3 minute read

Michael O’Callaghan looks to have a smart juvenile on his hands after Francis Meynell created a taking impression in the five-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Navan.

A trip to Doncaster could be on the cards for Francis Meynell following an impressive and professional display on debut at Navan.

The son of Blue Point cost 125,000 guineas at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year and certainly knew his job first-time-out with jockey Leigh Roche wasting no time in sending the youngster to the front. Sent off an 8/1 chance to make a winning debut against more experienced rivals, Francis Meynell travelled well throughout and quickened up smartly at the two-furlong marker. Leigh Roche asked his mount to stretch inside the final furlong and he soon assumed command scoring with three-quarters of a length to spare at the line.

A step up in grade looks likely next time with the County Kildare-based trainer suggesting a tilt at the Group 2 Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Stakes [Flying Childers] could be a feasible option.

O'Callaghan said: "He's a horse I've taken my time with. He's quite enthusiastic at home so we went back to basics with him, and we've slowly let him get himself ready for this,"

"He's going to improve plenty. It's more so his mind that made him look so professional today, but I think he'll improve a lot from what he's done at home.

"It looked like a good race on paper beforehand and Leigh said he thought that he was only in second gear.

"I thought if he was able to win his maiden today and he looked nice that I might pitch him into something like the Flying Childers.

"He's quick, he'd get six furlongs I'd say, but he has a lot of speed and there is no point trying to tame it.

"I not trying to talk him up, but I honestly don't know where the bottom of him is."