'He's just ready to start and will get much further' - O'Brien expects 2,000,000gns yearling to improve for racecourse debut

The dearest yearling sold in Europe last year makes his eagerly awaited racecourse debut in the concluding 7f maiden (5.40) at Naas on Thursday, but Aidan O'Brien has warned punters that his multi-million guineas signing Galveston will improve greatly for his first appearance in public. 

Galveston cost a whopping 2,000,000 guineas at last year's Tattersalls Book 1 yearling sale. He is a son of the mighty Frankel and his dam, Bizzarria, is a sister to the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Cannock Chase who won the Canadian International at Woodbine. 

O'Brien said of Galveston: "He's just ready to start and obviously he will stay much further than seven furlongs in time. He will come forward a lot for his first run, there will be plenty of improvement to come from him. He's a nice-looking horse and hopefully he'll run a nice race."

Galveston will be ridden by Ryan Moore and faces 11 rivals on his debut. None of them have seen a racecourse before. 

There is a second Ballydoyle representative in the shape of Serious Contender, who is a son of Wootton Bassett and Lugnaquilla, a sister to O'Brien's Derby runner-up Cliffs Of Moher. 

There are some notable newcomers in the line-up and none more so than Edge Of Seventeen. She is a daughter of Circus Maximus and a half-sister to the stable's star filly Albigna, a winner of three of her first four starts including the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day at Longchamp.

It is worth pointing out that Edge Of Seventeen's trainer Jessica Harrington has won this particular maiden in four of the last five years. 

Last year Bluedrum did the business for the stable, while the smart Bold Discovery was successful in 2022. Deputy Sandy won in 2020 and Valeria Messalina in 2019. 

Indeed, no other trainer other than Harrington and O'Brien has won the maiden since 2016. 

O'Brien has landed the spoils with United Nations (2021), Old Glory (2018) and Flag Of Honour (2017) in the last decade. 

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