Next stop Ascot as Charles Darwin wins Antarctic Race The Aidan O'Brien-trained Charles Darwin booked his passage to Royal Ascot next month when making all the running to win the opening Coolmore Stud The Antarctic Race at Naas. Having easily landed a Navan maiden on his latest start, the son of No Nay Never was sent off at prohibitive odds of 1/14f to make it back-to-back wins. A full-brother to dual Group 1 winner Blackbeard, the colt was smartly into stride under Ryan Moore. Strongly pressed by newcomer Cardiff By The Sea over a furlong out, the short priced favourite soon asserted to go clear inside the final furlong. Merely having to be pushed out hands and heels, Charles Darwin beat Cardiff By The Sea comfortably by three-and-a-quarter lengths. “We’re very happy, he just needed a nice sharp bit. Obviously the plan is to go to Ascot with him and it was nice to do it on lovely ground,” said O’Brien. “Ryan was very happy with him, he’s still babyish and I suppose he’s been doing everything so easy. Obviously when he goes to Ascot he won’t have much time for learning. “Hopefully that will have done the job and we’ll just look after him between now and then.” When asked if the Norfolk was the target he added:- “Probably and that could change, it will depend on what the lads want to do but I’d imagine it’s very likely. “Albert Einstein might run next weekend and we always thought he could be a Coventry horse, we thought this could be a Norfolk horse but he needed to learn. He was green and babyish and he has to be just caught hold of today. That’s why we were here with him and we’re delighted.” Paddy Power left Charles Darwin unchanged as 3/1f for the Norfolk Stakes. Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
