Fancy Blue Bounds Home in Nassau Stakes

Anyone who thinks Aidan O'Brien is simply keeping the Ballydoyle seat warm for his youngest son, Donnacha, was given visible evidence to support the claim July 30 following a Goodwood showpiece in which two outstanding young talents, one a man, the other a horse, combined for a famous triumph.

Just 30 minutes after Aidan took part in a Zoom press conference in a Ballydoyle room now familiar to racing fans all around the world, Donnacha was sat in the same chair in the same room, explaining how it felt to win the Qatar Nassau Stakes (G1).

Never before had the 22-year-old sent a horse to race in Britain, nor had he ever won a classic as a trainer, until Fancy Blue carried Michael Tabor's silks to capture the Prix de Diane Longines (G1) earlier this month. She did her trainer proud at Chantilly and did so again in the hands of Ryan Moore at Goodwood.

In a short but stunning riding career, O'Brien plundered a host of crown jewels, including back-to-back Two Thousand Guineas (G1), the Oaks (G1), Irish Derby (G1), and Champion Stakes (G1). That latter success was achieved aboard Magical at Ascot in October. Six days earlier he had also trained Fancy Blue to win her second career start—albeit unofficially.

Knowing where and when to dish out praise out in this story is complicated, for when Fancy Blue took that Curragh contest she was ridden by Seamie Heffernan and officially trained by Aidan O'Brien, although actually in the care of Donnacha O'Brien, who on that occasion finished second for brother Joseph O'Brien on A New Dawn.

The sun was then setting on his riding career but dawn has risen magnificently on his career as a licensed trainer, one who was happy to talk about Fancy Blue potentially meeting his father's Love in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1).

Due to quarantine requirements in Ireland, Donnacha was missing from France on Diane day and he was missing from Britain on Nassau day. That in no way diminished his joy, nor the smile on his face as he spoke from the seat in which his father had not long since been analyzing Mogul's Gordon Stakes win.

"It's a bit weird but it's a weird world at the minute," said O'Brien. "If you had told me what was going on now in the world I wouldn't have believed you. Everything is a bit strange, and I certainly wasn't expecting this, but we'll take it."

It was clear, though, that he was expecting Fancy Blue to go close here. A filly whose only defeat came at the hands of Ballydoyle's Peaceful in the Tattersalls Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1) sat second behind Ballydoyle's Magic Wand—sent off 9-4 favorite —until grabbing the lead over a furlong from home. 

Compatriot One Voice threw down a challenge but 11-4 shot Fancy Blue was always in command and scored by a snug neck.

Nazeef ran on for third—John Gosden argued the track was her undoing—but Japan's Deirdre, the heroine of 2019, was this time at the other end of the result. It may have been some consolation that Fancy Blue was sired by Japan's late stallion sensation Deep Impact, while she herself could be considered for a valuable prize in Japan at the end of the season.