Richard Fahey column: Weekend team

By Richard Fahey

Horse Racing

Sat September 30, 2023 · 1y ago

He's bidding for Group One glory in France on Sunday check out our columnist on Native American.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Native American run in Sunday’s Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp.

This race was in the back of my mind when we took him to the Curragh for the sales event at the Irish Champions Festival. I just felt that run was going to put him right and, with no disrespect to those who ran against him that day, we might get away with it.

We did and I was very pleased with him in the end – and have been since at home. He's coming forward all the time and the Curragh was the equivalent of two big gallops at home.

We won the Lagardere with Wootton Bassett back in 2010. He too came into the Group One via the sales race route but was more experienced than this fellow.

Native American just grew after his debut win at York in May so we backed off him and it did him the world of good. He’s progressing well and is where I’d want him to be going into Sunday’s race.

Look he has an official mark of 89 so is going to have to improve 25 pounds or more to win in France. I’m not saying he’ll find all that in one go but I do think he’ll manage a good chunk of it

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