Ryan Moore | Horse Racing Free Tips

Stone Age The Prime Choice for Moore

ROSEGREEN, Ireland–Ryan Moore will find it difficult to ride anything other than Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Cazoo Derby, according to Aidan O'Brien, who may be without the ace–Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB})–in his Epsom pack, but expects to run up to six colts as he bids for a record-extending ninth win in the race on June 4.

Stone Age didn't just open the door to a tilt at the Derby in winning the G3 Derby Trial at Leopardstown on Sunday, he kicked it open and announced himself as a leading player in demolishing the field and skyrocketing to a general 5-2 favourite for Epsom glory in the process.

O'Brien's breakthrough Derby winner, Galileo (Ire), charted a similar path to Epsom by winning that same Derby Trial at Leopardstown, and the master of Ballydoyle admits it could be hard for Moore to ride anything other than Stone Age next month.

“I think he [Ryan] would find it hard to not ride the horse from yesterday [Stone Age],” O'Brien said on Monday. “I imagine Ryan will find it hard not to ride him.”

Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Star Of India (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), impressive winners of their respective trials at Chester, Lingfield Derby Trial winner United Nations (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and 2,000 Guineas disappointment Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), will give Moore something to think about, but O'Brien revealed there would have been no decision to make if Luxembourg remained in the picture.

The long-time ante-post favourite for the Derby, Luxembourg ran a cracker to finish third in the 2,000 Guineas but has been ruled out until at least the autumn after picking up a muscular problem behind.

O'Brien explained, “I am disappointed for the lads. He is a very good horse. I don't think Ryan would have had a choice to make if he were fit.”

When a comparison was made between Luxembourg and St Nicholas Abbey (Ire), O'Brien added, “He probably has more scope than St Nicholas Abbey had. St Nick ran well in the Guineas [sixth] as well but he didn't run as well as this lad did. Luxembourg ran extremely well to make the ground up and finish third. We didn't really see what he was able to do.”

Despite not managing to win in five starts at two, O'Brien outlined how that experience stood to the new Derby favourite Stone Age, who is now unbeaten in his two starts this term and heads to Epsom as the leading Ballydoyle challenger.

O'Brien said, “It'd be hard not to be impressed with what Stone Age did at Leopardstown. You'd like to have something lead him but there was no point in messing him about. Ryan let him bowl along and he was very impressive.

“He has a lot of experience from his juvenile days. He was happy to get a lead at two. He'd have learnt a lot at two. We were running him and teaching him. He learnt a lot in those races.”

It seems somewhat ironic that O'Brien will face some of the stiffest competition in the Derby from his son Donnacha who appears to have outstanding claims of making his own breakthrough in the race with impressive Ballysax winner Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}).

Respecting the opposition, O'Brien said, “We always do our best to win no matter what. I am always happy if they [Donnacha or Joseph] beat us. They are rivals, one hundred per cent, but I am always delighted when we get beaten by them. Believe me, there's no inch given anywhere.”

O'Brien also holds the key to the Oaks and nominated Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a sister to Minding (Ire) and the general 7-2 favourite for the race, as the pick of his team for the fillies' Classic.

Tuesday overcame inexperience to finish strongly for third in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and O'Brien is convinced that there's more to come.

He said, “Tuesday doesn't turn three until the first week in June and, to be doing what she's doing is unreal. Her run in the Guineas would suggest that she's crying out for a step up in trip. She's still only a baby and we are thinking of running in the Irish Guineas and then going on to the Oaks, just like what Minding did.”

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Stone Age Caps Galileo Week To Extend Ballydoyle’s Derby Dominance

Barely moments after the news broke that Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) will miss the G1 Cazoo Derby, a stunning G3 Derby Trial win by Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}–Bonanza Creek {Ire}, by Anabaa) caused the Ballydoyle seismometer to significantly downgrade its disaster measurement. Throughout what can only be termed as “Galileo week”, the stable's Classic trial winners have come in a relentless flow and the injury to the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy which would normally have registered as a five on the Richter scale was only a one or two as Peter Brant, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor's 10-11 favourite had delivered his own dynamic display in the famed Leopardstown trial. Putting himself in the midst of an already outrageous battalion of Epsom Classic contenders from Rosegreen, last year's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud runner-up who had more than hinted at this kind of prowess with a nine-length maiden win at Navan Mar. 29 may well have done enough to secure Ryan Moore's allegiance heading to the Blue Riband. Power-packed the whole way isolated in front, he kept it up from the top of the straight to do it like Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) had 12 months ago. At the line, there was a 5 1/2-length margin back to Glory Daze (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), who was in turn a neck ahead of French Claim (Fr) (French Fifteen {Fr}). “He has that class, he's able to pick up and then he pushes it out all the way to the line,” enthused Aidan O'Brien, whose magical week involved nine winners partnered by the similarly untouchable Moore.

After all three UK Derby trials were scooped from Wednesday to Saturday, the pressure was on Stone Age to stretch the sequence in this staging post which has held such gravitas ever since Galileo himself put his stamp on it 21 years ago. Not Aidan O'Brien's first winner of the race, the late great stallion of steel was nevertheless the most important of the 15 overall and his influence will continue on this race a long time after his recent passing. This week has taken the form of a prolonged tribute to the sire's legend, with the clinching of the worldwide stakes record from Danehill in Wednesday's Listed Cheshire Oaks merely signalling the opening of the floodgates. His progeny have cleaned up in all bar one of the Classic trials on offer at Chester, Naas, Lingfield and here and this was stakes winner number 353, with Stone Age following Thoughts of June (GB), Changingoftheguard (GB), Star of India (GB), United Nations (GB) and History (Ire) in another landmark period for a stable which brooks no limitations.

Aside from his second in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud, Stone Age had also filled that spot behind Atomic Jones (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in this venue's G2 Champions Juvenile S. on the Irish Champions Day card and in a Galway maiden where the smart Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) had his measure. A winter's maturing, change of tactics, stepping up to middle distances and faster ground have resulted in a colt who is now a force to be reckoned with as the summer's big heats approach. “We always felt he was very good and we weren't really worrying about winning a maiden last year,” O'Brien reflected. “He has plenty of pace–he's a high cruiser, he's tactical and he keeps going. He ran over seven in a group 1 at two, so he's a high-tempo horse. He's a big hardy horse, he's not a wimp now.”

Ballydoyle's pecking order is there to be established now, with York still to come. While last year's Derby Trial winner Bolshoi Ballet went to Epsom alone, that is unlikely to happen in 2022 and O'Brien admitted he is unable to establish a clear hierarchy among the trial winners so far. “It's impossible really,” he continued. “Because all the trials were at different times they were all on different work schedules. Ryan will talk to the lads and hopefully they'll come up with a solution to the whole thing. You'd have to be very happy, any of the ones that had two runs have come forward from their first to their second.”
Stone Age's dam is a full-sister to the G3 Prix de Psyche and G3 Prix de Flore winner and G1 Prix de l'Opera runner-up Board Meeting (Ire) (Anabaa), who produced the Listed Prix Michel Houyvet scorer and G3 Prix de Conde runner-up Big Blue (GB) from a mating with Galileo. The second dam, the four-times group-winning Bright Moon (Alysheba), is also responsible for the G1 Prix de Diane and Prix de l'Opera heroine Bright Sky (Ire) (Wolfhound) and the dam of the G2 Union-Rennen and G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten winner Best of Lips (Ire) by Galileo's The Gurkha (Ire). Bonanza Creek has the 2-year-old filly Sandy Creek (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and a yearling filly by Churchill (Ire).

Sunday, Leopardstown, Ireland
DERBY TRIAL S.-G3, €70,000, Leopardstown, 5-8, 3yo, 10fT, 2:08.25, gd.
1–STONE AGE (IRE), 131, c, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Bonanza Creek (Ire), by Anabaa
2nd Dam: Bright Moon, by Alysheba
3rd Dam: Bonshamile (GB), by Ile de Bourbon
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Peter M Brant & Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-White Birch Farm SC (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €42,000. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 7-2-3-1, $152,155. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Glory Daze (Ire), 131, c, 3, Cotai Glory (GB)–Pioneer Alexander (Ire), by Rip Van Winkle (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (£3,000 Ylg '20 GOFSPT). O-Glory Gold Partnership; B-Mount Armstrong Stud (IRE); T-Andrew Oliver. €14,000.
3–French Claim (Fr), 131, c, 3, French Fifteen (Fr)–Zahrada, by Galileo (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€9,000 Ylg '20 ARQAU; £36,000 2yo '21 TATGOR). O-Teme Valley; B-Mathieu Daguzan-Garros & Jean-Claude Gour (FR); T-Paddy Twomey. €7,000.
Margins: 5HF, NK, 3 1/4. Odds: 0.91, 18.00, 2.75.
Also Ran: Atomic Jones (Fr), Duke de Sessa (Ire), Manu Et Corde (Ire), Great Max (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Ballydoyle And Galileo Streak Continues At Leopardstown

The week's narrative had involved Aidan O'Brien, Ryan Moore and the ground-breaking Galileo (Ire) and that ran into Sunday's G3 Cornelscourt S. at Leopardstown as the aptly-named History (Ire) swooped in the last of the trials for the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. At 2.8million gns the second-highest-priced lot at the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, the daughter of the multiple graded-stakes winner Prize Exhibit (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) was last seen breaking her maiden at this trip at Gowran Park in September. Soon manoeuvred to mid-division from her wide draw, the 3-1 second favourite overcome a less-than-ideal trip to challenge hard in the straight and overhaul the painfully honest Agartha (Ire) (Caravaggio) passing the furlong marker. Drawing on that ethereal extra which has blessed the stable's Classic crop this week, she dug in to score by 3/4 of a length with the runner-up again wearing her heart on her sleeve under her three-pound penalty. “We were running her to see whether we go to an Irish Guineas or an Oaks and Ryan said to go to the Irish Guineas and do the Oaks after,” Aidan O'Brien explained.

History, who had run into two smart compatriots when runner-up on her first two starts in August behind Cairde Go Deo (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) at The Curragh and Panama Red (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) at Tipperary, is the first foal out of the aforementioned Prize Exhibit whose career tally included wins in the GII Monrovia S. and GII San Clemente H. Also third in the GI Del Mar Oaks, she is a full-sister to the G1 Sussex S. and G2 Summer Mile hero Mohaather (GB) and a half to the dam of the G1 Queen Anne S. hero Accidental Agent (GB) (Delegator {GB}). The listed-placed third dam Roo (GB) (Rudimentatry) produced five black-type performers including Prize Exhibit's listed-placed dam Roodeye (GB) (Inchinor {GB}) and the G1 Prix Morny runner-up Gallagher (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}). Also connected to the G2 Gimcrack S. winner Bannister (GB) by Inchinor and the G1 Middle Park S. hero Astaire (Ire) (Intense Focus), Prize Exhibit also has the 2-year-old full-brother to History named Joaquin Sorolla (Ire).

Sunday, Leopardstown, Ireland
CORNELSCOURT S.-G3, €50,000, Leopardstown, 5-8, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:41.74, gd.
1–HISTORY (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Prize Exhibit (GB) (MGSW & GISP-US, GSP-Eng, $697,375), by Showcasing (GB)
2nd Dam: Roodeye (GB), by Inchinor (GB)
3rd Dam: Roo (GB), by Rudimentary
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. (2,800,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-M Tabor/D Smith/Mrs.J Magnier/Westerberg; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-2-0, $51,761. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Agartha (Ire), 131, f, 3, Caravaggio–Arya Tara (Ire), by Dylan Thomas (Ire). O-Scott C Heider; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €10,000.
3–Honey Girl (GB), 128, f, 3, Mayson (GB)–Fleeting Image (GB), by Sir Percy (GB).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (3,000gns Wlg '19 TATFOA; 4,500gns Ylg '20 TAOCT). O-David M Fitzgerald; B-P T Tellwright (GB); T-Henry De Bromhead. €5,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1 1/4, NO. Odds: 3.00, 1.50, 28.00.
Also Ran: Show of Stars (GB), Panama Red (Ire), Lady of Inishfree (Ire), Princess Olly (Ire), Lullaby (Ire), Nectaris (GB), Suwappu (GB), Beautiful Sunshine (GB). Scratched: Suwayra (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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United Nations Prevails in Lingfield’s Derby Trial

Team Ballydoyle had registered five prior wins in Lingfield's Listed SBK Derby Trial, including with subsequent G1 Epsom Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in 2019, and Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore teamed up once again with United Nations (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}–Christmas Kid, by Lemon Drop Kid) to continue their banner week with a hard-fought victory in this year's edition. For sire Galileo, it was a fourth new stakes winner of the week and extended the Coolmore icon's world-record tally to 351. United Nations graduated over seven furlongs in his Sept. 16 debut at Naas, following up with a seventh behind subsequent G1 2000 Guineas hero Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in Newmarket's one-mile Oct. 9 G3 Autumn S., and lined up for this test coming back off a fourth tackling 10 furlongs in Epsom's Apr. 19 Listed Blue Riband Trial. Moore was content to accept a tow in second as last month's Newbury maiden winner Natural World (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) set the tempo until well beyond halfway. Scrubbed along with three furlongs remaining, the 9-4 second favourite gained an edge approaching the final furlong and was driven out to deny Godolphin number one Walk of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who had flattered to deceive in the closing stages, by 3/4-of-a-length.

“United Nations has been round Epsom and has clearly come out of his race there well,” said Coolmore's Kevin Buckley. “He ticks the boxes, Aidan hoped he would put his experience into practice today and we thought he'd improve with the extra step up in distance. It was a steep learning curve at Epsom [last time], we were happy with that performance and now he as done that here. Having a large team for Epsom is a nice problem to have.” Paul Smith added, “It's a great learning curve going from trial to championship and we've been delighted with the way the respective horses have run at Chester and now Lingfield. We hope it will continue at York.”

United Nations becomes the third black-type winner and fifth stakes performer for GI Ashland S. heroine Christmas Kid (Lemon Drop Kid), who also had the Listed Caravaggio S. victor and G1 Vincent O'Brien S. placegetter Christmas (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the Listed Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial scorer Black Sea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Christmas Kid is also the dam of G3 Killavullan S. runner-up Michaelmas (Elusive Quality) and G2 King Edward VII S. third Father Christmas (Ire) (Bernadini). The next dam is dual Grade III victrix Christmas Gift (Green Desert), who produced the stakes-winning Elusive Gift (Elusive Quality) and is the ancestress of the GIII Eddie D S. victor Holy Lute (Midnight Lute). United Nations' third dam, Christmas Bonus (Key To The Mint), has three stakes winners to her credit including stakes-winning GI Santa Anita Oaks second Bright Candles (El Gran Senor), whose own progeny list is headed by MGISW sire Grand Slam (Gone West). Christmas Kid also has a 2-year-old full-sister to United Nations to come.

Saturday, Lingfield, Britain
SBK DERBY TRIAL S.-Listed, £67,500, Lingfield, 5-7, 3yo, c/g, 11f 133yT, 2:26.68, g/f.
1–UNITED NATIONS (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Christmas Kid (GISW, $596,877), by Lemon Drop Kid
2nd Dam: Christmas Gift, by Green Desert
3rd Dam: Christmas Bonus, by Key to the Mint
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £38,799. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $62,884. *Full to Christmas (IRE), SW & G1SP-Ire, GSP-Swe & MSP-Den, $159,477; Black Sea (Ire), SW & GSP-Ire; and 1/2 to Father Christmas (Ire) (Bernardini), GSP-Eng, $153,484; and Michaelmas (Elusive Quality), GSP-Ire.
2–Walk of Stars (GB), 128, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Sound Reflection, by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £14,722.
3–Natural World (Ire), 128, c, 3, Frankel (GB)–Skiffle (GB), by Dubawi (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £7,364.
Margins: 3/4, 3 1/4, 1. Odds: 2.25, 1.10, 6.50.
Also Ran: Zechariah (Ire). Scratched: Lionel (GB).

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