Saxon Warrior looks another star by Deep Impact for Coolmore

Coolmore's foray into breeding mares to multiple champion Japanese sire Deep Impact appears to have paid off again after Saxon Warrior eased to a wide-margin victory on his debut for Aidan O'Brien in a mile two-year-old maiden at the Curragh on Sunday.

Saxon Warrior started relatively unfancied at 8-1 but sauntered past his rivals on the outside of the field under Donnacha O'Brien to win by three and a quarter lengths from Jim Bolger's homebred Teofilo colt Meagher's Flag.

“He looks a very smart colt,” the trainer said after the race. “He was just ready to come racing and when Donnacha pulled him out he said he took off, he really quickened and was very impressive.

“He's a big powerful horse. The dam was very good. We'll try not to go too quick with him but we can do plenty, maybe even something like the Beresford.”

Saxon Warrior is the fourth runner by Deep Impact to have scored for O'Brien and Coolmore after September, a two-year-old filly out of multiple Group 1 winner Peeping Fawn who scored in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and was fourth in the Debutante Stakes last time out; Wisconsin, a three-year-old brother to September who won a Tipperary middle-distance maiden; and Pavlenko, a three-year-old sister to Saxon Warrior who has won a Curragh maiden and finished third in the Listed Platinum Stakes.

Saxon Warrior and Pavlenko were bred by Coolmore partners Orpendale, Chelston and Wynatt out of Maybe, a daughter of Galileo who was unbeaten at two, including in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, and finished third in the 1,000 Guineas at three.

Maybe is a sister to Silver Flash Stakes winner Promise To Be True out of Sumora, a Listed-winning Danehill three-parts sister to Oaks heroine Dancing Rain from the family of Derby laureate Dr Devious.

Maybe, Peeping Fawn and Group 3 winner Cherokee were sent by Coolmore to the court of Deep Impact in 2013 and 2014 and the operation has continued to send a select few mares to him at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan.

A son of the legendary Sunday Silence, Deep Impact has posted 30 top-level winners as a sire including Beauty Parlour, who won the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in France for the Wildenstein family.

On pedigree and performance, Saxon Warrior looks well up to that possible target of the Beresford Stakes at Naas on September 24. He is also entered in the Royal Lodge Stakes and the Derby.

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