This meeting replaces the April 6 meeting at the Curragh which was lost to the weather. Entries for this meeting will close by noon next Tuesday, April 16 with declarations to run to be made by 10am on Thursday, April 18.   

As the Curragh is also scheduled for Sunday, April 21, this will now become a two-day weekend meeting with seven races programmed on each day. To facilitate this, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 3-Y-O Maiden is deleted from the Sunday card and is transferred to the Saturday card. 

In addition, Navan will stage an all-Flat card on Tuesday, May 7. This meeting will replace the Navan meeting which was originally scheduled for Tuesday, April 9. Entries for this meeting will close by noon on Thursday, May 2 with declarations to run to be made by 10am on Sunday, May 5.

The post Curragh’s Alleged Stakes Meeting Rescheduled For April 20 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Meanwhile, dual Derby and Breeders' Cup hero Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact {Jpn}), arguably the most important older horse to have been kept in training at Ballydoyle for many years, is set to get his campaign underway in next week's Dubai Sheema Classic. 

Described by joint-owner Michael Tabor as “our Frankel” after he slammed his Dewhurst rivals last term, City Of Troy heads the Guineas and Derby betting at odds of 4-6 and 2-1 respectively.

With so much on the line for a horse who has commanded such praise, O'Brien could be forgiven for feeling the pressure. The truth couldn't be further from the case. 

Speaking at a media morning at Ballydoyle on Wednesday, O'Brien said, “I don't feel pressure at all. All we can do is our best and whatever will be will be. But he [City Of Troy] looks a bit different at the moment anyway.”

O'Brien added, “He has always been very special. He always looked a bit different–even from the time we worked him to when he ran in his maiden.  All you can do is just keep turning up and running and see what is going to happen, but he does work very differently [to anything else].

“Horses are working in very bad ground at the moment-it's deep. He shouldn't like that at all but he is just powering through it. We hope to get him to Naas on Sunday after racing. They'll all work together–him, Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), they'll all go together over seven or seven-and-a-half furlongs. The plan is to go straight to the Guineas with City Of Troy.

“If that went well, then he could go for the Derby, and if that went well, there's a chance he could go to Saratoga for the Travers Stakes. That's very possible if things go well and it will be interesting.”

O'Brien is no stranger to running top-class horses on the dirt. Johannesburg famously won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 2001 while Galileo (Ire), George Washington (Ire), Henrythenavigator and Duke Of Marmalade (Ire) are some of the more established names to have tackled the Breeders' Cup Classic, albeit the latter pair's efforts came on the Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita in 2008. 

Mendelssohn came closest to delivering O'Brien and the Coolmore team a breakthrough success in the Travers when second to Catholic Boy in the 2018 edition of the race. However, City Of Troy would rank as by far the most high-profile colt that connections have pointed towards the Travers, with O'Brien putting his confidence behind last year's European Champion Two-Year-Old's ability to handle the surface on breeding.

Speaking about the reasoning behind such ambitious campaigning, he explained, “It's just to expose him, really. Obviously he's by Justify, which makes Justify very exciting for us because he should be able to do dirt as easily as he does grass. That's what makes him unique, really. “Every one of those Justifys are the same. They are long-striding and big horses. They are scopey and very genuine. They are all happy to go forward and you can't go hard enough in their races. It's going to be very exciting.”

O'Brien added, “He's done very well over the winter. He's a medium-sized horse to look at, but when you stand into him he's much bigger than you think he is, which is the sign of a very well-proportioned horse. It will be exciting.

“When John [Magnier] and the lads are thinking like that, they are not afraid to push him out there and see what he is able to do. If it went well in the Guineas, we're happy to step up to a mile and a half in the Derby and then you could come back to a mile and a quarter on the dirt at Saratoga.”

City Of Troy is likely to be O'Brien's sole runner in the Guineas while targets for Henry Longfellow, Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), River Tiber and Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) will be decided after they work at Naas this weekend. 

O'Brien said, “I'd imagine if City Of Troy goes to the Guineas, he'll go himself. River Tiber always worked very well. He wasn't right in Deauville or in the Middle Park–he wasn't one hundred per cent, so there's a good chance there's more to come from him. I think he's a miler–he's fast. I couldn't see him getting much further.

“Unquestionable could go for the French Guineas. He's done very well. He'll go to Naas on Sunday to work and he could go for a trial in France before going back for the Guineas. He could be a French Derby horse. He's not as quick as the others, so he could get a bit further.

“When we went to America with them last year, River Tiber was five lengths better than the winner. He's not rated that way, but if you put the two of them together, that is what will happen.”

O'Brien added, “Henry Longfellow could stretch out but he looks like a miler the way he's going, so how much further he'd get, I'm not sure. He could be a French Derby horse, as could Diego Velazquez–he might be more that than a Guineas horse, but he'll go with them [to Naas] as well, so it will be interesting.”

Asked for an under-the-radar three-year-old colt to follow for the campaign, O'Brien put forward Grosvenor Square (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), winner of the G3 Eyrefield S. at Leopardstown last term and no bigger than 20-1 for the Derby.

“Grosvenor Square could be a very interesting horse,” he said. “I think he'd have no problem with better ground. He's not a heavy-framed horse, he's a good mover. He'll go for a Derby trial.”

City Of Troy is not the only horse that O'Brien is exploring the idea of running on dirt this season as Dubai-bound Auguste Rodin could tackle the surface at some point this year. More immediately, races like the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and the Prince Of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot will come under consideration for the four-year-old after Meydan.

O'Brien concluded, “Auguste Rodin has another bit of work to do before he goes on Saturday, but everything looks good at the moment. It's his first run of the year but we're very happy with him.

“The plan was he goes there, then he could go to the Curragh for the Tattersalls Gold Cup and then Ascot for the Prince of Wales's.

“After that, we could have a look at a dirt race with him. We'll see how that goes. He could go to Saratoga as well. His season will be split in two really, with a busy first half and then a break. As a rule, Deep Impacts are mainly turf horses, but we were surprised how well he worked on the dirt at the Breeders' Cup-he floated over it. He has an unusual action, so it will be interesting to see.”

The post O’Brien Has Saratoga Aim For Guineas And Derby Favourite City Of Troy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The other additions to the schedule include the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas and G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, both run at the Curragh on Sunday, May 26, plus five new fixtures from Australia–starting with G1 Blue Diamond Stakes Day at Caulfield on Saturday, February 24–and two from South Africa.

The World Pool, the largest globally commingled horse racing pools, was created and is powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). In total, there will be 21 World Pool fixtures in the first half of 2024, with bettors from 28 countries able to bet into the same pools on those given days.

Michael Fitzsimons, executive director, Wagering Products, at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, “We're excited to be continuing the expansion of World Pool in 2024 by adding new race days from Australia, South Africa, the UK and Ireland to our growing list of fixtures.

“We want World Pool to be in action for the biggest races throughout the year, so it's fantastic to add two more historic Classics to our roster in 2024, with the English 1,000 Guineas and Irish 1,000 Guineas joining the Epsom Derby, Irish Derby and English 2,000 Guineas as World Pool race days.”

The post Nine Race Days Added to 2024 World Pool Calendar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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It was Aguiar who first spotted the potential in the Adrian Murray-trained Bucanero Fuerte as a yearling last year and went to €165,000 to secure the colt from Etreham at the August Sale at Arqana. 

Victory in the first juvenile Group 1 race of the year in Europe would guarantee Bucanero Fuerte's share price to sky-rocket well beyond that initial outlay, which would represent a huge result for the Brazilian native given his wife Giselle owns the colt in partnership with Amo Racing. 

“Bucanero is in top form,” the 41-year-old said on Thursday. “I'd say he has improved a good bit since his last run. I have ridden a lot of good horses in the past but this horse is really special. He is the best horse I have ridden. I rode very good horses when I worked in Ballydoyle and for Tally-Ho Stud as well. 

“I rode Camelot (GB), Excelebration (Ire), Perfect Power (Ire), Go Bears Go (Ire), Ardad (Ire), Persian Force (Ire)–a lot of good horses–but this horse is really special. He's a very quiet horse, has a good mind, is a brilliant mover–he has everything.”

Bucanero Fuerte beats Unquestionable in the Railway Stakes | Racingfotos.com

Bucanero Fuerte has already accounted for his main market rival on Saturday, Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), when the pair met in the G2 Railway S. at the Curragh last month. He is well on his way to fulfilling his stallion potential, being a classy brother to the Prix de l'Abbaye scorer Wooded (Ire), and Aguiar explained that the blooding of such types has become an important aspect of the Amo Racing model.  

He said, “We work very hard for this. We are working hard to make a stallion and have four good stallion prospects this year. There is New York Thunder (Nyquist), one of the best three-year-olds in America, King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Valiant Force and Bucanero Fuerte. Also, we still have Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}), who will retire at the end of this year. Hopefully he can win a Group 1 or Group 2 beforehand. 

“For the past few years, we have been working hard to try and find these horses. It's not easy to make a stallion and, until we get there, we won't be happy. We are on the right track but we are not there yet. Hopefully Bucanero can win on Saturday.”

The brother to Wooded, whose first yearlings will go under the hammer at the August Sale at Arqana next week, was a well-credentialed stallion prospect at the yearling sales. However, it wasn't Bucanero Fuerte's page that lured Aguiar in.

“He caught my eye straight away when I saw him at the sales. When they pulled him out of the stable, I said to my wife, 'I am going to buy this horse.' I didn't even look at his pedigree because, when I go to the sales, I watch all of the horses. I look at them walking and, if they interest me, I look at the pedigree. If I am not interested, I don't bother looking.”

Aguiar added, “I didn't know he was a brother to Wooded when I saw him first. He could have been related to nothing and I would have bought him still. But when I did see his pedigree, I thought I had no chance of buying him. I was lucky to be able to buy him.”

Buying the good models over a page is what Aguiar built his business on. When operating on a budget, he was able to turn cheaper yearling purchases into six-figure breezers. 

The bankroll behind the operation may be on a completely different scale now, helped by the backing of Amo boss Kia Joorabchian, but the principals and the work ethic remains the same.

“Look, I still buy colts without much of a pedigree for myself and I breeze them. I like to buy a racey-looking horse to breeze. But for Amo, I try to buy stallion prospects with a pedigree because Kia does not want to win a race. He wants Group winners and stallion prospects.”

Royal Ascot-winning juvenile Valiant Force, who is also trained in County Westmeath by Murray and being aimed at the G1 Prix Morny, is another stallion prospect that was found for Amo by Aguiar. 

Alongside Tally-Ho Stud's Roger O'Callaghan, Aguiar snapped up the son of Malibu Moon for $100,000 on the recommendation of bloodstock agent Ben McElroy at the September Yearling Sale at Keeneland. 

Like Bucanero Fuerte, Aguiar's wife Giselle retains a share of Valiant Force, as does O'Callaghan's wife Rachael, in partnership with Amo Racing. 

Valiant Force caused one of the biggest shocks in recent memory at Royal Ascot when winning the G2 Norfolk S. at odds of 150-1 and Aguiar is now charting a path back to America along with Murray for the Breeders' Cup with the colt. 

Recalling how he came to acquire Valiant Force, he said, “Ben McElroy told me to have a look at him. He bought him as a foal as part of a syndicate and they put him in Book 2 of the September Yearling Sale at Keeneland where he got a little bit lost. He is by Malibu Moon, who is not the most fashionable stallion but, when Ben showed me the horse, I really liked him. I got Roger to have a look and we bought him to breeze. We decided to race him and sold a little bit of him to Kia before Ascot.

“He's in good form and I'd say he has improved since Ascot as well. He's gotten bigger and stronger. For me, he will be a proper dirt horse but I'm going to run him once more on turf in the Prix Morny in France. My plan is to go to the Breeders' Cup for the dirt race because he works very good on it.”

Joorabchian has earned himself a reputation as being a hard-nosed businessman who is not afraid to move his horses around. It is a results-based business at the end of the day and nobody is more aware of this than Aguiar, who has a very clear vision about what success looks like for the Amo Racing chief.

 Aguiar: “I want to be the best – I don't want to be just another person in the game.” | Tattersalls 

“We are not there yet,” he admitted. “For me, I want to get a few Group 1s over the line and produce a good stallion. We have spent a lot of money and I will be proud when we start to bring more money back into the business [through a good stallion].”

In order to fulfill his ambitions in racing, Aguiar shared that he would be bidding to emulate the achievements of the O'Callaghans at Tally-Ho Stud, for whom he has a long and fruitful association working alongside. 

He explained, “I joined Tally-Ho when I left Ballydoyle and they help me and I help them. We still do a lot of business together and I am very good friends with Roger, Henry and Tony O'Callaghan. We are friends and we also respect each other. Any favour they ask me to do, I do it for them. They would also do anything for me. We are like family.

“They work very hard. Roger is a good person to buy and sell a horse and everybody trusts Tony. They will always help people who need to get a mare covered and will always try and do a deal for you even if you don't have the money there and then. 

“Kodiac (GB) brought them to the next level and now Mehmas (Ire) is doing the same. Everything that retires there, they do a great job for the stallion and they reinvest every year in new mares and facilities.”

He added, “Everything that I make, I put it back into building stables and buying my own mares. I do a lot of pre-training for Amo and I still have a few racehorses myself who I couldn't sell. 

“My business is starting to grow and hopefully I can keep on improving every year just like Tally-Ho has. I want to be competitive at the top level. I don't spend my money on anything else. I always invest, invest, invest. I want to be the best–I don't want to be just another person in the game.”

For those reasons, victory on Saturday would mean the world to Aguiar and he has full confidence in Bucanero Fuerte delivering the goods. 

“If everything goes right in the race, I think he should win. You can think this but you can never be sure. I bought the horse, I broke him and I ride him every day so it would give me a lot of pleasure if he was to win his Group 1 on Saturday. I sold a Group 1 winner already, Shantisara (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) in America, but I think this horse can bring me to the next level of the business.”

The post Bucanero ‘The Best I’ve Ridden’ – Aguiar Sweet On Phoenix Stakes Favourite appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Now that the only marginally less brilliant King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) has underlined at Royal Ascot just what an achievement it was to give him a start and run him down on the famous Surrey Downs, the excitement continues to mount that we are in the midst of a great one.

It is therefore vital that the talented and possibly under-rated White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) is here to test his merit again and provide a true measurement of his trajectory. John Joseph Murphy's grey missile likes to hand his rivals instant advantage, but at Epsom he was notably rapid throughout the final half mile with his split from three to two out of 10.67 just a tick off the race's sharpest recorded by King Of Steel. Now on a more galloping track on ground which should play more to his strengths, Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's representative ensures this is an Irish Derby with real weight.

Much will be said by Aidan O'Brien but as usual, the master of Ballydoyle was keeping it low-key pre-race. “Everything has gone smooth since Epsom,” he said. “That was his first time over a mile and a half and we didn't know how it would be, but we thought he was very comfortable and it has to be a good experience to stay at that trip again. Those horses at Ascot had more time from the Derby this year, which helped, but the form looks to be standing up.”

Murphy is understandably hoping that White Birch can make the same impact here as he did last month. “I was delighted at Epsom, but I think he could have been a bit better as he starts his races quite slowly and then gallops very genuinely,” he said. “He's a very sound horse, I don't think he's ever had a vet. He's very genuine, but he doesn't break well and I think he'll get better as the race goes on. He's lightly-raced still, there's only so many times you can go to the well but he likes his racing and likes his work–every morning he has a great attitude.”

Fourth in the Derby and denied a clean passage at a crucial time, Mohammed Khalid Abdulrahim's Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) still has to improve markedly to impose himself on Auguste Rodin and White Birch so the colts that followed him home at comfortable margins in Leopardstown's G3 Derby Trial, Up And Under (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Proud And Regal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), should be readily outclassed. Aidan O'Brien has set this up tactically to allow the favourite to get into his crushing rhythm and the useful potential pacemaker Covent Garden (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will presumably set the stage.

Straight Up?…

Of course, Ireland are not the only ones on Sunday staging a Derby, with the 154th edition of the G1 Deutsches Derby at Hamburg seeing Gestut Karlshof's Straight (Ger) (Zarak {Fr}) re-opposed by TDN Rising Star Mr Hollywood (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}) following their mismatched encounter in Cologne's G2 Union-Rennen earlier this month. While there was a five-length margin between them on that occasion, Wanja Soren Oberhof and Sebastian Weiss's Mr Hollywood had been so impressive when taking Munich's G3 Bavarian Classic that Straight has to do it again for true validation.

Straight's owner-breeder Bruno Faust said, “We are very happy for him to have shown his quality in such an awesome way! He has the right genes, being very closely related to three German Derby winners, a German Oaks heroine and Derby runner-up plus this year's Derby Italiano hero Goldenas. For me, it was clear that he had the potential when he broke his maiden at two and he has continued to convinc e us. I also hope that he can handle any ground.”

Sebastian Weiss said of Mr Hollywood, “Our trainer Henk Grewe told us that he was a very good horse, but just how good he was we only began realising when he took the Bavarian Classic. We bought him without much planning, he was on a list given to me by Wilhelm Feldmann and even if it sounds like a cliche, I fell in love with him instantly. He had so much presence, he was such a good mover and athletic, if he would have been by Sea The Stars or Frankel, he probably would have been amongst the top lots, but we were lucky he was by Iquitos. I only know whoever wants to win this Derby will have to beat Straight.”

If there is one who could shake up the domestic team it is the Ralph Beckett-trained If Not Now (Ger) (Iffraaj {GB}). Bred by Gestut Fahrhof and bought at the BBAG September Yearling Sale for €67,000 by Jeremy Brummitt for Quantum Leap Racing, the relative of the 1999 Deutsches Derby runner-up Acambaro (Ger) (Goofalik) produced a noteworthy performance when winning a Sandown handicap by seven lengths on his latest outing. “He's done well from two to three and it was a good effort last time. He's a very straightforward individual and his owners were keen to have a go, so it all made very good sense,” Beckett said.

Unquestionable Faith…

Sunday's G2 GAIN Railway S. is always an important staging post en route to the following year's Classics, particularly where Aidan O'Brien is concerned, and there are three potential Guineas colts from Ballydoyle this time. Successful on debut in the Listed First Flier S. and a close third in the G3 Marble Hill S. here before finishing fourth and beating all on his side in last Thursday's G2 Norfolk S., His Majesty  (Ire) (No Nay Never) would ordinarily have been expected to be Ryan Moore's pick. That he is not speaks volumes for the regard in which the TDN Rising Star Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is held. Third behind His Majesty as they made their debuts in the First Flier, Al Shaqab Racing, Coolmore and Westerberg's relative of Cityscape (GB) and Bated Breath (GB) looked so comfortable in the course-and-distance Tally Ho Stud Irish EBF Maiden at the Irish Guineas meeting that he has made a deep impression on Moore.

Opting for him over His Majesty and fellow TDN Rising Star Democracy (Ire) (No Nay Never), who was last of six in the Marble Hill, the rider explained, “There isn't much to choose between any of them. I do think His Majesty holds the best form claims of our trio heading into the race, especially as you have to mark up his fourth in the Norfolk last week and I think the return to six furlongs will suit him too but Unquestionable clearly has a lot of potential and I was very impressed by him when he won his maiden here last month. I think there is a lot of improvement in this Wootton Bassett colt. Democracy is better than he showed in the Marble Hill last time too.”

The post Auguste Rodin Poised for Derby Double appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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If successful in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, Auguste Rodin would provide the master of Ballydoyle with his 100th European Classic success, but the colt will face stiff competition with the third and fourth home at Epsom still in the picture for the race. 

O'Brien has five horses remaining in the €1.25m contest, which will be the first Irish Derby run on a Sunday since 2011, and the main attraction of the three-day fixture.

Auguste Rodin will be bidding to give Ryan Moore his first win in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and the rider heaped praise on O'Brien ahead of what could be an historic weekend for the trainer.

Moore said, “Aidan has shown for the last 30 years what an unbelievable talent he is. Genius gets bandied around an awful lot but how he prepares his horses and gets them to that day, to do it as many times as he has is a very special thing to do.

“I know the horse was disappointing at Newmarket, but there were reasons for that and Aidan always had complete belief in the horse. He is a horse that everyone always held in the highest regard from a very early stage.”

Auguste Rodin could also become the first horse to complete the Epsom-Curragh Derby double since Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in 2016. Among those standing in his way could be his own stable companions Adelaide River, Covent Garden, Peking Opera and San Antonio.  

However, John Murphy's White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}), a first ride in the Irish Derby for Dylan Browne McMonagle, and the Jessica Harrington-trained Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), third and fourth respectively at Epsom a month ago, appear to be the biggest threats to O'Brien's Epsom scorer.  

Harrington is expecting a big run from Sprewell but is realistic about the task at hand. She said on Tuesday, “I'm very happy with his preparation. He came out of Epsom very well and we've just slowly built him up. He's a very laid-back character and it's quite easy to keep the preparation going.

“Auguste Rodin is going to be very difficult to beat. He's proved himself to be an exceptional horse, to come back from what was a disaster really in the 2,000 Guineas.

“It was a great training feat for Aidan to get him back and to win so easily, as he did in Epsom. He's got to go out and do it again, but I'm presuming he'll be in good order. He's got it on the board and he beat us a fair way.”

She added, “You're always hoping. You don't go into those races thinking, 'I'll be grand being second'. I want to go in there thinking, 'I'll be grand if I can win'.”

Also standing their ground ahead of Friday's final declaration stage are the Dermot Weld-trained Knight To King, an impressive winner at Gowran Park on his debut, Joseph O'Brien's Leopardstown Derby Trial second Up And Under, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Proud And Regal and the Ralph Beckett-trained Salt Bay. 

The post Auguste Rodin Bids To Provide O’Brien With 100th Classic Win In Irish Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Despite breaking slowly at Epsom on Saturday, White Birch made tremendous late ground to finish a good third under Colin Keane, leaving connections optimistic about what the future may hold for the grey.

“It was a relief. We were absolutely delighted. He came home safe and sound, not a bother on him,” said Murphy on Tuesday. 

“He is on the cards for the Irish Derby–that's Plan A. He's come back 100 per cent and all is good. He's progressive. Every run seems to be better, so we hope that curve continues. He's in very good shape.

“The first plan is the Irish Derby and he will have loads of other entries in the meantime, but we will just play it by the horse. We have to take on the winner now. There's no hiding now-you have got to do it. Hopefully one of these good races will go his way. You never know.”

The post Murphy Eyes Irish Derby For White Birch After Epsom Third appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“I would say he'll go to the Irish Derby,” Tabor told racingtv.com. “I haven't discussed it, but it's common sense to say he definitely goes to the Irish Derby. Then we'll bring him back in trip–a mile and a quarter–for some of those races.”

The striking bay colt previously finished 12th in the May 6 G1 2000 Guineas, the initial leg in the Triple Crown.

“He won't go to the [1 3/4-mile] St. Leger,” Tabor added. “In my mind, that Triple Crown dream is over. A St. Leger horse is not what we are looking for, once he can't do a Triple Crown.”

Looking a bit farther down the road, Tabor indicated the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp in October could be a consideration in addition to the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita the following month.

“It is a long way before the end of the year,” he said. “We'll see how he is. It could be the Arc, but the ground could be against him, although he won on soft as a 2-year-old. We've even got the Breeders' Cup [Turf] as an option on the turf. We'll see how he goes and have those discussions, I'm sure.”

The post Auguste Rodin Likely to Target Derby Double appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“He has just had a little setback in training,” O'Brien told the Irish Field. “Hopefully it's nothing too serious and he will be back later in the summer. He has options at Ascot and further afield than that as well.”

Al Riffa also holds an entry for the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh July 2.

“These things happen, so it's a long way from a problem,” O'Brien continued. “It is obviously disappointing for the owners. This race has been his target for the last while, but we will look forward to things later in the summer.

“Timing-wise, Royal Ascot will be fine, but we will have to decide whether we want to run there or in other races. We'll not be rushing into any decisions.”

The defections leaves G1 English 2000 Guineas hero Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as market leader for the Irish 2000, but he is expected to wait for the St James's Palace.

The post Al Riffa To Miss Irish 2000, Royal Ascot Bid Still Possible appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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This is becoming a familiar success story for the Green family in Ireland who, frustrated with competing with the big guns in the sales ring back home in the States, decided to come up with a plan to concentrate on sourcing their talent elsewhere.

The link-up with O'Brien has been a natural fit and Jonathan Green is now planning a trip to the royal meeting with his family to see Do It With Style tackle the G3 Albany S. after Monday's stylish victory.

Green said, “This filly is actually named after our first Grade I winner in the States. We'd a Grade I winner called Do It With Style back in 1991 and we had been saving this name for the right kind of filly.

“When we bought this Ten Sovereigns filly, there was no discussion whatsoever, we knew she was the next one to have the Do It With Style moniker. I'm glad that she won but, internally, I'm really pleased that it looks as though she can carry the name on and hopefully be as successful as her previous namesake. That's the confidence that we had with her. If we're going to run this filly in the Albany, which I think is the plan, you will see us there in top hat and tails.”

Leonard and Jonathan Green | Fasig Tipton

The Green family need no introduction to international racing fans. Their colours were carried to victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Dirt at Keeneland last November by Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) and the hope is that Do It With Style will eventually continue her career in America. However, Jonathan is eyeing some big-race riches in Europe along with O'Brien before that happens.

He said, “It looks like she can go on to bigger and better things. We'd like to think that she has the scope and the physical ability to cope with running here [in America] but Donnacha is going to map out a campaign for her in Europe until she shows us when it's time to possibly bring her over. We've had some success over the past few years with three-year-old fillies and won last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on dirt with Wonder Wheel. Hopefully Do It With Style will come over here for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf later in the year but a lot of things have to happen between now and then. The next big step will probably be Royal Ascot. That is what we are communicating about right now.”

He added, “The most important thing for us was to buy a filly who we thought had some substance and athleticism and certainly, when Donnacha came to us with his shortlist of yearlings from the Orby Sale last year, she was at the top of our list. We stretched a little bit for her, spending over $200,000, but we really felt like she had the substance and the pedigree that we look for in a filly.”

Do It With Style was picked up for €235,000 to be precise. She was sourced from Coulonces at the Goffs Orby last September when the dollar was trading particularly strong compared to the euro, which helped Green in his decision to stick his neck out for the filly.

“We're businessmen by practice. My Dad [Leonard] was a CPA for over 50 years and I am a financial planner for 30 years. The dollar to euro ratio was certainly in our favour at the time. We look to spend somewhere between $150,000 to $175,000 for well-bred fillies. That's the lane that we feel comfortable in. We stretched a little bit for this filly but she really ticked all the boxes for us, both physically and on breeding.”

The Greens had a multitude of different trainers to choose from when setting out to source fillies from Ireland. So, why Donnacha O'Brien?

“Donnacha is easy,” comes the reply. “He is a young trainer who has been groomed by his Dad [Aidan] to be one of the best trainers in the country if not the world. When I interviewed him a few years ago, we just really hit it off. He's a hard-working guy and I love the fact that he has such great knowledge, not only from being around horses all of his life, but from being a top-class rider himself. I think that gives a trainer a tremendous amount of insight into how a horse is going and how it's doing.”

He added, “It was a few years ago that we decided to look for other opportunities because the American market was extremely difficult to find a top horse. Unless you were willing to partner with some of the big farms, it really wasn't financially viable so we looked elsewhere. We sat down with Kim Valerio, who is our primary agent, and put together a game plan to try and buy some fillies overseas with the plan of bringing them over here. We've had some success. “Diabolic (Ire) was a Dark Angel (Ire) filly we bought in our first year and she did well. We also purchased Papillio (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) who just won a Grade 2 at Keeneland. And now with this filly, we feel like we have a pretty good game plan with picking out young fillies who can compete overseas and here in America.”

Green admits that there is now heightened competition at the Goffs Orby Sale compared to when his family first dipped their toe in the Irish market but, through forging relationships with Coolmore and the O'Brien family, says he is hoping to continue to pick up a select amount of yearlings every year.

He said, “We felt like we were ahead of the curve three years ago by coming to Goffs and looking for our yearlings at the Orby Sale but, the last time we came over, there were 50 of us on the plane.

“People are recognising that there is tremendous value in Ireland and we love the fact that we have the opportunity to buy these fillies at Goffs or privately from the Magnier family and working with the O'Briens. Especially at Goffs, they look after us so well and roll out the red carpet every time we arrive. Charles O'Neill [CEO of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing] certainly makes us feel very comfortable there and we always love coming over to Goffs.”

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