[2] He raced in the ownership of the Coolmore partners Michael Tabor, Sue Magnier and Derrick Smith in association with Georg von Opel's Westerberg organisation.
Blackbeard is from the fifth crop of foals sired by No Nay Never, an American horse who had his greatest success in Europe where he won the Norfolk Stakes and the Prix Morny as a juvenile in 2013.
He raced just behind the leaders before taking the lead approaching the final furlong and won "comfortably" by one and a half lengths from the favourite Alexis Zorba.
Starting the 11/10 favourite against four opponents he tracked the leaders and caught the front-running Crispy Cat in the final strides to win by a head.
[7] Nineteen days later at the same track, the colt was stepped up in class and distance for the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes over six furlongs and started the 5/2 second favourite behind the Ger Lyons-trained Tough Talk.
In a change of tactics, he led from the start and accelerated away from his rivals in the closing stages to win by three and a half lengths in "impressive" style.
Eleven days after his defeat at Ascot the colt started 5/6 favourite for the Group 2 Railway Stakes over the same distance at the Curragh.
He became upset before the start but went to the front at half way only to be run down in the closing stages by the Johnny Murtagh-trained Shartash and beaten a head into second place.
Blackbeard set the early pace before being headed by Belbek at half way but regained the advantage 300 metres from the finish and drew away in the closing stages to win by three lengths from his stablemate The Antarctic.
After disputing the lead with Manhattan Jungle for most of the early running he gained the advantage 400 metres from the finish and kept on well to win by half a length from Persian Force.
Blackbeard was "unruly" before the start but settled well behind the leaders before moving up to take the lead from Persian Force inside the last quarter mile out.