Tag: Aidan O’Brien

Galileo’s Warm Heart Prevails In Vermeille Tussle

Coolmore and Westerberg's G2 Ribblesdale S. victrix Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}–Sea Siren {Aus}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was defiant when battling to a career high in last month's G1 Yorkshire Oaks and displayed her fighting qualities once again to garner Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp.

As she had done on the Knavesmire, Warm Heart settled into a smooth rhythm racing off the pace in fourth, having broken from the stalls with her nose shaving the turf here. Making relentless headway under pressure in the straight, the 3-1 second favourite was driven along to launch her challenge passing the furlong pole and stayed on well under whipless rousting in the dying embers to withstand the persistent threat of G2 Prix de Pomone victrix Melo Melo (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire) by a short-neck. Yorkshire Oaks fifth Sea Silk Road (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) ran on to finish 1 3/4 lengths adrift in third for her first placing at the highest level.

“The race was a bit of a trappy contest,” explained winning rider James Doyle. “She exits the gates very well, but she slipped today and lost her action for a few strides, so I found myself a bit fenced-in and further back than I would have liked. They didn't go very fast and I was worried during the race, but she showed a lot of determination to come out on top. She doesn't really stop once in the lead, but tends to idle a bit and wait for the others, which is what she did in the Yorkshire Oaks and what she did again today. As for the Arc, her connections will decide. My feeling is that she needs good ground, being a light-actioned sort, and the going is therefore important in this regard. We've already seen editions of the Arc being run on fast ground, it can happen, but it's not common either.”

Francis-Henri Graffard, trainer of runner-up Melo Melo, added, “Melo Melo was conceding weight to the winner today, but we came up against a filly who was really a tough cookie. Looking to the future, she'll be better suited by much softer tracks. In any case, I think she delivered a great performance.”

Sea Silk Road's rider Tom Marquand expressed satisfaction with the run of his filly and commented, “She's a super filly and I'm very pleased with her performance. She had run a little freely in the Yorkshire Oaks and, one day, she'll win her Group 1 race when conditions come right for her. She's a classy filly.”

Reflecting on a long season and looking forward to another, Blue Rose Cen's trainer Christopher Head said, “She was in very good order in the first half of the season, but it's possible that the season has been a little long for the filly. We're going to talk to her owner, and see how she recovers, so we can look ahead to the future. She should stay in training next year, so we'll certainly be concentrating on her 2024 campaign.”

Pedigree Notes

Warm Heart is the fifth of eight foals and one of four scorers produced by G1 Manikato S., G1 Doomben 10,000 and G1 BTC Cup heroine Sea Siren (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), herself kin to the pattern-race winners Oratorio (Aus) (Stravinsky) and Lady Dehere (NZ) (Dehere). The February-foaled bay, whose third dam is G1 Karrakatta Plate heroine Hold That Smile (Aus) (Haulpak {Aus}), is a full-sister to G3 Derrinstown Stud Fillies S. runner-up Celestial Object (Ire) and the winning 2-year-old colt Bremen (Ire). She is also kin to a yearling colt by Camelot (GB) and a weanling colt by Home Affairs (Aus).

 

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX VERMEILLE-G1, €600,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-10, 3yo/up, f/m, 12fT, 2:31.29, g/s.
1–WARM HEART (IRE), 123, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Sea Siren (Aus) (MG1SW-Aus, SW & MGSP-Ire, $1,743,772), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
2nd Dam: Express A Smile (Aus), by Success Express
3rd Dam: Hold That Smile (Aus), by Haulpak (Aus)
O-Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith & Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-James Doyle. €342,840. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, 8-5-1-0, €883,762. *Full to Celestial Object (Ire), GSP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Melo Melo (GB), 131, f, 4, Gleneagles (Ire)–You Look So Good (GB), by Excellent Art (GB). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (110,000gns Wlg '19 TATFOA). O-Ecurie Ama.Zingteam; B-The Pocock Family (GB); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €137,160.
3–Sea Silk Road (Ire), 131, f, 4, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Oriental Magic (Ger), by Doyen (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (190,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Sunderland Holding Inc; B-Kildaragh Stud (IRE); T-William Haggas. €68,580.
Margins: SNK, 1 3/4, SNK. Odds: 3.00, 7.60, 31.00.
Also Ran: Rue Boissonade (Fr), Blue Rose Cen (Ire), Above The Curve, Pensee Du Jour (Ire), Crown Princesse (Fr). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Australia’s Adelaide River Takes The Kilternan

Making it another Irish Champions Day winner that was easy to find on paper, the third pattern-race winner for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore came in the G3 Paddy Power S. registered as the Kilternan S. courtesy of Adelaide River (Ire) (Australia {GB}). Always comfortable in a clear lead, the 11-8 favourite by virtue of the class edge he held having been runner-up in the G1 Irish Derby and G1 Grand Prix de Paris turned the screw from the top of the straight and may have been idling late as Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) cut the deficit to half a length.

O'Brien had a surprising admission about the colt who had pushed Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) so hard in the Curragh Classic. “We always thought he was kind of like Duke Of Marmalade, as he's after competing in big ones and getting very close in them but he's such a big horse that he's definitely going to have to be a way better horse next year,” he said. “He's after having a few tough races in second so it was nice for him to come here and Ryan was able to dictate his own pace on him. He said he did quicken very well, but just got a bit lonely in the last half a furlong.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Adelaide River, who had also been third in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and second in the G2 Beresford S. as a 2-year-old, is the first foal out of Could It Be Love (War Front) who was second in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and a clutch of lesser black-type contests. A half-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Champagne S.-winning champion and leading sire Uncle Mo, her unraced 2-year-old filly Everlasting (Ire) is by Kingman (GB), while she also has a yearling by the same sire due to sell on Monday at the Keeneland September Sale. She was bred to Gun Runner for 2024.

Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
PADDY POWER S. (KILTERNAN S.)-G3, €100,000, Leopardstown, 9-9, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:31.05, gd.
1–ADELAIDE RIVER (IRE), 127, c, 3, by Australia (GB)
1st Dam: Could It Be Love (G1SP-Ire & GSP-Eng, $163,827), by War Front
2nd Dam: Playa Maya, by Arch
3rd Dam: Dixie Slippers, by Dixieland Band
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith & Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €60,000. Lifetime Record: MG1SP-Fr, G1SP-Ire & GSP-Eng, 9-2-5-1, $584,982. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Al Aasy (Ire), 138, g, 6, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Kitcara (GB), by Shamardal. (300,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd; B-Sunderland Holding Inc (IRE); T-William Haggas. €20,000.
3–Layfayette (Ire), 138, g, 6, French Navy (GB)–Scala Romana (Ire), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire). (€4,000 Ylg '18 TIRSEP; €54,000 2yo '19 TATGOR). O-Mrs Patricia Hunt; B-Matthew Duffy (IRE); T-Noel Meade. €10,000.
Margins: HF, HF, HF. Odds: 1.38, 2.25, 25.00.
Also Ran: White Birch (GB), Valiant King (GB), Mashhoor (GB), Young Ireland (Ire).

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Deep Impact’s Auguste Rodin Wins The Irish Champion

Proving once again that he belongs at the top of the tree, Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}–Rhododendron {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) laid it all out on Saturday to prevail in a gruelling edition of Leopardstown's G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion S. As he had in the Derby, when churning out historical sectionals at the business end, the 11-4 favourite was able to handle a demanding test carved out by last year's hero Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and pour it on late as the closers inevitably came into the picture.

Subduing Luxembourg a furlong from home, the third TDN Rising Star winner on the card, who is possibly the most ground-dependant elite performer that Aidan O'Brien has trained, was reportedly idling late as he led home a one-two for the yard by half a length in this “Win and You're In” qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. Luxembourg, who was back to his determined best, grimly hung on to the runner's-up spot by a short head from the strong-finishing Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), as King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) finished on their heels a further half a length behind in fourth.

“We knew that Luxembourg was in a great place and Auguste Rodin is a magical horse really–a great horse, bottom line,” O'Brien said. “The little thing is he wants to get there late, as he parks in front and we always knew that. He's a beautiful mover and an easy cruiser and Ryan was delighted that he had the horse in front who was going to get him there. He has an unbelievable capacity to go a very high tempo from very early and quicken off it, but when he gets there he waits.”

Flying in the face of convention has been Auguste Rodin's hallmark from a relatively early point. First, there was the G1 Futurity Trophy success after a painful wait from connections to see whether he would be allowed to take part after Doncaster was hit by heavy rain. If he managed to navigate soft there, he was completely unable to deal with it underfoot in Newmarket's 2000 Guineas and at Ascot where he was gone long before the home turn. Even the Irish Derby was visually unexciting and so had he not delivered a masterclass at Epsom in between, he probably wouldn't have been here at all.

Whereas in the King George he couldn't lay up from the outset, this time Auguste Rodin looked for a brief spell as if he might land in front but Seamie Heffernan was intent on taking up the mantle with Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) acting as wing-man. While the Irish Derby happened in what O'Brien classes as “second gear the whole way”, this was as truly-run as any Group 1 race of recent times with Luxembourg back on-song and crunching away at the numbers in front.

Any weakness in the eventual winner would have been exposed by the time they passed the two pole, but instead of curling up Auguste Rodin continued to tick off relentless fast fractions. Understandably, Luxembourg buckled slightly though not enough to suggest his performance was anything other than a top-class one and probably a career-best but his year-younger stablemate occupies marginally higher territory.

“He is so slick, he's all action,” O'Brien added. “Soft ground has to hinder him and we were lucky Ryan was on him at Ascot so that no physical damage was done. “He is so important to the breed and you know how quickly they can be destroyed, so all credit to the lads who knew Ascot was not his run at all. I have to thank Michael [Tabor] for having the confidence in everybody to relax and calm down and come back.”

“A couple of times this year it all went totally wrong,” he continued. “He's very tough, very hardy, but a little bit peculiar. Annemarie was watching him in the stable. If things happen around his environment he stays awake all night. He doesn't sleep. He's probably just a very sensitive horse. He takes in everything.”

Moore was in no doubt cantering to post that his mount was back in the groove. “I knew he was in a real good place and he floated around there–it never really felt in any doubt and he was just waiting a bit in the last 100 yards,” Moore said. “It is very satisfying for him to come back and prove how good he is again. Aidan's done a fantastic job and I always felt this was his ideal trip–his dam didn't stay a mile and a half and won a Lockinge. It was an evenly-run race and they all had their chance.”

O'Brien is thinking of swerving ParisLongchamp and the habitual slog through the mud next month. “He probably wouldn't go to the Arc, as the ground is usually soft and the lads love the Breeders' Cup,” he said. “He'd love Santa Anita, as you know you're going to get fast ground so we'll see how he is after a week or 10 days. That's a strong possibility–I'd say the Turf rather than the Classic, and whatever after that. He went by boat to Epsom and that was one of the common denominators that wasn't stacking up, the flying. Maybe if he flies again he needs a little bit of time to get over it.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Auguste Rodin's record bodes extremely well for his five-times Group 1-winning champion dam Rhododendron, who also had her dips as well as highs but was capable of magic when at her peak. He is her first foal, with her second a colt by Dubawi (Ire) born this year. The second dam is Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), whose three top-level triumphs included an Irish 1000 Guineas and who also produced Galileo's seven-times Group 1 winner Magical (Ire).

Halfway To Heaven is out of the multiple group-winning sprinter Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), who is also responsible for the G3 Abernant S. and G3 Sandown Sprint S. scorer Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and the G3 Summer S. winner Theann (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire). Tickled Pink produced the stable's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who was placed later on this card, while Theann has Galileo's GI First Lady S. and GI Rodeo S. heroine Photo Call (Ire) and the G2 Richmond S.-winning first-season sire Land Force (Ire) under her auspices.

 

Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
ROYAL BAHRAIN IRISH CHAMPION S.-G1, €1,250,000, Leopardstown, 9-9, 3yo/up, 10fT, 2:02.68, gd.
1–AUGUSTE RODIN (IRE), 129, c, 3, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
1st Dam: Rhododendron (Ire) (MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ire, GISP-US, $1,786,763), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Halfway To Heaven (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Cassandra Go (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
'TDN Rising Star'. O-M Tabor, D Smith, Mrs J Magnier & Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €725,000. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Eng, 9-6-1-0, $2,891,914. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Luxembourg (Ire), 135, c, 4, Camelot (GB)–Attire (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (150,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Westerberg, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor & D Smith; B-B V Sangster (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €250,000.
3–Nashwa (GB), 132, f, 4, Frankel (GB)–Princess Loulou (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Imad Al Sagar; B-Blue Diamond Stud Farm (UK) Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. €125,000.
Margins: HF, SHD, HF. Odds: 2.75, 4.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: King Of Steel, Alflaila (GB), Point Lonsdale (Ire), Onesto (Ire), Sprewell (Ire). Scratched: Al Riffa (Fr).

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Frankel’s Diego Velazquez Wins The Champions Juvenile

Aidan O'Brien had already won nine of the 16 renewals of Leopardstown's revamped G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. and delivered another on Saturday with a stable one-two in the bargain. This race is a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in California. Despite the impressive attitude of Capulet (Justify) at the head of affairs, it was the 8-15 favourite Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}–Sweepstake {Ire}, by Acclamation {GB}) who proved master of ceremonies as he took over a furlong from home en route to a half-length success to earn the bragging rights. A half-brother to Australia's classy Broome (Ire) and Point Lonsdale (Ire), the winner who earned TDN Rising Star status with a 4 3/4-length success on debut at The Curragh last month was providing Ryan Moore with the first of four winners on the day. Atlantic Coast (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was 3 1/4 lengths behind in third, with the established Deepone (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) also far enough away to lend the race suitable credibility.

“We liked the second horse a lot and we knew we needed something to take him and stretch him a little bit,” O'Brien revealed. “They didn't go very fast for the first half and turned it on from halfway, so he learned a lot. We were surprised the first day that he ran in the Curragh how babyish he was, he never took a hold of the bridle. Today he was green as well, but a lot better. We think the race will leave him in a very good place. I'd imagine he'll go for the Futurity Trophy, we did it with Auguste Rodin last year, but we knew this horse had to learn a lot more than Auguste did last year.”

Of Capulet, he added, “He's a good horse. He won first time at Dundalk and we liked him. He's out of a good Galileo mare and we thought he was a fair horse. Seamus liked him a lot today. He's a typical Justify, the minute you go beyond seven furlongs they seem to grow another leg. They are really Classic-bred middle-distance horses and you'd have to be really happy with him also.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Diego Velazquez, who at 2.4million gns was upstaged only by Godolphin's 2.8million gns purchase at the Tatts Book 1 Sale, is currently the last known foal out of the Listed National S. winner and GIII Appalachian S. and G3 Princess Margaret-placed Sweepstake whose own dam Dust Flicker (GB) (Suave Dancer) is a full-sister to the G3 Prix de la Nonette scorer Dust Dancer (GB). She is in turn the second dam of the stable's G1 Phoenix S.-winning sire Zoffany (Ire), Frankel's G2 Futurity S. winner and G1 Irish Derby runner-up Rostropovich (Ire) and the G3 Bengough S. winner Projection (GB) also by Acclamation, while Dust Flicker's half-siblings include the G3 Fred Darling S. winner Bulaxie (GB) (Bustino {GB}).

Bulaxie produced the G2 Premio Lydia Tesio winner Claxon (GB) (Caerleon), who is responsible for the GIII Hillsborough S. scorer Cassydora (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), in turn the dam of the multiple group-winning stayer Ernest Hemingway (Ire) by Frankel's sire Galileo (Ire) and the G3 Prix d'Aumale scorer Toulifaut (Ire) by Frankel himself. Recent updates to this illustrious dynasty have been provided by the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G2 Debutante S.-placed Sunset Shiraz (Ire) (Time Test {GB}) and by one of this year's faster juveniles Elite Status (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), who took the G3 Prix de Cabourg and has been placed in the G2 Norfolk S. The winner probably has more pace than the aforementioned Broome, whose long career has featured a win in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and also this year's G2 Huxley S. scorer Point Lonsdale who placed in the G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. and G1 Coronation Cup.

Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
KPMG CHAMPIONS JUVENILE S. (GOLDEN FLEECE S.)-G2, €150,000, Leopardstown, 9-9, 2yo, 8fT, 1:40.46, gd.
1–DIEGO VELAZQUEZ (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Sweepstake (Ire) (SW & GSP-Eng & US, $114,162), by Acclamation (GB)
2nd Dam: Dust Flicker (GB), by Suave Dancer
3rd Dam: Galaxie Dust, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (2,400,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg & Brant; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €90,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $109,221. *1/2 to Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), G1SW-Fr, MGSW & G1SP-Ire, GSW-Eng & UAE, GISP-US, $2,788,778; and Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), MGSW & G1SP-Ire, GSW & G1SP-Eng, $439,967. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Capulet, 131, c, 2, Justify–Wedding Vow (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor & D Smith; B-Orpendale, Wynatt & Chelston (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. €30,000.
3–Atlantic Coast (Ire), 131, c, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Liwa Palace (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Al Shira'aa Farms (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €15,000.
Margins: HF, 3 1/4, HD. Odds: 0.53, 9.00, 5.00.
Also Ran: Deepone (GB), Bremen (Ire), Formal Display (GB), Democracy (Ire). Scratched: Bad Desire (Fr).

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