Group One Phoenix Stakes winner at the weekend Little Big Bear for Aidan O'Brien will not drop back to 5f for the Nunthorpe Stakes this month and will instead be waited on for the Group One National Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Champions Weekend.
Finishing second to the smart Tough Talk on debut at the Curragh over 6f and then last time out was dropped to 5f and looked highly impressive landing a Maiden by five lengths.
Sent into the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot looking better than a Listed horse he went on to land the 24 runner event with the form of the race working out well.
"That was mightily impressive!"
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 6, 2022
An absolutely spectacular display from Little Big Bear 🐻 in the @keeneland Phoenix Stakes @curraghrace - with Bradsell only fourth@coolmorestud | @Ballydoyle pic.twitter.com/43xQdmXjqJ
Since then Little Big Beat has taken his own form to the next level, winning the Group Three Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh by close to five lengths and then at the weekend, the son of No Nay Never gave a career best effort to beat a superb field in the Group One Phoenix Stakes by seven lengths.
(Credit Racing Post) O'Brien said: "I don’t think he could have been any more impressive. He was very impressive in the Anglesey too on the start before, but he was brilliant on Saturday.”
With it up in the air whether he would drop back to 5f for the Nunthorpe Stakes at York, or step up in trip to 7f, it has now been decided he will skip the trip over to the UK and instead race at the Curragh on Irish Champions Weekend.
The Group One Vincent O'Brien National Stakes looks set to be his next target with O'Brien adding: “We’re looking at the National Stakes with him next month, that’s the race we’ve had in mind for a while, and it’ll be onto the Guineas then hopefully.”