Never So Brave

“Never So Brave has kept on improving. To win over seven furlongs then to win over a mile then drop back to seven again shows he's pretty versatile. He's probably got an exciting campaign ahead. He did it pretty well today but Oisin said that he felt that a mile is probably going to be the better spot for him - Anna Lisa Balding.”

“I was confident enough because if Never So Brave was relaxed he was good enough to be winning. He's very good and I'm thrilled with his progression. We put him in the Lennox but he's versatile in terms of trip from six furlongs to a mile. I don't know where he goes, this opens up a few options as he showed he gets a mile - Andrew Balding, trainer.I reverted to plan B. I didn't know what the pace would turn out to be but it turned out to be quite strong and Jamie [Spencer, on Point Lynas] slipped us and was ten lengths ahead turning into the straight. Luckily I had a real reliable companion underneath me and Never So Brave filled me with confidence. He quickened so well and even a furlong and a half out I felt I'd go away and win. He's quite talented but it's difficult for a horse to come out of a handicap and into a Group race like he's done but he's improved leaps and bounds through the winter and since Andrew [Balding, trainer] has got him. He's an exciting horse. To ride such a good winner like this is a privilege - David Probert, jockey.”

“Never So Brave was gelded over the winter which may have helped him, but I know Sir Michael [Stoute] always had a high opinion of him - he ran him in the Jersey Stakes last year - and he was probably a Group horse in a handicap today. He settled well today, and I think the key to him is to try to get him to relax at an early stage of the race. He's got an excellent turn of foot if he can do that. He has been easy to train - the guys at home have done a brilliant job with him because he's not a very patient horse, he wants to get up the gallops first and get his exercise done, and they've done a lovely job with him. I'm really thrilled - Andrew Balding, trainer.Never So Brave was very good. His work has been excellent. I was worried he might get stuck in traffic from that draw, but he didn't, and I deliberately started a bit further back to allow the race to happen in front of him. If anything he got there very easily. He's a four-year-old now and I'd hope he will step up to Pattern company - Oisin Murphy, jockey.”

“Never So Brave showed some nice form last year and he's come out this year and practically won as he liked at Thirsk. He's just kept progressing and this was a step up to find out whether we're still going in the right direction and he's done everything he was asked to do. It's difficult to say how high he'll go but he did that quite nicely and if he got the mile, you'd like to think he'd be a Britannia horse - Philip Robinson, racing manager to Saeed Suhail, owner.”