Not to be as No Nay Never's first runners both place on debut

No Nay Never - who became the first Royal Ascot winner for his sire Scat Daddy when winning the 2013 Norfolk Stakes - saw his first two runners line up in separate 4½f maiden special weight contests at Keeneland on Friday, with both runners finishing among the places.

There were a number of fitting tie-ins, with No Nay Never having started off his own racing career in a similar contest at Keeneland in the same month as a two-year-old. Both runners, Onthewaytonevrland and No Bang No Boom, are also homebreds for Ice Wine Stable, in whose colours No Nay Never raced, and are trained by Wesley Ward, who handled No Nay Never's racing career.

In the opening race, Onthewaytonevrland was leading into the straight and raced three wide under Julio Garcia, before True Saint reeled him in to win by a length and a quarter. Onthewaytonevrland is out of L'Ensorceleuse, an unraced Oasis Dream half-sister to top-class miler Charm Spirit.

No Bang No Boom, also under Garcia, led for much of the third race, before losing ground in the closing stages and finishing a fair third to the Shanghai Bobby colt Shanghaied Roo. No Bang No Boom is out of an unraced half-sister to US black-type performers Sindy With An S and Indian Winter.

With both having shown promise, it will be interesting to see if either are included in Ward's Royal Ascot squad this year.

No Nay Never, who went on to land the Prix Morny after his Norfolk triumph, is standing his fourth season at a career-high fee of €25,000 at Coolmore Stud in Ireland.

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