Wandering Eyes

In a field of six for a five-furlong maiden special weight race June 29 at Los Alamitos Race Course, Instagrand opened at odds of 1-9, floated up to 2-5 at post time, and ran to his support. View the full article

Mark Casse thinks morning-line favoritism for Queen's Plate choice Telekinesis is merited, but the trainer also believes the biggest threat to Stonestreet Stables' Ghostzapper colt could come from within his own ranks. View the full article

While Davis may call his profession as a Thoroughbred trainer a "hobby," the presence of Chief Cicatriz in the June 30 Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs is further proof of his multifaceted skills as a horseman. View the full article

6th-Gulfstream, $41,160, Msw, 6-29, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:12.04, ft. INCREDIBLE GRACE (f, 3, Medaglia d’Oro–R Gypsy Gold {MSW & GISP,$271,417}, by Bernardini), sent off the 3-2 choice for this unveiling, found herself in a midpack sixth through an initial quarter in :22.47. Taken to the inside down the backstretch as pacesetter C C’s Cup of Tea (Super Saver) carved out a half in :45.98, Incredible Grace inched her way closer to the front approaching the quarter pole and swung out several paths wide turning for home. With the leader weakening, Incredible Grace drove down the center of the track to take control and drew clear to graduate by 2 1/2 lengths over fellow firster Underestimate (Broken Vow). C C’s Cup of Tea rounded out the trifecta. R Gypsy Gold, a member of the E. Paul Robasham complete dispersal in 2013, realized $625,000 from Borges Torrealba Holdings at the Keeneland November sale. Bred to Medaglia d’Oro in 2014, she produced Incredible Grace in 2015 and the filly sold for $775,000 at KEESEP in 2016. R Gypsy Gold subsequently foaled a filly by Pioneerof the Nile, who brought $825,000 at Keeneland September in 2017. Her 2017 foal by Pioneerof the Nile died and she was barren this season, but has been bred back to Medaglia d’Oro. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $23,400. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. O-Robert V. LaPenta; B-Three Chimneys Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday’s Insights features a full-brother to Group 3 winner and G1SP War Dispatch (War Front). 1.40 The Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, 6fT MOUNT TABORA (Scat Daddy) is one of three Ballydoyle representatives in this maiden won 12 months ago by the stable’s U S Navy Flag (War Front). Ryan Moore is on the $750,000 KEENOV half-brother to the talented Footstepsinthesand (GB) pair Chachamaidee (Ire) and J Wonder, with the former having been awarded the G1 Matron S. Seamie Heffernan is on U S S Michigan (War Front), Magnier, Tabor, Smith and Joseph Allen’s full-brother to the G3 Prix de Guiche winner and G1 Prix du Jockey Club third War Dispatch, while the one with experience is the €400,000 ARAUG graduate All The King’s Men (Ire) (No Nay Never). View the full article

While Davis may call his profession as a Thoroughbred trainer a "hobby," the presence of Chief Cicatriz in the June 30 Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs is further proof of his multifaceted skills as a horseman. View the full article

Debbie Blair has joined the team at Kentucky Downs as Director of Group Sales. She will market the track’s reserved seating including the new Top of the Stretch Chalet. Blair is best known for her tenure as Vice President of Customer and Event Services for the Breeders’ Cup. “Groups can benefit from coming to the track in many ways; whether entertaining important clients or hosting a memorable birthday celebration, there just so many different ways to attract people to the track to become a group,” Blair said. “Group sales are not only good business, but a terrific way of creating new fans because they introduce people who have never experienced horse racing to our great sport in a fun, social environment.” View the full article

Instagrand (c, 2, Into Mischief–Assets of War, by Lawyer Ron) entered the starting gate for his career debut at Los Alamitos Friday afternoon with a lofty reputation after co-topping this year’s Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale at $1.2 million. He more than lived up to the billing with a ‘TDN Rising Star’ performance as the 2-5 favorite. The bay raced under pressure after posting an opening quarter in :22.90 and had plenty of pursuers lined up at the top of the stretch. Instagrand, however, was just getting started and drew off in the stretch to win in style by double digits. No Treble (Maclean’s Music) was second. The final time of :56 flat was just 2/5 off the track record. Sales history: $190,000 yrl ’17 FTKJUL; $1.2 million 2yo ’18 FTFMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-OXO Equine LLC; B-Stoneway Farm (Ky); T-Jerry Hollendorfer. View the full article

Somewhere (f, 2, Quality Road–Silver Lullaby, by Najran), fifth on debut at Churchill June 1, sparkled beneath the Twin Spires to earn her ‘TDN Rising Star’ badge Friday afternoon. Off at 7-2, the half-sister to GIII Sanford S. winner Big Trouble (Tiz Wonderful) was on the engine through an opening quarter in :21.82.The gray blasted away on the far turn while under a nice hold and had five lengths on the wire. My Candy Crush (Goldencents) was second. The final time for six furlongs was 1:10.24. Sales history: $260,000 yrl ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0. O-Allied Racing Stable LLC; B-Columbiana Farm LLC (Ky); T-William Bradley. View the full article

An impressive winner of the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket, Saxon Warrior will be out to show that his disappointing effort in the Investec Derby (G1) was not a true reflection of his ability over 1 1/2 miles. View the full article

While Davis may call his profession as a Thoroughbred trainer a "hobby," the presence of Chief Cicatriz in the June 30 Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs is further proof of his multifaceted skills as a horseman. View the full article

An impressive winner of the Qipco Two Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket, Saxon Warrior will be out to show that his disappointing effort in the Investec Derby (G1) was not a true reflection of his ability over 1 1/2 miles. View the full article

While Davis may call his profession as a Thoroughbred trainer a "hobby" the presence of Chief Cicatriz in the June 30 Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs is further proof of his multifaceted skills as a horseman. View the full article

Canadian Hall of Famer and Woodbine’s longtime dominant trainer Mark Casse “only” boasts one prior Queen’s Plate win (2014, Lexie Lou), but he sends out a strong three-pronged attack in Saturday’s 159th running of the first leg of Canada’s Triple Crown. Favored at 5-2 on the morning line is Stonestreet’s ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Telekinesis (Ghostzapper). The $470,000 KEENOV weanling was a good-looking debut winner at Fair Grounds in February, and just missed to My Boy Jack (Creative Cause) in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. two starts later. He annexed the Plate Trial S. here by 1 3/4 lengths June 9, defeating three returning rivals. “He’s going to have speed from out there [in the 10 post],” said Casse after Wednesday’s draw. “He’ll be the most forwardly placed of my runners, and it looks like the speed is inside us.” Fellow Casse-conditioned ‘Rising Star‘ Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d’Oro) is drawn one gate wider and could become the second filly in as many years and fourth this decade to beat the boys in the Plate. The MGSW cut Monomoy Girl (Tapizar)’s GI Kentucky Oaks margin of victory to a half-length May 4, and was only a head behind Dixie Moon (Curlin) in the June 9 Woodbine Oaks. She does have a tendency not to finish off her races, and could benefit from the blinkers she’ll be getting for the first time here. Longshot Neepawa (Scat Daddy), most recently third behind Cooler Mike (Giant Gizmo) in a May 20 optional claimer, rounds out the Casse runners. He was also second to Aheadbyacentury (Midnight Lute) in last year’s Coronation Futurity. View the full article

4th-Churchill Downs, $49,494, Msw, 6-29, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.16, ft. TAPPING PEARL (f, 2, Tapit–Cat Dancer, by Storm Cat), a half-sister to Drill (Lawyer Ron), GISW, $557,022, delivered a sharp victory at first asking at odds of 5-2 here. She broke well from post six and established command through an opening quarter in :22.17. The gray kicked for home in control and responded nicely to a couple of backhanders from Florent Geroux in the stretch to graduate by two lengths. Into the South (Into Mischief), off at 27-1 in her unveiling, crossed the line second, but was disqualified for interference when swerving out sharply at the top of the stretch and placed eighth. Favored Merada (Speightstown) was moved up to second. The winner’s dam Cat Dancer, a full-sister to GII Monmouth Breeders’ Cup Oaks winner and GI Spinaway S. third-place finisher Magic Storm, had a Curlin filly in 2017 and was bred back to Union Rags. Sales history: $475,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $30,600. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. View the full article

Trainer Ken Condon feels the ground at Royal Ascot may have been too quick for his G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). A surprise winner of The Curragh Classic, he was fancied to go close in the G1 St James’s Palace S. last week. However, he could only finish seventh of 10 behind Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and sights have now been switched towards a trip to France. “We were a little bit disappointed at Ascot,” said Condon. “The Curragh was lovely quick ground, there was kindness in it but you don’t tend to get that at Ascot. I’m not trying to make excuses but Shane [Foley] felt he pulled up a little bit short. Thankfully he’s fine, and he’ll resume cantering on Monday. We probably won’t go to Goodwood [for the G1 Qatar Sussex S. on Aug. 1], hopefully he’ll go for the Jacque Le Marois [at Deauville on Aug. 12]. The straight mile at Deauville might replicate The Curragh as close as we can, and it’s only the second meeting of a month long Festival so the ground should be nice. I don’t think Goodwood suits his style as he is slowly away and it’s hard to make up ground there.” View the full article

Curlin’s Approval (Curlin) will look to defend her GII Princess Rooney S. title on Saturday’s Summit of Speed card at Gulfstream. The seven-furlon affair carries with it an automatic berth into the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint. Curlin’s Approval was 13th in that contest last season after a rough start, but returned to winning ways most recently in the track-and-trip Ana T. S. June 3. “She’s coming into this race very similar to how she came up to the race last year when she won it,” said trainer, breeder and co-owner Happy Alter. Among Curlin’s Approval’s most likely challengers are local stakes winner My Miss Tapit (Tapit), who took an optional claimer by 6 3/4 lengths here Apr. 14; and Ms Locust Point (Dialed In), who annexed February’s GII Barbara Fristchie S. at Laurel and was most recently third in Pimlico’s Skipat S. May 18. View the full article

The New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund is seeking feedback on a potential change to the residency requirement for non-resident mares. The current rule states that non-resident mares must remain in New York for 90 days after foaling and be bred back to a registered New York stallion. The potential rule change would allow the 90-day residency to begin up to 30 days before the mare drops the foal, therefore allowing her to return to her home state sooner. “Industry stake holders can officially submit their comments to me through July 23,” the Fund’s Executive Director Tracy Egan said. “If this initial comment period indicates broad support for a change, then we will post the proposed change on the State Registry for 90 days to solicit even more comments. We want to make sure that stakeholders believe this small change in the residency rule will benefit our farms and our breeding industry before acting.” Comments can be emailed to Egan at Tegan@NYbreds.com or mailed to One Broadyway Center, Suite 601, Schenectady, N.Y., 12305. View the full article

NYRA is hosting an online competition for a chance to sing the national anthem at Saratoga this summer. To enter, contestants must submit a video audition link from YouTube or upload a file to the this link. Applicants must sing the national anthem in their audition video and entries close July 31. Multiple entries will be chosen to sing the national anthem Saturdays and Sundays throughout the meet. Winners will also receive four clubhouse or grandstand seats for the day of their performance. View the full article

Thirteen horses have been added to the Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale, bringing the total catalogue up to 165. The new entries are hips 553-565 and can be viewed here. The new additions include Kentuckian (Tiznow) (hip 553), a GSW half-brother to Maclean’s Music (Distorted Humor); and Clear N Convincing (Giant’s Causeway) (hip 554), a $370,000 EASMAY buy who broke his maiden June 16 at Belmont. View the full article

Saturday’s action centres around the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh, which not long ago was mooted as a potential target for downgrading by the European Pattern Committee but which last year and this has gone some way to reestablishing itself as the Classic it used to be. Unusually for this fixture, fast ground is the order of the day and only half the field have managed to win on good-to-firm. One of them is Old Persian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), whose presence in the line-up is further evidence of his connections’ return to the big time they occupied so forcefully in the 1990s. “Godolphin always want to be competing at the highest level and thankfully that’s what we have been doing this season,” trainer Charlie Appleby said of the G2 King Edward VII S. winner. “We have some nice 3-year-olds and so far they have not let us down. He’s got a nice, upward profile and when horses start improving you don’t know where the ceiling is. For a big, heavy-topped horse it’s surprising how much he appreciates fast ground.” Aidan O’Brien’s record in this race is remarkable, with a record dozen winners since 1997 and five of them leading home a stable 1-2-3 since 2002. Half of those had been beaten in the G1 Epsom Derby, so statistically it bodes well for the vanquished trio of TDN Rising Stars Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Delano Roosevelt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and The Pentagon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The trainer stated towards the end of the Royal meeting how he felt his horses were short of a peak due to the lateness of getting on the grass gallops in the spring and it was notable how many seemed to just miss their targets there. “Everyone knows The Curragh is probably the fairest track in the world and physically and mentally we are very happy with Saxon Warrior and we think he should have learned a lot,” O’Brien commented. Delano Roosevelt has long looked a colt capable of winning something major, but again when favourite for the G2 King Edward VII S. eight days ago he failed to make any impact. There are echoes of El Gran Senor as Saxon Warrior bids to atone for a surprise Derby reversal on this more conventional track he has already won at twice. Harry Dunlop is looking for a bold showing from Knight To Behold (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who was dynamic when beating the subsequent G2 Queen’s Vase winner Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by 3 1/4 lengths in the May 12 Listed Lingfield Derby Trial and who was far too free on the front end in the Derby. “Things at Epsom didn’t really go his way, so we’ve kept on the Derby trail, taking on those horses again,” commented his trainer, who is hoping to join the honour roll his father John is on twice. “I just feel The Curragh will suit him better and we’ve got the assistance of Frankie Dettori which you can’t knock in any way. We’ve freshened him up and we’ll see how good we are.” Despite holding a strong hand this year including the colt many believe should be the favourite in Dee Ex Bee (GB) (Farhh {GB}), the Brits have very much taken a backseat in a Classic they used to just turn up and take home. It is a measure of the revival of the health of Irish racing that whereas seven out of eight winners from 1986 to 1993 were crossing the sea, only one has managed to carry it off since 2006 and there have only been two overseas winners since the turn of the millennium. Common-sense reading of the form book matters little here, with the likes of North Light (Ire) (Danehill), Dragon Dancer (GB) (Sadler’s Wells), Tartan Bearer (Ire) (Spectrum {Ire}), Carlton House (Street Cry {Ire}) and Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) all failing to confirm Epsom form, sometimes at short odds. For Dee Ex Bee’s fans, it is worth remembering that in 2010 Monterosso (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) came here as the 3-1 favourite just nine days after his King Edward success and could only finish fourth. It is surprising how many of the Royal Ascot runners are back in action at The Curragh so soon for Aidan O’Brien, with last year’s G1 Middle Park S. runner-up Fleet Review (War Front) in the Listed Dubai Duty Free Jumeirah Creekside Dash S. just eight days after finishing 15th in the G1 Commonwealth Cup and Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Van Beethoven (Scat Daddy) taking up duties in the G2 GAIN Railway S. nine and seven days after finishing third in the G2 Norfolk S. and fourth in the Listed Windsor Castle S. there respectively. They bid to provide their trainer with a 13th renewal of the six-furlong contest, while the Listed Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Celebration S. features the European debut of St Patrick’s Day (Pioneerof The Nile), American Pharoah’s brother who has been scratched from his last two intended engagements. View the full article

Trainer Norm Casse has gotten off to a very strong start since going out on his own earlier this year, and he could add a first stakes win to his resume Saturday in Churchill’s GIII Bashford Manor S. for juveniles. The son and former assistant to leading conditioner Mark Casse will saddle Tales of Chaucer (Forty Tales), who received a solid 84 Beyer Speed Figure for a romp against New York-breds in the Belmont slop June 1. A $55,000 OBSMAR acquisition after a :10 2/5 move, the bay debuted for Casse and breeder Sequel Racing, but Michael and Jules Iavarone, Samuel R. Freeman and Dorsey Jackson have since been added as owners. Shanghaied Roo (Shanghai Bobby) is an interesting entrant. He won convincingly first out on opening day at Keeneland back on Apr. 6, but was forced to miss the Kentucky Juvenile S. here the following month. “It was just a freak incident of him tying up before the Kentucky Juvenile,” trainer Bret Calhoun said. “I was so confident in him that day, I thought we could win for fun.” Instead 19-1 maiden Weiland (Yes It’s True), took the Kentucky Juvenile. Toothless Wonder (Street Boss), a $220,000 OBS March grad himself (:10 1/5), settled for fourth first up at Santa Anita May 11, but was one of three runners from that key heat to subsequently break maiden when he scored back in Arcadia 18 days later. View the full article

Recent G1 Diamond Jubilee S. hero Merchant Navy (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}-Legally Bay {Aus}, by Snippets {Aus}) has been retired and will begin his stallion career at Coolmore Australia in New South Wales, Coolmore announced via Twitter on Friday. The 2017 G1 Coolmore Stud Ascot Vale S. winner has arrived at Coolmore Stud in Ireland to enter quarantine before traveling Down Under where he will stand for A$55,000 in his first season. An undefeated listed winner at two, who went on to win a Group 3 as a Southern Hemisphere sophomore for Ciaron Maher, Merchant Navy was transferred to Aaron Purcell. The bay won the aforementioned Coolmore Stud Ascot Vale S., before close thirds in the G2 Rubiton S. on Feb. 10 and the Mar. 10 G1 Newmarket H. at Flemington, prior to switching hemispheres and debuting for Ballydoyle’s Aidan O’Brien with a one-length win in the May 26 G2 Greenlands S., one start before his Royal Ascot victory. Overall, Merchant Navy retired with a mark of 10-7-0-2, $1,257,883. “He’s an incredible horse for what he did,” said Aiden O’Brien, of the colt’s tour-de-force with a 12-pound weight disadvantage at Royal Ascot. “We thought it was kind of impossible to do what he did. When he won the first day [in the G2 Greenlands S. at The Curragh on May 26] we thought he hadn’t had enough time to acclimatise, but obviously he did. He won with a penalty and the weights all against him, and then he went on to Ascot and did the same thing. He was an incredibly natural horse. He had a great mind, was a great mover, was a very clean-winded horse and was very tough and genuine. It was a privilege to have him.” Originally purchased for A$350,000 out of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale by Maher in 2016, Merchant Navy is a full-brother to GSW & G1SP Jolie Bay (Aus). “Merchant Navy’s amazing win at Royal Ascot means he retires to stud as one of the best sprinting colts of modern times,” said Coolmore Australia’s Tom Magnier. “We are very excited about his stallion prospects as he was such a brilliant 3-year-old sprinter just like his sire Fastnet Rock and grandsire Danehill.” View the full article

Merchant Navy, who proved himself among the best sprinters in the world when winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot, has been retired to stud, Coolmore Stud announced June 29. View the full article

Never mind how tall he is. It is a head for heights that sets Donnacha O’Brien apart. Not yet 20, he peers down on seasoned rivals at the head of the Irish jockeys’ championship, two clear of champion Colin Keane—38-36 heading to Tipperary last night—at a strike-rate of 28%. He has won two of the four Classics so far staged over the water in Britain and tomorrow teams up with his brother Joseph in pitching Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) against their father Aidan’s odds-on Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. Joseph, of course, lit a path for his sibling with his own riding career: only 19 when winning the Derby on Latrobe’s sire in 2012, and twice champion jockey of Ireland. But his story sets a margin as well as an example. For his height, at nearly six foot, always guaranteed him only a fleeting window of opportunity and he duly switched to training—again proving an overnight success—at just 23. With Donnacha, likewise, there is an imperative to make hay while the sun shines. If anything, with an extra inch or so against him, it would be surprising were he able to match even the brief span of Joseph’s career as a jockey. For this family’s preternatural horsemanship, after all, is secondary to its deeper values: nobody in this household will be risking health or happiness in pursuit of personal vanities. Donnacha has plenty he could be vain about, as darkly handsome as he is dashing in the saddle. Predictably, however, he scrupulously observes the O’Brien code of humility and modesty as he takes a break between rides at Roscommon. A country meeting, a relaxed setting, but he would be the same anywhere: polite and attentive, though laidback as well, a self-deprecating chuckle never far away. As, for instance, in announcing: “If there was no horseracing I’d be a completely useless human being. I know nothing else. Whether because I didn’t pay enough attention in school, or wasn’t smart enough to do anything else. But this is how our lives have been since day one, we’ve all loved it and never wanted anything else.” “We’re a family that gets on very well together, thank God, we bounce things off each other all the time. If one of us experiences something, we can all learn from it, so it’s probably been a lot easier for me.” That does not prevent Donnacha being his own man. Whether because the pressure is somehow less daunting, in the slipstream of one who had no such pathfinder, or because of some innate difference, Donnacha is viewed by rival jockeys as less intense than Joseph in the saddle. Not that he remotely lacks focus. Just that he is exceptionally natural, coolly trusting his instincts no matter how high the fire is stoked beneath the cauldron; no matter how high the stakes, riding in the silks of his father’s employers at Coolmore. By the same token, he actually appears to be making a virtue of his “mayfly” status. Most of us, told to gather rosebuds while we may, might succumb to a panicked sense that we can’t afford to mess up because we may never get another chance. Donnacha, in contrast, seems only to be grateful for each extra day. Ryan Moore gets the pick of the Ballydoyle mounts, after all; Donnacha duly embraces every mount with full appreciation—and full freedom. And if that is in his nature, then it certainly suits the horses. “A horse can feel everything you’re feeling,” he shrugs. “If you’re tense and nervous on a horse it’s going to pass through to them. I’m not going to ride for ever, I never thought I was going to. I’m just taking every race individually, not thinking about the future too much. At the same time, Coolmore is a business. Results are needed. When you’re put on these horses you’re expected to not mess up so there’s always a little bit of pressure. So it doesn’t matter how long you’re going to be riding for: if I’m not up to the job, I won’t be riding tomorrow.” Joseph, to be fair, had the additional pressure of riding as stable jockey. And though he was arguably the most gifted horseman at Ballydoyle since the original Long Fellow, some noisy riders in the stand couldn’t see past his surname. For Donnacha, then, it was again an advantage to see Joseph experience both the benefits and the burdens that came with his position. “Joseph’s obviously always only a phone call away and he’s experienced everything,” he says. “If ever I want a bit of advice in a certain situation, he’s been through it all and probably to even more of an extreme than I have.” “With football, with most sports, you can go and kick a ball about and play under-12s. But in horseracing there’s very few people that have experienced it, and really know about it. A lot of people that criticise really don’t know what they’re talking about, so you just let it go in one ear and out the other. That’s all part of being in the position of riding good horses, but the benefits definitely outweigh the negatives.” Even the most ignorant punters can have found few quibbles with Donnacha. But he certainly felt in need of improvement even when able to ride Joseph’s first Group 1 winner as a trainer, Intricately (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the 2016 Moyglare Stud S., when barely 18. “I think it’s only the last year or two that I’ve been able to get to a place where it’s acceptable to be riding good horses,” he says. “Nothing gets you prepared like race-riding: doing it day in, day out, getting the experience you need to know what to do in different situations. But I think a lot of it is I wasn’t strong enough. Because I’m tall I didn’t have enough muscle to hold myself tight, to hold my body together. I’m obviously heavier now but I think I’m a better rider because of it, I can keep myself tighter and better balanced.” That refinement apart, you only had to see Donnacha nurse home Secret Thoughts (War Front) in a Naas juvenile maiden the other day to know that he was born to ride. Riding a filly still making up her mind about her vocation, and harried by Keane on the other favourite along the rail, he won by a head with hands-and-heels. “If I wasn’t natural at riding horses I wouldn’t be natural at anything really,” Donnacha says. “Because before we could walk we’ve been put on horses. It’s where we all feel most comfortable, I suppose. I first rode a racehorse when I was nine. And good horses teach you how to ride good horses.” “When you ride a good horse in a race you’re going to ride completely different from a bad one. They give you confidence, they teach you how to keep sitting when perhaps everyone else would be kicking. At the end of the day, good horses make good jockeys.” “I think there’s a lot of riders, especially in Ireland, that with good rides every day there’s no doubt they’d be world-class jockeys,” he says. “When you’re riding very average horses you have to ride in a certain way, an aggressive way, to get results. It’s unfortunate, just lack of opportunities. Because when you see lads start riding winners and get a bit of confidence, the ball starts rolling and the next thing you know they’re riding different class from what they were three or four months ago.” Be that as it may, nature and nurture together ensured that Donnacha was absolutely at ease with the responsibility when the mount on Saxon Warrior became vacant in the 2000 Guineas—Moore having instead elected to ride Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) in the GI Kentucky Derby the same day. “It was incredible the way the stars aligned,” Donnacha reflects. “For Mendelssohn to go to America was the plan the whole way but I didn’t know whether Ryan would go and ride him. But then in Dubai, when he won by whatever ridiculous margin it was, I remember looking up at the big screen—I was fifth on Seahenge (Scat Daddy)—thinking: ‘Okay…. He could possibly be in Kentucky here!'” “I’d ridden Saxon Warrior in all his work but there was also Gustav Klimt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and at the time Ryan might have ridden him anyway,” he says. “So Seamie [Heffernan] had Gustav, and I suppose because Saxon Warrior had put on so much weight through the winter, and we really thought he would improve, it took a little bit of the pressure off. Anyway Newmarket is such a big open place, there’s not too many hard-luck stories anyway; so long as you don’t do anything too drastic, the best horse usually wins.” That was possibly not the case at Epsom, when Moore rode Saxon Warrior to finish only fourth. That’s the thinking at Ballydoyle, at any rate. And while Donnacha has always rated Latrobe highly, believing him capable of better at the Curragh than the odds imply, he retains maximum respect for his old ally. “He’s better than his Epsom run,” he insists. “I think he’s a very, very good horse, as good a horse as I’ve sat on. Epsom’s a funny place: there’s the whole fanfare, the track, and probably a lot of little things came together. He got a little bit unbalanced coming down the hill, and just wound up an under-par performance from him. But he’s going to have a chance to return the form [if only with the runner-up, rather than the winner] and if he does what we think he can do, I think he will.” If a colt from outside Ballydoyle were to beat Saxon Warrior, then his trainer would obviously consider Latrobe the one palatable option. Aidan was delighted for his sons when Intricately won, even though she beat a couple of exceptional Ballydoyle fillies; and likewise when Joseph denied him the Melbourne Cup in that incredible finish last November. The closeness of the family sustains its members both on and off the track. “We got a good grounding [in racing] because from day one we’ve been out in the yard full time, we were put out into that world early,” Donnacha reflects. “But Dad would definitely say it’s more important that we were good people than successful people, if that makes sense. The jockey thing is going very well, but I might have to work on the other side a bit.” Most people of his age, of course, have the freedom to make mistakes without great consequences; the freedom to grow up away from scrutiny. Donnacha likes a spot of golf, has retained friends from boyhood, but seems happy to trade the irresponsibility of youth for his professional opportunities. He even admits that he has already entertained the possibility of training himself someday—an appalling prospect, clearly, for those rivals already struggling to cope with two O’Briens. “I’d love to go into something like that,” Donnacha says. “But it’s hard, people don’t appreciate how hard. I think when Joseph set up from scratch it made me see that. I think if you want to be successful in this game you have to be 100% committed. That’s the reality. It’s not a game where you can do things half-heartedly and expect results. We all do enjoy ourselves in our off time, but there’s a choice you have to make and obviously racing and business come first. You can enjoy yourself after that, when racing’s not in the way.” The fact is that business and pleasure are hard to distinguish, when you can express an inborn talent with the freedom of this young man. And who knows what other chapters remain to be written before he is forced to close the first volume of his career? “I’ll ride on until it becomes too much of a struggle and then I’ll stop,” Donnacha says. “But my weight’s fine at the minute, I’m not getting any warning signals yet, so we’ll keep going. Look, I only do 9st. I know I’m tall but there’s lads in the weighing room sweating every bit as much as I do, it’s just to do lighter weights. And they’re probably doing it for horses of a lot lower quality.” “Every jockey struggles with weight because they keep going to a lighter weight until they are struggling,” he notes. “I’m lucky. I’m lucky to be riding these horses, when a lot of people are struggling with their weight, but don’t get that chance. It’s probably not great for your body, but that’s probably more the case if you’re doing it 40 years. That’s what I’m hoping anyway. When it does get to where I feel it’s unhealthy, I’ll call it quits and pull the plug.” But will he, by that stage, have the laurels of a jockeys’ title? Donnacha is unsurprisingly sceptical about that prospect. “I think I’m going to struggle, to be honest with you,” he says. “Certainly I’m not going to go out in the next and ride differently because I think I have a chance of being champion jockey. If it happens, it happens. I’m not going to do anything different. I’m very lucky to have two fantastic yards backing me, but they’re the only yards I really ride for and, at the end of the season, I might struggle when a lot of the maidens have won and so on. Colin’s an unbelievable rider and is going to be very hard to beat. It would be great to do it—but I don’t expect to.” Albeit they are an awfully long way away, for a jockey, here is a young man keeping his feet resolutely on the ground. View the full article