Charles Darwin one of the star attractions on informative Naas card
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Sat 16 May 2026
Charles Darwin is the star attraction at Naas on Sunday when he seeks to book his ticket to Royal Ascot in the Goffs Lacken Stakes.
A winner of the Norfolk Stakes at the Royal meeting last year, a setback ruled him out of the rest of the 2025 campaign.
However, he served a reminder of his class when making a winning return at Navan and he now takes the next step on the road back to Ascot in a Group Three trainer Aidan O’Brien has won four times in the last 10 years and a race he used to set Caravaggio up for Commonwealth Cup glory in 2017.
O’Brien said earlier this week: “He looks a real good horse does Charles Darwin. It will be interesting to see how he jumps up from Navan and he could jump up a lot.
“He goes for the three-year-old sprint so that will be very interesting to see how he gets on.”
Charles Darwin’s biggest danger could be provided from within O’Brien’s own family, with Donnacha O’Brien saddling both Cheveley Park runner-up Havana Anna and outsider Josh’s Joy.
It is obviously the former who brings the strongest form claims to the table as she bids to rubber stamp her own Commonwealth Cup challenge.
Donnacha O’Brien said: “She’s wintered very well and everything has gone smooth with her.
“She was supposed to start back at Cork, but they got a lot of rain and the ground went soft so we have rerouted to here.
“She’s a solid filly and her Cheveley Park second got franked by True Love in the 1000 Guineas. I don’t think she’s a filly who will get a mile so we’ve trained her as a sprinter and hopefully this can be a nice prep for the Commonwealth Cup, all being well.
“It looks a very hot race and we’ve got to take on dad’s horse, but she’s in great form and we’re looking forward to getting her started.”
Shaftesbury Avenue in the Royal Ascot Trials At Naas Rated Race, exciting youngster New Yorker in the Coolmore Stud Blackbeard Race and Victorious in the Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes are other notable Ballydoyle runners on the card looking to secure their place at Ascot next month.
However, the latter could face stern opposition in the six-furlong Group Three with Archie Watson sending over easy Redcar winner Vollering and Paddy Twomey saddling the Listed First Flyer Stakes scorer Velozee.
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