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1,000 Guineas the next stop for daughter of former Coolmore shuttler No Nay Never

The Andrew Balding-trained Alcohol Free (2 f No Nay Never - Plying by Hard Spun) signed off her juvenile campaign with a victory in the Cheveley Park Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) and she opened her Classic year with a victory in the Fred Darling Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) at Newbury on Sunday, announcing herself as a legitimate candidate for the 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) at Newmarket next month. 

Ridden by Oisin Murphy, the daughter of former Coolmore Stud shuttler No Nay Never (Scat Daddy) charged strongly to the line to beat Statement (Lawman) by a short-head, while Vadream (Brazen Beau) was a another two and a quarter lengths away in third. 

"We'd been saying in the last week if she ran a nice race and finished third we'd be happy. We expect her to improve a whole load as she's backward in her coat and hasn't done a huge amount of work at home,” said Balding. “It's really encouraging that she's got it.

"She stayed the seven furlongs well and it wasn't easy for her. She was down the wing but showed a really good acceleration. She settled well and Oisin is in no doubt that she'd stay an extra furlong."

Bought by Smith’s Littleton Stud for €40,000 at the 2018 Goffs Ireland November Foal Sale, Alcohol Free is out of the three-time winning Hard Spun (Danzig) mare Plying who has produced one other winner to date in French Listed winner Alexander James (Camelot). 

Her second dam is the stakes placed Fairy King (Northern Dancer) mare Nasaieb who produced nine winners including Flying Childers Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) placed filly Kissing LIghts (Machiavellian). Further back this is the family of Solario Stakes (Gr 3) winner Raise A Grand (Grand Lodge). 

Alcohol Free is one of three top-flight winners for No Nay Never, with Ten Sovereigns and South American Grade 1 winner Brooke being the others, while he has sired one stakes winner in New Zealand; Need I Say More. 

He shuttled to Coolmore’s Hunter Valley farm for four seasons between 2016 and 2019 but did not return last spring.