'Powerful' Charles Darwin enters notebooks at Navan Selectively-bred Charles Darwin (8/11f) went into notebooks with a breakthrough moment today, having impressively landed Navan’s Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for Aidan O’Brien, jockey Ryan Moore and the Coolmore partners. Charles Darwin is the fourth foal of Muirin, who had been solely bred to sprint stallion No Nay Never, with their first mating producing the quirky but top juvenile Blackbeard. A fourth-place finisher on his Curragh debut on April 12, Charles Darwin today adapted much better to his environment, making all and sprinting clear for a 5.5 lengths win over a field of mostly newcomers. Trainer O'Brien reported “he is a lovely, big, powerful and strong horse and we always thought was an Ascot horse. "He was very green in the Curragh and the race was a bit messy and he did everything right today. He travelled, has loads of speed and quickened very well. He's not short of speed so it will be the Coventry or Norfolk for him at Royal Ascot." Quotes from Michael Graham
