Darley Prix Morny: Blackbeard and Ryan Moore too strong for Frankie Dettori and Persian Force in Deauville

Aidan O’Brien’s Blackbeard got the better of Persian Force to win an all-British and Irish Darley Prix Morny race at Deauville.

Colt No Nay Never was Ballydoyle’s number one after winning the Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly last month and added another big prize to his ever-growing CV.

The 270,000 guineas buy was a long way off in group one of six furlongs and set the tone alongside Amy Murphy’s Manhattan Jungle in the opening stages as the five riders descended the Normandy straight in two straights .

As the race developed Frankie Dettori – who replaced Rossa Ryan after the latter was suspended by Amo Racing – appeared to be traveling smoothly on Richard Hannon’s Persian Force and was soon arguing with Blackbeard in the lead. Business.

The pair pulled away from O’Brien’s other rider, The Antarctic, inside the final furrow, but it was Ryan Moore’s mount that pulled out when it mattered most win the first prize.

The victory provided O’Brien with his fourth victory in the two-year-old contest and his first since 2001, while he also took third place thanks to Antarctica.

In the aftermath, Coral shortened the winner – like stablemate Little Big Bear, Group One winner, a son of No Nay Never – to 16-1 from 25-1 for next year’s Qipco 2000 Guineas .