Ballydoyle / Coolmore MEGAthread

Might be worth posting Aidan's free to view AtTheRaces Stable Tour.

Aidan O'Brien Stable Tour
25 Mar 2015






Aidan O’Brien is simply a phenomenon in the world of racing. A record-breaking National Hunt trainer in the initial stages of his career, his abundant talents didn’t go unnoticed and he was appointed as the trainer in the historic Ballydoyle complex in 1996 at the age of just 26,writes Kevin Blake.
He quickly established himself as a dominant force in Irish Flat racing and has then since broken every record worth breaking and won every race worth winning in Europe and beyond.
As always, O’Brien has an array of stars in his care for the new season and he was good enough to sit down with attheraces.com to exclusively discuss Ballydoyle’s prospects for the 2015 season.


ALOFT
3 b c Galileo – Dietrich
Rated 111, he won a maiden at Newmarket prior to finishing a never-nearer second in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.
“The first day at Gowran he took forever to get going and then went to the line strong and at Newmarket you’d think he would have went and won well, but he took a long time to get going again. The ground was plenty soft for him in the Racing Post Trophy and you’d imagine he’d prefer it much better than that being a good-moving Galileo. They also went steady enough that day and it didn’t really suit. He was a bit babyish mentally last year and we always thought he’d be a nice middle-distance type as a three-year-old. He’s probably more of a one for a Derby trial rather a Guineas trial.”

ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL
3 b c Montjeu – La Sylvia
Rated 94, he made a promising debut at Killarney prior to winning a maiden at Galway in September.
“He was a bit unlucky at Killarney and won well at Galway, but he didn’t travel that well and made hard work of it through the race. Maybe it was just greenness, mental immaturity or the track not suiting him, but whatever the case you’d imagine he’d be a mile-and-a-quarter horse this season. He could be a horse for the Lingfield Derby Trial.”

BANTRY BAY
3 ch c Galileo – Play Misty For Me
An unraced full-bother to Quest For Peace that is entered in the Derby.
“A massive good-looking horse. He’s doing everything really nice and looks like a horse that would be starting off over at least a mile-and-a-quarter. He’ll go to the Curragh on Sunday and we’ll see how he goes.”

CENOTAPH
3 b c War Front – Sanserif
A 210,000gns purchase at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale at Tattersalls, he finished a never-nearer second to Endless Drama in a six-furlong maiden at Naas in October.
“He ran a nice race at Naas, but was no match for the winner on the day. He’ll prefer better ground than he got that day. We thought he might be ready to run in the six-furlong maiden at the Curragh on Sunday, but we’ve decided that we’ll work him up there after racing instead. He could stay a mile in time, but we’ll probably run him over shorter trips for the time being.”

COUGAR MOUNTAIN
4 b c Fastnet Rock – Descant
Rated 112, he made a winning debut in a maiden at Naas in June and ran an excellent race for one so inexperienced when fifth in the July Cup at Newmarket prior to acquitting himself well in the Nunthorpe at York and Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock.
"He’s good and we’re very happy with him. We probably rushed him a bit last year. We panicked a bit after he won his maiden so well and sent him to the July Cup when he wasn’t really ready for it, which probably wasn’t fair to him. It was probably the wrong thing to do to run him in the Nunthorpe and the ground wasn’t suitable for him when he ran in the Haydock Sprint Cup. He’ll be ready to go early enough and will work at the Curragh on Sunday. We might even try and run him over a bit longer trips this season, as we think he has a chance of staying seven furlongs or maybe even a mile. Fastnet Rocks seem to improve with age and fast ground will suit him best. We always thought he was a really nice horse.”

DICK WHITTINGTON
3 b c Rip Van Winkle – Sahara Sky
Rated 115, he won the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh in August on what was his sixth start of the campaign.
“He had a great season last year. Even though he’s by Rip Van Winkle, I don’t think he’s going to stay that far. I’d say if he gets a mile, he’ll be barely getting it. The Rip Van Winkle’s we have had tend to go like a fast horses and think like fast horses. He does bend his knee a bit, but I don’t think he necessarily wants soft ground. Good-to-firm ground shouldn’t be a problem. He’ll work at the Curragh on Sunday and could start in a Guineas trial, possibly in France.”

DUE DILIGENCE
4 b c War Front – Bema
Rated 116, he was trained as a two-year-old by Todd Pletcher in America prior to joining O’Brien last season and he quickly progressed into a high-class sprinter, finishing second in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, which proved to be his final start of the season.
“He picked up a hairline fracture in his pelvis last season and that’s why he didn’t run again after Royal Ascot. He’s back perfect now and is working very well. He’ll be trained for all those big sprint races. Joseph rode him over seven furlongs at Dundalk early last season and felt that trip was far enough for him at the time, but Ryan Moore rode him later in the season and thought that he’d have a good chance of getting seven furlongs, so as he continues to mature he might get it. You’d imagine he’d progress from three to four.”

EASTER
3 b f Galileo – Missvinski
Rated 96, she built on her promising debut at Navan when beating the well-regarded Stellar Glow in a maiden at Leopardstown.
“She’s entered to run in the Park Express Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday and might run there if there isn’t too rain about. It was on the soft side the two times she ran and I think it’s the case of the better the ground, the better it would suit her. We have a nice bunch of three-year-old fillies this year and we’ll see how she fits in amongst them.”

FATHER FROST
3 b c Rip Van Winkle – Yaria
An unraced colt from the family of Yara, he is entered in the Irish 2000 Guineas and the Irish Derby.
“We always liked him a lot and he just had a few setbacks last year that kept him off the track. He was probably our favourite Rip Van Winkle all along, but he just didn’t get his chance to run. He isn’t short of speed and could be a miler in the making. He’s going to work at the Curragh on Sunday.”

FOUND
3 b f Galileo – Red Evie
Rated 117, she built on her promising third in the Moyglare Stud Stakes when winning the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp in October.
“She had a bit of a temperature a few weeks ago, so we eased off her a little bit. She’s in good form now and will go to the Curragh for a little canter on Sunday. She’s in all the Classics and I think she’ll be quick enough for a mile, though Joseph and Ryan both think she’ll get a mile-and-a-half. The one thing is that she’s a big filly and while I don’t think she wants soft ground, she does have a round enough action and you wouldn’t necessarily want to belt her off really fast ground at Newmarket this early in the season as she’s a filly you’d look forward to through the whole year.”

FLUFF
3 b f Galileo – Sumora
An unraced full-sister to the top-class juvenile Maybe, she is entered in the Irish 1000 Guineas and the Irish Oaks.
“She’s a nice filly that we always liked. She’s big, so we took her time with her. We’ll start her off at around a mile and see how she goes from there.”

GEOFFREY CHAUCER
4 b c Montjeu – Helsinki
Rated 110, he won the Beresford Stakes as a two-year-old, but failed to deliver on Derby hopes as a three-year-old, finishing well beaten at Epsom and in the German equivalent.
“We think he can improve this season. He has plenty of pace and I don’t think he’ll get any further than a mile-and-a-half. We’re hopeful he can get back on track this year.”

GIOVANNI CANALETTO
3 ch c Galileo – Love Me True
Rated 99, he improved notably from his debut at Navan to run out the impressive wide-margin winner of a mile maiden at Leopardstown in October.
“He’s in good shape. He was very green in both his starts last year, fast asleep both days. To be fair, it’s a sleepy pedigree, they are all very lazy. He’s a bigger, rangier horse than his half-brother Duke Of Marmalade and his full-brother Ruler Of The World and he put on a lot of weight over the winter. He’ll gallop at the Curragh on Sunday and he’ll go down the Derby trial route.”

GLENEAGLES
3 b c Galileo – You’resothrilling
Rated 116, he is a full-brother to the Irish 1000 Guineas winner Marvellous and was a leading juvenile last season, winning the National Stakes at the Curragh and the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp only to be disqualified for causing interference in the latter contest.
“Everything seems fine with him so far. He’s a Galileo with a lot of speed and he doesn’t do much once he gets to the front, which is coming through from his pedigree as a lot of them were like that. He’s a full-sister to Marvellous, but he’s a much stronger traveller and pacier horse than she was. He would have had no problem winning over six furlongs last year if we’d asked him too and he has more than enough pace for a Guineas. You’d imagine he’ll get a mile-and-a-quarter, but you couldn’t be sure he’ll get much further than that. He’ll go for a spin at the Curragh on Sunday and we’ll sit down and make a plan for him after that.”

HIGHLAND REEL
3 b c Galileo – Hveger
Rated 109, he won a mile maiden at Gowran Park by 12 lengths prior to running out the impressive winner of the Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
“Everything has gone well with him. He didn’t run after Goodwood, but he didn’t have any sort of setback at all. The way we decided to approach some of the two-year-olds last year was that we’d run them to educate them and when they showed us enough we were going to leave them off. We ended up giving a lot of them two or three runs and leaving it at that rather than kicking on, just to give them more of a chance to mature. Like Gleneagles, he’s a strong traveller that shows plenty of speed and I wouldn’t be sure he’ll stay much further than a mile. He might get a mile-and-a-quarter, but after that I don’t know. He’s a horse that could go straight to the Guineas, but that decision hasn’t been made yet.”

JACOBEAN
3 b c High Chaparral – Civility Cat
Made a promising debut in a maiden at the Curragh and was sent off at just 3/1 for the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster prior to finishing a modest fourth.
“We took the chance of bringing him and another unexposed horse in Aloft to the Racing Post Trophy as we didn’t want to be keeping the horses that had already been on the go for a few months on the boil for a race as late as Doncaster, so it suited to run those two as they had only started off and needed the education. He was a little bit disappointing on the day and maybe the steady pace there didn’t suit him. He bends his knee a little bit, but he should be fine on better ground. We have him entered in a maiden at the Curragh on Sunday and he might run there.”

JAMAICA
3 gr c Galileo – Dialafara
Rated 102, he won a maiden at the Galway Festival prior to finishing fourth in the Acomb Stakes at York in August.
“We liked him when he ran at Galway and we thought he ran a very good race in the Acomb. He was trapped out wide and Joseph said he could just never get a sit on him, so it was a good run in the circumstances. We felt he had enough done after that and were happy to put him away. He’ll be another one for a Derby trial.”

JOHN F KENNEDY
3 b c Galileo – Rumplestiltskin
Rated 112, he is a highly-regarded full-brother to Tapestry that won a maiden at the Curragh prior to impressing in the Juvenile Turf Stakes at Leopardstown in September
“He has done well over the winter and everything seems fine with him so far. He was very babyish in all of his three starts last year, even after his third start he was whinnying in the winner’s enclosure after all the other horses went out of the ring. At this stage it looks like we’ll stay at home with him for his two trials in the Ballysax and the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial. We think he has grown up mentally this year, but the fact he was so babyish last year means that it probably makes sense to keep him at home for his first couple of starts rather than pitching him in deep by travelling abroad early this season. Fast ground won’t be a problem, he has a big stride and plenty of speed. He will go to the Curragh on Sunday for a day away with the rest of them.”

LOVED
3 b f Galileo – Anna Karenina
An unraced full-sister to Battle Of Marengo, she is entered in the Irish 1000 Guineas and the Irish Oaks.
“We took our time with her last year, she was a big filly and we didn’t want to rush her. She didn’t grow too much over the winter, but didn’t need to. We’ll start her off in a maiden and go from there.”

KISSED BY ANGELS
3 b f Galileo – Lillie Langtry
An unraced filly that is the first foal out of the Group 1-winning filly Lillie Langtry, she is entered in the Irish 1000 Guineas and the Irish Oaks.
“This is a nice filly that shows plenty of quality in her work. She’s the first foal out of Lillie Langtry that was a lovely filly for us.”

OL’ MAN RIVER
3 b c Montjeu – Finsceal Beo
Rated 114, he realised €2,850,000 as a yearling and justified that price tag by winning both his starts, most notably the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh in September.
“He’s very good and is doing everything right so far. He’s always been a very mature horse that shows plenty of pace in his work and while we haven’t made any decisions yet, he could go the Guineas route. He’s a bit like Camelot in that he’s much pacier than the vast majority of the Montjeu’s we’ve had, which is making us think about the Guineas. He wouldn’t be certain to get the Derby trip. You’d imagine he’d travel around Epsom very strongly and you couldn’t be sure what’s going to happen from the two furlong pole. We’ll bring him to the Curragh on Sunday and make our plans after that.”

QUALIFY
3 b f Fastnet Rock – Perihelion
Rated 107, she progressed to win the C.L. & M.F. Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh in September prior to a luckless run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
“She’s a nice filly and we just weren’t riding her right until we dropped her in behind in the C.L. & M.F. Weld Park Stakes. She loves fast ground and you’d imagine she’s get a mile and could even get a mile-and-a-half in time. She’s a big strong galloping filly and those Fastnet Rocks get better with age. We always thought she could be a Group 1 filly and hopefully she’ll get there. She’ll go to the Curragh on Sunday for a spin and we’ll look at possibly starting her off in a Guineas trial with a view to running in the Newmarket 1000 Guineas.”

ROYAL NAVY SHIP
3 b c War Front – Indy Punch
Made a winning debut at the Curragh (beating stable mate Jacobean) prior to meeting with a shock defeat in the Killavullan Stakes.
“We were a bit disappointed with him in the Killavullan. Maybe it wasn’t fair to ask him to make the running on such soft ground, but they walked and Seamus had no choice really but to let him stride on. His ears were pricked the whole way and he never really got down and galloped, so we think he’ll definitely be better suited to getting a lead in his races. He’s a big powerful horse that has done well over the winter and is in good shape. He’ll be better on better ground and I think he could progress a lot.”

SHARK ISLAND
3 b c Fastnet Rock – Lady Lupus
An unraced colt that is the first foal out of a mare that was third in the Irish Oaks, he is entered in the Derby.
“He’s a fine big horse that we always liked. He’s the first foal out of a mare that did well for us. He’ll start off in a mile maiden at the Curragh on Sunday and we’ll see how he goes from there.”

SIR ISAAC NEWTON
3 b c Galileo – Shastye
A full-brother to Secret Gesture that realised 3,600,000gns as a yearling, he finished a promising second to the highly-regarded Zawraq on his debut in a seven-furlong maiden at Leopardstown in October.
“We always liked him and we probably ran him a month before he was ready to run last year, but there was no more races left for him after that and we wanted to run him and then leave him off for the winter. He travelled strongly and just got tired late on. He is a good mover that would want faster ground than he got that day. He could be a very nice horse, as he’s one of those Galileo’s that has a lot of speed. On his pedigree he should stay at least a mile-and-a-quarter, but he shows plenty of pace at home so the mile-and-a-half wouldn’t be guaranteed. He could be an exciting horse.”

SMUGGLER’S COVE
3 b c Fastnet Rock – Chenchikova
Rated 110, he impressed when winning a Listed race at Dundalk by seven lengths in October and followed it up with a solid third in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket just a week later.
“He’s done very well over the winter. We weren’t sure if it was the track or the bad ground that he didn’t handle in the Dewhurst, but he was very green and we’d hope he’s better than that. He does bend his knee a little bit, but I don’t think faster ground will be a problem for him. There is stamina on the dam side of his pedigree, but he looks plenty pacey. He’ll go to the Curragh at the weekend for a spin after racing.”

ST PATRICKS DAY
3 b c Fastnet Rock – Race For The Stars
Sent off at odds-on for both his starts in above-average maidens in July, but met with defeat on both occasions.
“He’s a massive big horse that was a bit unlucky at Naas then disappointed us at the Curragh. We left him off after that as he was so big and he is doing everything nicely this year. I’d say he’s a middle-distance type of horse in the making.”

TAPESTRY
4 b f Galileo – Rumplestiltskin
Rated 120, she progressed into a top-class middle-distance filly last season, ending Taghrooda’s unbeaten run when beating her in the Yorkshire Oaks in August.
“She’s in good form and could possibly start back in something like the Tattersalls Gold Cup or the Coronation Cup. A mile-and-a-half is probably her trip, but she could well get away with a mile-and-a-quarter. I think she’s done well from three to four, she’s put on plenty of weight and looks stronger and bigger.”

TOGETHER FOREVER
3 b f Galileo – Green Room
Rated 110, she proved to be highly progressive at the backend of last season, winning a Listed race at the Curragh and the Fillies Mile at Newmarket in the space of just five days.
“She progressed well last year and I think she’ll get a mile-and-a-quarter and quite possibly a mile-and-a-half. Physically she has done very well over the winter. She’ll go to the Curragh on Sunday and we’ll chat about it after that, but the Guineas will certainly be considered for her.”

WAR ENVOY
3 b c War Front – La Conseillante
Rated 111, he made a winning debut at Naas in April and put together a series of smart efforts in Group company throughout the season.
“He’s a fine big horse and when Ryan rode him at the backend of last season he felt he was still a bit weak, so there’s a chance that he could step up a bit this year. A mile shouldn’t be a problem for him.”

WORDS
3 b f Dansili – Moonstone
Out of an Irish Oaks winner, she made an impressive winning debut in a seven-furlong maiden at the Curragh in June, readily seeing off the subsequent Group 2 winner Raydara.
“She was very good when she won her maiden, but she had a few setbacks through the year. They were nothing major, but because of what she looked, we didn’t want to take any chances with her. She was back in this year and had a little setback in the spring which set her back a bit. She’s just back cantering again now, but I don’t think she’ll be out in time for the Guineas. If she doesn’t make the Classics, she could be a Royal Ascot filly. Wherever she goes, she is a nice filly that could be anything really.”


THE KNOWLEDGE
GLENEAGLES – A Group 1-winning two-year-old that is favourite for the 2000 Guineas.
OL’ MAN RIVER – A regally-bred colt that could run in the Guineas prior to the Derby.
JOHN F KENNEDY– A progressive colt that is a leading fancy for the Derby.
FOUND – A Group 1-winning filly that is both a Guineas and an Oaks prospect.
SIR ISAAC NEWTON – Beaten on debut last year, but could improve significantly this season.
WORDS – An unbeaten maiden-winning filly that is well thought of.
FATHER FROST – An unraced three-year-old that is held in high regard.