Great Barrier Reef lands Marble Hill for relieved Aidan O'Brien

Great Barrier Reef proved he could very much be a natural wonder when hunting down stablemate Carry The Flag in style to land the Kilkea Castle Marble Hill Stakes.

Aidan O’Brien’s son of No Nay Never had impressed over course and distance on debut and again looked a cut above his rivals as the 8-15 favourite, with the mount of Ryan Moore closing down the front-running Naas winner Carry The Flag inside the closing stages for a visually taking length and a quarter success.

It was a 14th victory in the Group Three event for the master of Ballydoyle who won the race 12 months ago with the much-heralded Albert Einstein and has also taken home the first prize with the likes of Blackbeard (2022) and Caravaggio (2016) in the past.

This year’s winner was made 5-2 favourite for the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot by Paddy Power, and O’Brien suggested that is where he will be next seen, with runner-up Carry The Flag a possible to drop back to five furlongs for the Norfolk Stakes.

O’Brien said: “We pitched him into a deep piece of work the last day at home, which he got a bit lost in, so we weren’t sure if there was a reason but there wasn’t. He came out of the work very well and fresh but we weren’t sure about today.

“Ryan said he was very green in the stalls and that he missed the break, so gave him a chance in the first part of the race. He said he flew home, but that he had had to get hold of him and to teach him. He is obviously very high-class and should get seven (furlongs).

“If he comes out of this OK, we could let him go to the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and you would have to be very happy with him.

“Wayne (Lordan, on Carry The Flag) let his horse roll along and his horse will be very happy going back to five (furlongs).”