O’Brien Gearing Up For The Classics

[Wandering Eyes]

With all but a dozen of the capacity 200 horses in training at Ballydoyle being 2- and 3-year-olds, there is plenty to look forward to at Aidan O’Brien’s stable. The trainer’s Classic crop is headlined by the likes of Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never) and G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy S. winner Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), and O’Brien said that better weather conditions than last year has allowed his team a smoother start to 2019.

“Last year the horses weren’t able to acclimatise as there was snow early in the year and it became very warm during the summer,” he explained. “Not once were the horses galloped on grass last year from January to December, whereas this year we have done a lot of grass work already.

“The first weekend in May is usually the first time we hope to have them in good order and other than that, the idea is to start and see where we are.”

The G1 Middle Park S. winner Ten Sovereigns will head straight to the G1 2000 Guineas on May 4.

“Ten Sovereigns physically has done well and is a very relaxed horse. Nothing would suggest he wouldn’t get a mile,” said O’Brien. “We will skip the Greenham S. at Newbury as there is no point taking on Too Darn Hot when he isn’t fully ready and he will go straight to the 2000 Guineas.”

O’Brien is still looking at an opportunity to tick the GI Kentucky Derby off his list of accomplishments, and on Thursday he will send Antilles (War Front) and U S S Michigan (War Front) to Chelmsford for a conditions race that offers 30 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner.

“Antilles and U S S Michigan will both run at Chelmsford. If we were to have a horse for the Kentucky Derby, U S S Michigan would be the only one,” the trainer said. “I’m not yet sure if a win at Chelmsford would be enough to get him in to Kentucky, but he is a big, long-striding cruiser and we always thought he would get a mile and further.”

O’Brien last year sent out the fancied Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) in the Run to the Roses, and he reflected on that experience-where the horse endured a rough run over a sloppy track and checked in last–on Monday.

“Last year was a good experience to witness it and see it–it was totally ruthless,” said O’Brien. “We learned a lot and the fierceness of the whole thing surprised us. It was a good experience and there are things we need to improve on.”

O’Brien, as always, has plenty to choose from in his arsenal for the G1 Investec Derby, and he remarked of a few of them, “I’m very happy with Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Mount Everest (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})–a beautiful-moving horse who has done extremely well physically. I was very pleased with Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) winning at Leopardstown the other day and Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is another Derby horse and will run in a trial first. Old Glory (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Norway (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) are other horses who will run in Derby trials.”

Of his Classic fillies, O’Brien added, “Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will go straight to the Guineas and along with So Perfect (Scat Daddy) both have physically done very well. Just Wonderful (Dansili {GB}) and Fairyland (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) will also go straight to the Guineas and I’m very happy with both.

‘TDN Rising Star’ Goddess (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is likely to wait for summer targets.

“Goddess is just coming back into full work,” O’Brien said. “She was a bit sick last year and didn’t get back to run. I don’t think she will be back ready to run in the Classics and if you asked us now, I’d say not. She will probably be looking at Royal Ascot and have a run before it.”

O’Brien’s small but select team of older horses includes the last two winners of the G1 St Leger winner, Capri (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

“The Ascot Gold Cup is the big one for us mid-season and Capri will step up in trip and go the staying route,” O’Brien said. “Kew Gardens will go the mile-and-a-half route first before running in the Coronation Cup and then the King George.”

It is unlikely anyone in the business would question O’Brien’s dedication, and the trainer indicated his commitment and passion is as strong as ever.

“I look forward to coming out to the horses every single morning and every morning is different and new,” he said. “I don’t have any other interest–not another thing. This is my golf and everything rolled into one.

“The only time I’m not here is when I’m at the races for a few hours–you need every minute of the day to get it all together and you need to stay as fresh as you can the whole time. I work through the day first and would take time in the evenings to relax, but you have to keep yourself fresh and clear to get the information straight away to make a decision about something.”

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