Smart debutant Gstaad leads home O'Brien's maiden '1-2' Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien registered a ‘1-2’ in Navan’s opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden today, but won with bigger-priced Gstaad (9/1 — 7s), which scored impressively on debut for jockey Chris Hayes. With stable jockey Ryan Moore in action at Newbury, Wayne Lordan filled in on O’Brien’s True Love (2/5f) and while the once-raced-filly travelled well, was headed close home by winner Gstaad. Gstaad - a half-brother to dual juvenile Group 1-winnerVandeek, had improved from mid-field and while having to be switched right to challenge, quickened smartly, to provide jockey Hayes with a third winner for O’Brien. Ballydoyle’s representative Chris Armstrong said "they are obviously two lovely ones to come here with. True Love had a good run at the Curragh in a Listed race and this fella (Gstaad) had been going nicely at home. "It was Gstaad’s first time away and Chris (Hayes) was very impressed with him. Once he got him out, he really quickened to the line. I don't think he even got a flick with the stick. Chris said he really quickened and attacked the line. "He's a horse with an unbelievable pedigree, is a great physical (specimen), and, all being well, he is in the Ascot mix now. He will come on a lot for it and is a powerful, big, strong horse. Obviously, the second-horse set a good marker and Gstaad is one to look forward to." Gstaad is a German-speaking town in southwestern Switzerland. Quotes from Michael Graham
