PUNTERS reckon this amazing £2.5million horse could go his entire career unbeaten after a sparkling debut that left his rivals for dead.
Diego Velazquez has the pedigree of dreams and is with master Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien at his Ballydoyle base.
Turns out £2.5m will buy you a pretty good racehorse, as Diego Velazquez proved on his Curragh debut
Owned by the famous Smith, Tabor, Magnier, Westerberg and Brant partnership, he is a son of Frankel and out of Listed-winning mare Sweepstake, herself by Acclamation.
Diego Velazquez is closely related to Group 1 winner Broome and Group 2 winner Point Lonsdale and his grandaddy is sire of sires Galileo.
Basically, everything about the horse, including his transfer fee, suggests he ought to be top class.
And on his debut at the Curragh last weekend, he certainly was.
Timeform gave him an initial rating of 92p – the p stands for potential improver – after he ran out a four-and-three-quarter length winner.
Sent off 2-5 fav, Ryan Moore only had to push him out over the end of the 7f race to leave 80-1 Guildenstern toiling behind.
For reference, £500,000 purchase Old Faithful could manage only third.
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O’Brien said afterwards the two-year-old colt had a ‘massive engine’ and didn’t even get racing until 50 yards from the post.
The genius trainer added: “He was just half-speeding at home and then we come here today and he hardly took hold of the bridle.”
O’Brien has a typically strong hand of Classic contenders next year, with his other superstar City Of Troy giving punters ‘shivers’.
He was awarded the highest rating in the history of the Group 2 Superlative Stakes after winning with ease at Newmarket last month.
Diego Velazquez and City Of Troy are now a best-price 14-1 and 9-4 respectively for the 2000 Guineas, with O’Brien’s River Tiber 10-1 second fav.
Bucanero Fuerte, Kia Joorabchian’s eye-catching colt, splits the O’Brien four at a best-price 12-1 for next May’s Classic.
But it’s Diego Velazquez some punters want on side, with one saying after his mesmerising debut: “Absolute beast. I’m telling you now, he could go unbeaten.”
Another said: “Wow. An old-fashioned romp!”
One comment read: “Now that is an eye-catching performance.”
While a fellow punter wrote: “Could be best we’ve ever had.”
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