Latest News

Comfortable Naas victory takes his earnings past £120,000

King Cuan, a two-year-old by Shadwell’s exciting second-season sire Tasleet, took his earnings past £120,000 with a cosy victory in the valuable Irish EBF Auction Series Race Final at Naas on Sunday.

The Paddy Twomey-trained colt travelled sweetly in midfield in the early stages of the seven-furlong contest and swept into the lead with a furlong to go. He stayed on determinedly to beat Duplantis, with the pair putting clear water between themselves and the rest of the field.

“I knew I was probably on the best horse in the race,” reported jockey Billy Lee. “He cruised there and picked up to win well. He was just getting a bit lonely in front and on that ground you’re never going to be ultra impressive. He gets seven well which opens up options for next year. He’s a game little horse.”

King Cuan has now won three of his four starts for owners the Red Lily Racing Syndicate, having slammed subsequent Listed scorer Pipsy by more than four lengths when breaking his maiden at Cork in September and easily taking the Goffs Sportsman’s Challenge at Naas last time out.

Bred by Cobhall Court Stud out of the winning Dutch Art mare Rutherford, he is one of only 24 named foals in Tasleet’s second crop conceived at a fee of just £6,000. The small cohort also includes Muchas Gracias, a four-time winner in France, and Nouveaux, who bravely made all to score in a nursery over the minimum trip at Chelmsford on Saturday.

Tasleet’s first crop, aged three and bred off the same inexpensive fee, meanwhile contains none other than Coventry Stakes and King’s Stand Stakes hero Bradsell, as well as the high-class filly American Sonja and smart multiple winners Mustajaab, Skysail and Wildfell.

His third crop of yearlings have sold in recent weeks for up to 75,000gns.