Doncaster: Kingsbarns gives O'Brien repeat win in Racing Post Trophy Stakes

Kingsbarns lived up to his advance billing and won the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths on Saturday at Doncaster in England.

The Coolmore colt, trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by his son, Joseph, had made only one previous start, winning a maiden race at Navaan in Ireland. Nevertheless, he was the subject of heavy ante-post Racing Post Trophy betting all week, and was firmly favored to capture the one-mile race for 2-year-olds.

That he did, emulating the O’Brien-trained 3-year-old Camelot, who won this race last year in the final start of his 2-year-old campaign. Camelot went on to win the Epsom Derby this year, and Kingsbarns will go through the winter as the early favorite to capture the 2013 Derby.

A seven-horse field separated into two lines in the middle of the course during the early stages of the straight-course mile, which was run over soft ground. O’Brien settled Kingsbarns in behind Trading Leather, who raced just behind the leader, Steeler, as the field went along at a decent clip. O’Brien steered right with about three furlongs left to race, bringing Kingsbarns abreast the leading pair, and the colt soon took control of the racing, opening up a clear lead and easily holding off late-running Van der Neer, who edged Steeler for second.

The winner, a son of Galileo, was bred by Ann Marie O’Brien, Aidan’s wife and Joseph’s mother. He was timed in 1:40.32.