Scorthy Champ shows his 'brilliance' to capitalise on wayward favourite Henri Matisse in National Stakes

Joseph O'Brien landed his third Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes in five runnings as the highly touted Scorthy Champ ran out a game and decisive winner in the hands of Dylan Browne McMonagle. 

It was the rider's second success in the race after he and O'Brien teamed up to win in 2022 with Al Riffa, while the trainer also won it with Thunder Moon in 2020.

The race shaped up intriguingly with the winner racing on the inside rail, seeing off the initial challenge of the Hugo Palmer-trained Seagulls Eleven, and then coping with the challenge of odds-on favourite Henri Matisse. 

The difference between the two could not have been more stark, with Scorthy Champ running to the line straight and true, while Henri Matisse wandered around, bumped Seagulls Eleven and did not look completely straightforward. The favourite held on to second place after a stewards' inquiry.

This was all about Scorthy Champ, though, a Leopardstown maiden winner who had shown his lack of experience when third to Henri Matisse in the Futurity Stakes here the previous month, but he looked more the finished article here, justifying McMonagle's decision to ride him ahead of stablemate Cowardofthecounty, a Group 2 winner at Deauville last time.

McMonagle said: “He's a very talented horse. He's learning all the time and is still a big baby. The speed was on here. I was always very comfortable, he was tough in the last furlong and got to the line strong.

“We were behind Henri Matisse here last time, but I left thinking I would have the better of him today, the way he ran to the line. 

"Everyone has done a great job with him at home. Nobody realises how hard it is to get these big winners and it means a lot. 

"This horse will have no problem getting further. He has a really good temperament and certainly isn't slow at the back end of a race.”

Aidan O'Brien congratulates son Joseph after the success of Scorthy Champ in the National StakesCredit: Patrick McCann

O'Brien said: “It's so special to win a Group 1 here this weekend and I'm especially delighted to win this for Sam McAuley and Barry Fowler. Sam has been a great supporter of ours for a number of years. We've had some nice horses for him and I thought early on this year that this horse could be a really nice one for him.

“He has a little bit of brilliance about him. We were very happy with him last time. He had a little hold-up after he won at Leopardstown and had a little bit of a break, not by choice. So I would say there's a chance we might see him again this year. Next year I would see him more as a miler; this year the Lagardere or the Breeders' Cup would be possible targets.”

On Henri Matisse, trainer Aidan O'Brien said: “He's still a baby. When he got there last time he jinked and he did the same today. He's still mentally immature.”

Oisin Murphy, the rider of Seagulls Eleven, said: “That was a career best. He's a gorgeous big horse. His sire Galileo Gold improved from two to three and hopefully he will too.”

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