit of ground at the start but Billy said it wasn't the losing of the race – he just felt Native Trail would keep staying on."

Lavery was left heartbroken by the loss of stable star Lady Kaya in 2019 when the 1,000 Guineas runner-up suffered a fatal injury during her last piece of serious work ahead of a tilt at Royal Ascot.

Having seen New Energy raised 11lb to a mark of 113, the Meath-based trainer is excited about next month's Group 1 adventure at the royal meeting and any temptation to sell the three-year-old is being resisted.

Lady Kaya: the apple of Sheila Lavery's eye who finished second behind Hermosa in the 2019 1,000 GuineasCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

"The phone has been ringing but John isn't a seller," said Lavery. "He understands the ups and downs of racing. He was there the day Lady Kaya broke her leg, so he knows the risks, and that takes the pressure off me in understanding what can go right and wrong.

"We got a massive kick out of Saturday's run. It's fantastic. This was massive for John because he's put so much into racing and this is where everyone wants to be, to have runners at the top table."

Lavery added: "All being well, his next target will be the St James's Palace Stakes. It's brilliant to be looking at a race like that – it's like fantasy land. I'm very lucky because you had to make an entry for the St James's Palace before the Guineas and we weren't quite sure what we had.

"Because John's attitude is that if you're not in you can't win, we have this entry to call on and fair play to him for doing so. It takes some of the pressure off being able to do that, and if it doesn't work out he takes it on the chin and moves on."

St James's Palace Stakes (4.20 Ascot, June 14)

bet365: 4-6 Coroebus, 7-2 Native Trail, 6 Modern Games, 12 Maljoom, 14 Eydon, 16 Point Lonsdale, Perfect Power, My Prospero, New Energy 20 bar

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