'Special' colt Pinatubo sparks happy memories of Celtic Swing

Kevin Darley, the man who partnered Celtic Swing to one of the most destructive performances by a two-year-old in British and Irish racing history, has labelled brilliant National Stakes winner Pinatubo "a bit special", drawing comparisons between the pair of outstanding youngsters.

Darley, champion jockey in 2000, was closely associated with Celtic Swing, the memorable 12-length winner of the Racing Post Trophy in 1994.

Pinatubo's nine-length Curragh demolition job earned the latest Godolphin superstar a Racing Post Rating of 128, 5lb inferior to Celtic Swing's 133, but Darley said Pinatubo's magnificent performance echoed Celtic Swing's Doncaster domination from 25 years ago.

Kevin Darley: Pinatubo's Curragh win brought back memories of Celtic Swing's fine two-year-old performanceCredit: Neville Hopwood

"He could be a bit special, couldn't he?" said Darley. "It brought back memories of that Racing Post Trophy. For a two-year-old at that stage of his career to quicken away from what was a very good field, it was just outstanding.

"You couldn’t be anything but impressed with that and the fact the time was fast and he had a quality field labouring from a furlong out, it was a pleasure to watch.

"You get some horses who are natural athletes and he's definitely one of those. He was on his own for the last furlong and a half and still kept pulling out and finding."

Pinatubo's performance rekindled memories for Darley of the great Celtic Swing, who won the Greenham and Prix du Jockey Club as a three-year-old.

Recalling his Doncaster triumph, he said: "I went out there with the brief that people were still doubting the horse. Peter Savill [owner] said 'don’t be afraid to kick him out until the line and to keep him going', which I did. I gave him a couple of backhanders and a couple of quick flicks, driving him to the line.

"But when I looked around a few strides after the winning post, I thought 'Jesus, something’s gone wrong' because that doesn’t happen in two-year-old races, particularly of that quality.

"It made the winter a lot shorter. When you’ve got a proposition like that to look forward to, it’s planning, riding out and going round to see the horse which takes your time."

Charlie Appleby indicated after the National Stakes that Pinatubo's flawless season may not be over yet, with the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on October 12 likely to be next on the agenda for the precocious colt.

However, the limitless potential of Pinatubo whets the appetite most for his Classic season next year and he is already a general 5-4 favourite for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas.

Many a superstar two-year-old has failed to deliver the expected success at three, but Darley is confident Pinatubo will not suffer the same fate.

He said: "He’s a really exciting horse and let's hope he can follow up on what he showed at the Curragh. It was just a phenomenal performance.

"There's always the danger [that they won't train on], but the way the horse is bred, his pedigree, everything points to the fact he's probably going to be better at three – if that can be possible."

Shamardal wins the Dewhurst Stakes under Kevin Darley in 2004Credit: Gerry Cranham

Darley's knowledge of Pinatubo's pedigree is first hand as he partnered his sire Shamardal to an impressive two-and-a-half-length win in the 2004 Dewhurst.

He is not surprised Pinatubo appears to have some of his sire's finest attributes.

Darley added: "His sire was blessed with so much natural speed, in the Dewhurst I was basically just a passenger. We used his natural pace to let the horse find his rhythm, he was one of those horses that when you picked him up he kept digging and finding for you.

“He’s been a phenomenal sire and a lot of his progeny are like him. It’s that will to win that takes them from racehorse to natural athlete, there’s very few who move into that category but hopefully Pinatubo is one of them."

For the freshest betting advice, based on latest going and market conditions, don't miss the Live Tipster every afternoon. Just click Raceday Live at racingpost.com or the mobile app