Charles Darwin Also Enforces the O’Brien Rule in the Norfolk Stakes

The son of No Nay Never was devastating over the five furlongs, completing the 2-year-old treble at Royal Ascot for the Ballydoyle team

Charles Darwin, Possessed of Blistering Speed / ROYAL ASCOT

BERKSHIRE, Ascot (Special for Turf Diario).- There’s no slowing down Aidan O’Brien’s juveniles at Royal Ascot this week. Following the impressive victories of Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) in the G2 Coventry Stakes and True Love (No Nay Never) in the G2 Queen Mary Stakes, it was Charles Darwin who took center stage Thursday, justifying his heavy favoritism with a powerful front-running win in the G2 Norfolk Stakes (5f, turf)—one of the meet’s marquee juvenile contests.

Partnered once again by Ryan Moore, the son of No Nay Never broke sharply, took command early, and never looked back. Traveling with intent throughout, he was asked for more inside the final quarter-mile and responded emphatically, drawing clear to score by 2 1/4 lengths in a commanding 58.87—just 0.07 seconds off the course record set by his sire in this very race back in 2013.

The promising Wise Approach (Mehmas) closed well for second, while the American-based Sandal’s Song(Mendelssohn) held on gamely for third after being involved in the early pace.

“Charles Darwin is an extremely fast horse—big, powerful, with a brilliant mind,” O’Brien said following his third 2-year-old win of the week. “Ryan has always liked him, and so has everyone at home. He looks like a 4-year-old running against 2-year-olds. At home he never shows that kind of speed, but today Ryan let him do his thing, and he saw it out really well.”

Asked to compare his star juveniles, O’Brien added: “Albert Einstein (Wootton Bassett) is something we’ve never seen before. Charles Darwin is a sprinter—I’m not sure how far he’ll stretch—but Gstaad looks like he’ll stay a mile.”

Moore was similarly impressed: “He’s a very professional colt with an excellent attitude. He broke fast, showed plenty of speed, and when they came to challenge, he found again. He’s got the physique, the mind, and the maturity. He’ll handle six furlongs without an issue.”

Trainer Charlie Appleby was pleased with runner-up Wise Approach: “We were drawn on the less favorable side, but today was about education, and he finished off well. He ran second to a high-class colt, which tells us a lot.”

From the American contingent, Case Clay, racing advisor to Wathnan Racing, spoke positively of Sandal’s Song: “It was a brave effort. He’s got real speed, but maybe the final uphill run caught him by surprise. James [McDonald] said he felt the effort late. He’ll ship back to the U.S., and the main goal is the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.”