The Brazilian colt Obstacle was an absolute machine in the Nacional at Maroñas, demolishing his rivals by 17 lengths

Following his victory in the Jockey Club (G3), the son of Hofburg confirmed his status as Uruguay’s standout of the year, capturing the Gran Premio Nacional (G1)—the Uruguayan Derby—in dominant fashion

Obstacle delivered a performance that was simply out of this world / MAROÑAS

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (Special to Turf Diario)—Uruguayan racing has found its undisputed star of the year. His name is Obstacle, and he proved it beyond any doubt Sunday at Maroñas, crushing his rivals by an astonishing 17 lengths in the Gran Premio Nacional (G2, 2500m, dirt)—a margin rarely, if ever, seen in the modern era.

Unbeaten in three starts since crossing the Río de la Plata, many seasoned observers now claim that—Invasor (Candy Stripes) aside—the local crowd hasn’t witnessed a horse of such immense quality since the reopening of Maroñas.

Bred in Brazil, owned by Stud Duplo Ouro, and trained by Ivo Pereira—though presented by Diego Cortazzo—the son of Hofburg and Come and See (Elusive Quality) came into the race off decisive wins in both the Clásico Criadores Nacionales (L) and the Gran Premio Jockey Club (G1). But this time, he was nothing short of spectacular.

Everton Rodrigues merely had to keep the inevitable champion relaxed through the first 1500 meters, as Obstacle set the pace right from the break, with Tadow Star (Midshipman) and Ormello (Drosselmeyer) giving brief chase. Both were soon spent—eventually finishing eighth and ninth—and the chestnut turned the stretch run into a one-horse show.

With Rodrigues barely moving his hands, Obstacle widened his margin dramatically in the final furlong, cruising to the wire 17 lengths clear in 2:35.46, just shy of the 2:35.18 track record set by Ad Better (Hearty) in the 2004 edition of the same race. It was clear that, had he been asked, Obstacle could have easily shattered the record.

“He’s a special, exceptional horse,” said Ricardo Felizzola, who is once again enjoying big-time success at Maroñas, as he did last season with No Bien Ni Mal (Hofburg), now a stakes winner in the United States. “If you look at his races, he’s always running close to record times. We don’t yet know his ceiling. The sport can be unpredictable, but we set out to create our own Triple Crown, with longer races, so we ran him in the Jockey Club and the Nacional, and next we’ll go to the Ramírez.”

On the same card, In-Verso (War Secretary) captured the Carlos Pellegrini (L, 2400m, turf), while Dua Lipa (Can the Man) took the Storace (2100m, turf).