Aidan O'Brien has outlined plans for some of his Classic hopes for the 2022 season and indicated that the dual group winners Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) will head to Newmarket for the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas on Apr. 30. Luxembourg will bid to emulate his treble Classic-winning sire by claiming the Newmarket feature on his seasonal debut after winning the G1 Vertem Futurity at Doncaster at two.
“Point Lonsdale worked in the same group as Luxembourg on Saturday and that was the first time they went together. I was very happy with Point Lonsdale, the two of them came up very well,” said O'Brien on Monday morning.
“At the moment, the plan is for the two of them to go for the Guineas. Point Lonsdale is a very brave horse. He's a great traveller, he has plenty of pace, but we think he'll stay as well. He'll love the nice ground, even though he did a lot of his racing last year on softer ground.”
O'Brien added, “It looks as though Luxembourg will go straight for the Guineas as well. He travelled well in his work and finished close to Point Lonsdale so it will be interesting to see how they get on.”
Both sons of Derby winners for Ballydoyle, the pair had near faultless records as juveniles. Point Londsale won on debut at The Curragh and went on to land the Chesham S. at Royal Ascot followed by the G3 Tyros S. and G2 Irish EBF Futuruity S. His final start of 2021 saw him finish second to the champion juvenile Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the G1 National S. The unbeaten Luxembourg made just three starts, including the G2 Beresford S. ahead of his Group 1 strike. His full-brother subsequently topped the Goffs Orby Sale when bought by MV Magnier for €1.2 million.
Drawing a comparison between Luxembourg and his sire, O'Brien said, “Luxembourg is probably a little bit bigger than Camelot, he's rangier, but he has the pace. Camelot was the only Montjeu horse to win the Guineas and this fella travels along. He finds it easy to go fast, which is a good sign.”
Among the 3-year-olds with Classic engagements pencilled in is the Kodiac (GB) colt Glounthaune (Ire), who will be seen out this weekend in the 2000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown.
“He's a very big horse and we were playing catch-up with him all last season,” said O'Brien. “He could be a French Guineas horse.”
The ParisLongchamp Classic could also be the aim for Star Of India (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a seven-furlong maiden winner on his sole start in October.
“He was away to The Curragh on Saturday,” the trainer added. “We wanted to see whether or not we will start him back over a mile or whether he wants a mile and a quarter. He went well at The Curragh. We took him to The Curragh to find out if he was a Derby horse or a Guineas horse. He has a lazy way of going but there's always plenty left in the tank. He could go for a French Guineas, and go on from there, he's that type of horse.”
Bluegrass (Ire), a son of Galileo (Ire) and the G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), is a likely runner in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial. “He won his maiden at The Curragh and is nice,” added the trainer.
Scriptwriter (Ire), from the first crop of Churchill (Ire), is also heading to a Derby trial, while River Thames (Ire), another by the dual Guineas winner, has met with a minor setback.
“River Thames was working very well and we were very happy with him but he picked up a stone bruise a couple of days ago,” said O'Brien. “We were going to go for the Ballysax but he just won't get to make that now.”
O'Brien has won the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot once in its seven-year existence with Caravaggio, and he could be represented this year by King Of Bavaria (Ire) (No Nay Never), a dual winner last year who could take in Navan's Committed S. on April 23.
He said, “King Of Bavaria is a five- or six-furlong horse. He worked with Cadamosto (Ire) (No Nay Never) at The Curragh on Saturday and we were happy with the two of them.”
One who will not fly under the radar when he makes his debut is Waterville (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a 3-year-old half-brother to the Irish Oaks winner and Arc runner-up Sea Of Class (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).
“He could be a good bit better than a maiden and may even be a Derby horse,” noted the trainer. “He's a Derby-type horse and he goes very well. He's a very big horse and will run in maiden a before long.”
He added, “Snowfall's brother Newfoundland (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is another nice maiden.”
Distaff Division
Among what is undoubtedly a raft of smart fillies at Ballydoyle, the beautifully bred Tenebrism–a daughter of Caravaggio and crack miler Immortal Verse (Ire) (Pivotal {GB})–is a standout on her exploits to date. She ran just twice last year, in March and September, but returned triumphant from both starts, the latter being the G1 Cheveley Park S. on Newmarket's Rowley Mile. She would have to go an extra two furlongs in the 1000 Guineas but her trainer offered encouragement in that regard.
“There's every chance Tenebrism will stay the Guineas trip,” he said. “She worked very well after racing at The Curragh on Saturday. We went a very good gallop in front of her for seven and a half furlongs and she picked up very well and ran home strongly. You'd have to be very impressed with what she has done so far.”
Contarelli Chapel, another daughter of Caravaggio who, like Tenebrism, races in the Westerberg colours, is on the comeback trail following knee surgery. The half-sister to G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Nassau S. winner Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) from the family of Derby winner High Chaparral (Ire) is heading for Sunday's 1000 Guineas Trail at Leopardstown.
“Contarelli Chapel is going very well,” O'Brien reported. “She had a chip taken out of her knee after she disappointed at Naas last season. She's a half-sister to Donnacha's good filly and she's classy. We've always thought the world of her.”
The trainer added that History (Ire), by Galileo (Ire) out of a full-sister to Group 1-winning miler Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), is likely to take her chance in the Irish 1000 Guineas after working well at The Curragh on Saturday.
Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a sister to the brilliant Minding (Ire), got the turf season off to a positive start for the Ballydoyle team on Sunday when breaking her maiden over a mile.
“Tuesday was very good at Naas and she will come on a lot from that,” said O'Brien. “She's relaxed and laidback and she looks like she will stay well. I think the 1000 Guineas could come too soon for her and she could benefit with another run. She could run in an Irish 1000 Guineas on the way to an Oaks, or she may even run in a Guineas Trial at Leopardstown in May.”
He added of another blueblood, Toy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the sister to Classic winners Gleneagles (Ire), Marvellous (Ire) and Joan Of Arc (Ire) who was runner-up to the Joseph O'Brien-trained Perfect Thunder (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) in a maiden on Saturday, “I thought she'd win at The Curragh but Joseph had other ideas. We think Toy is a good filly. Whether we go on for a maiden or go on to a trial, I don't know, but the winner on Saturday looked good.”
The mouth-watering array of fillies stabled at Ballydoyle also includes Only (Jpn), the first foal of Classic heroine Winter from the penultimate crop of Deep Impact (Jpn), while O'Brien noted that Champagne (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a sister to Arc winner Found (Ire), “goes nicely”.
Early Juveniles
Running through some of the stable's 2-year-olds who could be out in the earlier part of the season, and which include a brother to top sprinter Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), O'Brien said, “Little Big Bear (Ire) is a No Nay Never colt who goes well and Mediate (Ire) is a No Nay Never filly who will be out early as well.”
Coolmore's first-season sire Sioux Nation took an early lead in the freshman table when his daughter Ocean Quest (Ire) became his first runner and first winner at The Curragh on Saturday, and the young stallion is represented by a pair of juveniles at Ballydoyle.
“There's another colt who goes very well, Congo River, and he's by Mendelssohn,” O'Brien noted. “We also have a Sioux Nation colt called Tiger Paw (Ire). We only have two Sioux Nations–the other is on a little break–but they seem to be very fast horses. There's a Dark Angel colt out of Anna Law, so he's a brother to Battaash, and he looks smart, and there's another No Nay Never colt called Aesop's Fables (Ire) who goes nicely. They're all the early ones.”
Seasoned Campaigners
The 2020 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) remains in training as a 5-year-old. He won last year's G2 Minstrel S. and finished third in a sensational running of the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois behind Palace Pier (GB) and Poetic Flare (Ire), as well as being runner-up to Baaeed (GB) in the G1 Prix du Moulin. Order Of Australia was found to have an issue after his most recent outing in the GI Keeneland Turf Mile.
“He might have a run or a racecourse gallop before the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. That will be his early-season target anyway,” said his trainer. “I don't know if we'll have him ready for a Lockinge. He got a fracture in America last season and we had to put a pin in it when he came back which is why he won't be out until Ascot.”
The trainer also provided an update on Point Lonsdale's 6-year-old full-brother Broome (Ire), who was runner-up to Yibir (Ire) in the Breeders' Cup Turf before running down the field in the Japan Cup.
He said, “Broome is only on his way back. When he was being untacked in Japan, a horse walked by him and kicked him. He fractured his shin and needed a long time off. It was a freak thing to happen and you'd be hoping that he'll be back in time for Ascot.”
Also returning from a fracture is the GI Belmont Derby winner Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). “I don't think he'll be back for Ascot but we'll have him for the autumn and there are a lot of races for him. He'll be a better 4-year-old,” noted O'Brien.
Unusually for Ballydoyle, the 1000 Guineas winner Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) is the only older filly in training this season. The stable suffered the tragic losses of last year's Oaks winner Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and dual Grade I victrix Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) to pelvic injuries in September and January, respectively.
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