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Aidan O’Brien’s Henry Longfellow enhanced his big reputation with a comfortable victory in the Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish EBF Futurity Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.
Even before hitting the track, Aidan O'Brien's beautifully-bred colt had Classic quotes and he quickly proved they were by no means fanciful when scoring in commanding fashion over today's course and distance on debut four weeks ago.
The master of Ballydoyle wasted no time in stepping up his potential star to Group 2 company and Ryan Moore kept things simple on the 2/9 favourite with just four going to post.
Henry Longfellow was asked to stretch approaching the two-furlong marker and he lengthened away in taking style to score comfortably by a couple of lengths.
Islandsinthestream (6/1) ensured Henry Longfellow would have to gallop right through the line and finished back in second for son Joseph O'Brien.
Unsurprisingly, the Dubawi colt who is out of the brilliant mare Minding, was cut to 5/1 from 9/1 with Paddy Power for 2000 Guineas success, while the same firm went 8/1 about victory on the Epsom Downs next season and 2/1 from 7/2 to land the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October. However, the 2/1 available for the Dewhurst Stakes was quickly snapped up by punters following Aidan O'Brien's winning interview with Paddy Power now making Henry Longfellow the 6/4 favourite.
Speaking with Racing TV, Aidan O'Brien said: "You'd be very happy. The good thing about it was that it was a solid, even-run race so he'll learn plenty.
"That's what we were hoping would happen, either that or he would have had to go himself. It was lovely and I'm delighted.
"He's a classy horse, he's able to travel and quickens, too. He got a bit lazy when he went there and Ryan caught hold of him and made him stretch out, that's what he wanted.
"The next one is the Dewhurst, that is the plan. City Of Troy is coming here to the National Stakes so he'll go to the Dewhurst, just to try to divide them up.
"He's not short of pace, but Dubawis do stay, and his mother was very unusual as she won Group Ones from a mile all the way to a mile and a half."
He added: "Ryan said there was no problem if it was going to be heavy today, no worry about it, and no problem on nice ground.
"P-C [Boudot] rides him in all his work, and he said he was very happy. When those fellas are saying that, they know what they are at usually."