Man’s Best Friend proves punters’ pal in Richmond

Man’s Best Friend got rolling late to secure top honours in the Markel Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.

A promising fourth on his debut behind a couple of notable stablemates in Abraham Lincoln and Haffner, Aidan O’Brien’s No Nay Never colt opened his account at the second of time of asking at Naas last week and was swiftly stepped up to Group Two level.

Relatively easy to back given his connections at 11-2, Man’s Best Friend still had a wall of horses in front of him entering the last of six furlongs, but Ryan Moore’s mount showed a smart change of gear once the gap came to confine the Coventry and July Stakes second Adaay Of Scarlett to the runner-up spot once again.

O’Brien said: “I’m delighted with him. The last day at Naas was only his second run and he’s a baby of a horse. We thought bringing him today was going to do him good, win, lose or draw, so he’s a lovely little horse.

“He’s out of a Galileo mare and he came here for experience really. Ryan thought he would get further, he thought he travelled well and he liked him. All options are open, he looks a Middle Park type of horse or the Gimcrack, so all those races are open to him.

“Ryan said he had nowhere to go really through the whole race, but he liked him, he said he felt classy and that he’d get further. There’s a lot of options open to him, he could turn into a Dewhurst horse, who knows. He could be a nice colt.”

Moore said: “Wayne (Lordan) said he liked him when he won at Naas there last week. He’s a fast horse with a beautiful pedigree.

“He would have been an unlucky loser, luckily he got out just in time. He can only get better. It’s the first time I’ve sat on him, he’s a strong horse, lot of speed and has a good future.”