Derby winner Masar and his promising young stablemate Quorto have both been honoured at the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association annual awards.
On the votes of the ITBA Awards Committee, the classy Masar, winner of four of his nine starts, including the G1 Derby at Epsom, has been crowned Champion three-year-old colt of 2018. It is due recognition for the son of New Approach, who was forced to miss the second half of his Classic season because of a leg injury.
As well as his brilliant Derby triumph, the colt also won the G3 Craven Stakes by nine lengths and finished a creditable third in the G1 2,000 Guineas, both races being run over Newmarket’s Rowley Mile.
Trainer Charlie Appleby said: “Masar is an outstanding colt, and his performance in the Derby was the culmination of an all-round grounding on a variety of tracks and surfaces that equipped him well him for the big day.
“The injury (in early July) was a blow, but with the time he has had for recuperation, we are hopeful that he will be back racing again in 2019,” he added.
Quorto, the winner of the G1 National Stakes at the Curragh, took the Champion two-year-old colt title.
Appleby said Quorto was reminiscent of his sire, Dubawi. “He is his father, looking at his style of training and racing, and we are very optimistic he has a good season ahead of him,” the trainer said.
