Diligent display from Ascot bound speedster The Aidan O'Brien trained Due Diligence justified strong market support to win the Listed Lacken Stakes at Naas today, under the Champion Trainer's son Joseph O'Brien. The race featured last year's Phoenix Stakes winner Sudirman returning on his seasonal debut but while that colt was easy to back and disappointed to finish fourth, American import Due Diligence (backed from 5/2 in the morning into 5/4f) quickened well in the final furlong to readily see off the challenge of Sailors Swan. The winner, who won his maiden for Todd Pletcher at Saratoga last year, was having his third Irish start having won a handicap, also at Naas last month and afterwards trainer Aidan O'Brien stated “you'd have to be delighted with that. The better ground is the better it will suit him. “He has the choice of the Jersey or Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot next and he's a big striding horse with a big cruise and he's uncomplicated. He should come on again from that.” Regarding the earlier defeat of his War Envoy, O'Brien stated “I might have left him a bit short. We were looking at Ascot on the way here and he got a bit tired. He'll go for the Coventry. “The Great War might go for the Norfolk. He's good, he's had two runs and we nearly got a third into him.” By Thomas Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson
