Call Me Captain dents some big reputations on debut

Call Me Captain was a surprise winner as pricey purchase Galveston flopped on his debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Naas.

Galveston cost his Coolmore owners two million guineas as he has a superb pedigree being by Frankel and out of a mare whose bloodline tracks back to Grade One winner Cannock Chase and Group One heroine Star Catcher.

The colt was one of seven to line up for the seven-furlong event, starting as the 4-6 favourite under Ryan Moore for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

Despite high expectations Galveston looked in trouble several furlongs from home and could not land a blow, fading to finish last of all as Natalia Lupini’s Call Me Captain struck at 18-1 under Dylan Browne McMonagle, with Johnny Murtagh’s 40-1 chance Reyenzi running a remarkable race in second having been very slowly away.

Lupini’s partner Craig Bryson said: “He’s a horse we liked a lot at home. Paddy Turley bought him and he liked him as well.

“He was just ready to start today and showed his greenness down the back. We hoped he’d run a nice race but coming to a maiden like this you are only hoping.

“He showed a wee bit of class there today to get to the front and get the job done nicely.

“He’s a nice horse going forward. If he had come here today and been placed we would have been delighted, to win is brilliant.

“We’ll see how he is after that. He could possibly have one more run but he’s probably a middle distance horse for next year, although he’s not slow either as that was seven today.

“He’s going to progress into a nice horse . He’s a massive big horse.”