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O’Brien To Split Peaceful, Love

Aidan O’Brien is likely to split his 1000 Guineas winners Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with the former, the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner, pencilled in for Sunday’s G1 Prix de Diane and the latter, the G1 1000 Guineas winner, likely for the G1 Investec Oaks on July 4.

“I was talking to the lads [John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor] this morning and it looks like Love, Passion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Ennistymon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will go to Epsom,” said O’Brien. “Peaceful might go to the Diane. That’s what we’re thinking at the moment anyway. The Diane is worth a lot of money.

“I think it’s a question of splitting them up–that’s the way the lads are thinking at the moment and you can’t blame them for that. The other two going to Epsom with Love are very good fillies. One of them was second and the other one was third in the Ribblesdale, so they are both very good fillies.”

Love has been on the shelf since winning the 1000 Guineas three weeks ago, and O’Brien said she is in good form.

“Everything has gone well with Love,” he said. “Everyone who rides her has been very happy and the plan has always been to take her for the Guineas and then go to the Oaks. We’ve always felt she’d be very comfortable going up in trip, so we’re looking forward to it.”

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Leicester To Run Amid Lockdown

Despite the city of Leicester’s return to lockdown following a spike of COVID-19 cases, Tuesday evening’s meeting at Leicester Racecourse has been permitted after consultation between local health authorities and the British Horseracing Authority.

After almost 1,000 new cases in the past fortnight were reported in the city, all non-essential businesses, as well as schools, have once again been forced to close. The planned nationwide lifting of restrictions from July 4 will have to stay in place in Leicester until July 18 at the earliest.

The BHA tweeted: “Following confirmation from local health authorities that the race meeting should go ahead, the fixture at @LeicesterRaces will take place today. The fixture will be held behind closed doors and with the existing strict health screening and social distancing measures in place.”

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Derby Double Not Off The Table For Santiago

Trainer Aidan O’Brien has revealed that the door is still open for Saturday’s G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) to attempt to make it two Derbies in seven days in the Epsom version on July 4. Santiago and his five stablemates that contested the Curragh Classic could be entered for the G1 Investec Derby on Monday, O’Brien told Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday programme.

“It’s very possible [those that ran in Irish Derby could run at Epsom],” O’Brien said. “If any of them come out of the race exceptionally well and [the owners] want to make an entry, that’s what will happen. They didn’t do much [on Sunday], they’ll do a canter [on Monday] and a decision will be made some time during the morning. It was unconventional to run them so soon after Ascot, but they came out of the race well and that is why they ran. Nothing is definitely ruled out.”

As for those targeting Epsom who did not run at The Curragh, O’Brien said, “The lads are thinking about Mythical (Fr) (Camelot {GB}), who was a very nice 2-year-old last season. Then there’s a horse called Amhran Na Bhfiann (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who finished fourth in the maiden the second, third and fourth from the Irish Derby ran in.

“We’ve Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who won at Ascot–he seems to have come out of it well. Then we’ve Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), who seems to have come out of Ascot well. We wanted two races before the Derby for him which is why he went there, we were trying to squeeze two races into one–we’ve been very happy with him since.

“The lads are talking about running Vatican City (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was second in the Irish Guineas so that would be an interesting one and the third from the Guineas, Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), is possible as well, but he could go to France. Those are the horses in the picture at the moment that didn’t run yesterday.”

O’Brien also identified four likely candidates for the G1 Investec Oaks on the same card, headed by his English and Irish Guineas winners.

“Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is working towards the Oaks and Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is as well,” the trainer said. “The two fillies who were second and third in the Ribblesdale [Ennistymon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Passion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})] are on that programme at the moment.”

There was some Derby jockey news on Sunday as well, with Andrea Atzeni confirmed for Golden Gates H. winner Highland Chief (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}). Tom Marquand, who was recently taken off favourite English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}), will have his first Derby ride as he continues his association with the Andrew Balding-trained Khalifa Sat (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}), according to Racing Post.

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Magical Simply Stunning In Pretty Polly Return

Playing host to a Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in full swing, Sunday’s G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh was as good as over after less than a furlong as Seamie Heffernan committed to front-running duties on the returning 2-5 favourite. Kept in training for good reason, the G1 English and Irish Champion S. and G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup heroine of 2019 showed no mercy to her opposition and took off heading to two out en route to a 4 1/2-length dismissal of the 3-year-old Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}), with 1 3/4 lengths back to Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in third.

Of all Magical’s achievements, her record on Irish soil is formidable, with 11 runs at Cork, Naas, Leopardstown and here yielding eight wins including this romp. Two of her domestic reversals came as a 2-year-old, while the other was in the 2018 G1 Matron S. over an inadequate mile, so when it comes to home advantage the 5-year-old is as close to unopposable as it gets. Busy in England during this period last term, she was finishing runner-up in the G1 Prince of Wales’s S. and the G1 Eclipse S. prior to her victorious autumn spell.

“She’s very exciting and always has been, but she’s got stronger this year and that’s why the lads decided to leave her in training,” Aidan O’Brien said. “She was to go to No Nay Never. We could have gone to Sandown [for the Eclipse], but this was a lovely race to start her off. We’ll probably let Japan go to Sandown–he’s had a run. We’ll look at the King George for her next. We learned last year that she gets 10 really well and gets 12 as well. It makes her very uncomplicated. You usually see a big change between three to four, but something really strange happened the way she changed over the winter to this year. It’s very obvious the power she has now. She had been working brilliantly, but we knew that she would come on plenty as well. The Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc are all races that are open to her.” Amazingly, this was the first time that Heffernan has partnered Magical and he was happy with the opportunity. “I thought she was a steering job and she’s bang there with all the good ones I’ve ridden,” he commented and everything is still there. She’s a mile-and-a-half filly for me.”

Magical is by the excellent producer Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who herself won the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Nassau S. and G1 Sun Chariot S. All her progeny to date are by Galileo, including the triple group 1-winning Rhododendron (Ire) and the G3 International S. winner Flying the Flag (Ire) with her youngest being a yearling colt. Halfway To Heaven is in turn the leading performer for the triple group-winning sprinter Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), whose other black-type winners include Theann (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire) who in turn produced the GI First Lady S. and GI Rodeo S. heroine Photo Call (Ire) from a mating with Galileo and the G2 Richmond S. scorer Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never). This outstanding dynasty also features the notable sire Verglas (Ire) and the G1 Melbourne Cup hero Cross Counter (GB) by Galileo’s son Teofilo (Ire).

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
ALWASMIYAH PRETTY POLLY S.-G1, €200,000, Curragh, 6-28, 3yo/up, f/m, 10fT, 2:12.29, gd.
1–MAGICAL (IRE), 138, m, 5, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Broodmare of the Year-Ire, MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Ire & G1SP-Fr, $941,139), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Cassandra Go (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahaam, by Secreto
O-Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. €120,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 11-14f, Hwt. Older Mare-Eur at 9.5-11f, Hwt. Older Mare-Ire at 11-14f, MG1SW-Eng & GISP-US, 22-10-6-0, $4,456,271. *Full to Rhododendron (Ire), Hwt. 2yo Filly-Ire, Hwt. Older Mare-Eur at 7-9.5f, MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ire, GISP-USA, $1,786,763; Flying the Flag (IRE), GSW-Ire & GSP-SAf, $195,702. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Cayenne Pepper (Ire), 126, f, 3, Australia (GB)–Muwakaba, by Elusive Quality. (195,000gns Wlg ’17 TATFOA). O-Jon Kelly; B-GHS Bloodstock & JC Bloodstock (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €40,000.
3–Fleeting (Ire), 138, f, 4, Zoffany (Ire)–Azafata (Spa), by Motivator (GB). (€50,000 Wlg ’16 ARQDEC; €100,000 Ylg ’17 ARAUG). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Fernando Bermudez (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €20,000.
Margins: 4HF, 1 3/4, 3HF. Odds: 0.40, 7.00, 5.00.
Also Ran: True Self (Ire), Roca Roma (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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