Aidan O’Brien is fully aware of the importance of Auguste Rodin to the thoroughbred breed as he aims to add another stellar Group One to his CV in the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic.
By the late Japanese sensation Deep Impact, Auguste Rodin showcased his talent on the world stage last year by completing the Derby double at Epsom and the Curragh before adding the Irish Champion Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Turf to his tally.
On Saturday he is attempting to win on a third continent, with the brave decision to keep him in training as a four-year-old, especially given Coolmore will eventually be looking for him to take over from Galileo at stud, not lost on his trainer.
“He’s so important to the breed of the thoroughbred,” said O’Brien.
“He brings together the best of Japan and Europe – the best of two continents – and it’s fair to say he’s one of the most important and exciting horses we have ever had. He really does have a chance of exerting a huge influence on future racehorses.
“It was a very brave decision by the lads to keep him in training, most definitely. There was already huge interest in him as a stallion prospect. But his owners are enjoying their racing more than ever these days and they are conscious of how unique this horse is. I think it’s great for everyone in racing that we can enjoy him again this year.
“We feel he has matured well from three to four and the reports from the team at Meydan are that he has travelled there well and is in great form.
“He is ready to run to his best and we are very excited about the journey ahead.”
Later in the year O’Brien is keen to see if Auguste Rodin can handle a dirt surface, which would make him even more valuable and unique.
“I think, as a rule, Deep Impacts are more grass horses, but we were very surprised the way he worked on dirt in America during the Breeders’ Cup,” he added.
“He cruises over the dirt, he’s a beautiful mover. He’s a very unusual-actioned horse so it will be very interesting to see how the season progresses. We can’t wait to see him back.”
There is at least one formidable obstacle to Auguste Rodin, however, in the shape of the Japanese filly Liberty Island, a multiple Group One winner in her homeland and last seen filling the runner-up spot behind her esteemed compatriot Equinox, who was nothing sort of sensational in last year’s Sheema Classic.
Auguste Rodin’s jockey Ryan Moore knows the strength of Japanese racing as much as anyone, and is full of respect for Liberty Island in a deep field.
“He had a gallop at Dundalk last month and he has been gearing up very well for this target since then,” he told Betfair.
“We never underestimate the opposition though, and you’d be pretty foolish to, given the make-up of this field.
“The strength of the Japanese circuit is there for all to see in this – Liberty Island’s winning run was only brought to a close by Equinox in the Japan Cup and we have to give that filly 5lb here, which is a pretty big ask – and there are Group One winners everywhere else you look too, not to mention the progressive Spirit Dancer.
“The winner will have earned their success.”
The British contingent is headed by John and Thady Gosden’s top-class filly Emily Upjohn, who has not not been seen in competitive action since disappointing in the King George at Ascot in July.
Thady Gosden said: “Obviously things didn’t quite go right there (in the King George), so we gave her a bit of time afterwards and she’s been in good order since really.
“She’s been training well through the winter. Obviously it’s very difficult getting horses ready with the long, dark nights and the cold weather, but she’s enjoying her work and has travelled over without a bother. Like everyone she’s happy to be here and is enjoying the experience.
“She’s a filly who has always shown plenty of talent and she’s progressed well through her career, of course winning the Coronation Cup last year against the boys. She’s in a similar situation here over a mile and a half against colts, albeit in a much more international race against some of the best horses in the world, as you’d expect.”
Charlie Appleby and William Buick team up with 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Rebel’s Romance. The six-year-old disappointed behind Equinox 12 months ago, but returns for a second attempt off the back of claiming at Group Three prize in Qatar in February.
“It was great to see him back at that level in Doha. He obviously had that great spell two years ago, winning those Group Ones culminating in winning a Breeders’ Cup Turf,” said Appleby.
“Last year was a bit stop-start. Our plan of working back from the Sword Dancer met with a bit of a mishap where he clipped heels (at Saratoga in July). He didn’t go down, but Richie (Mullen) got a bad fall and the horse just lost his confidence.
“We went to Kempton for an easier assignment with the hope that he would gain confidence from it and you could visually see that he had and we went to Qatar with a horse that we felt was back on his A-game. It was a great ride by William that day, but you’ve got to have the horse underneath you and the combination did a great job and won very impressively.
“He’s come here in great nick. The Sheema Classic is probably the strongest race of the evening, but the mile-and-a-half turf division is always a strong division wherever you go.”
Light seeking to shine again at Sandown
Kitty’s Light is taking aim at his usual season finisher in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.
The gelding has been a star for trainer Christian Williams, winning big handicap events like the Eider Chase and the Scottish Grand National and going close in the Charlie Hall and the Coral Trophy.
He has particularly good record in the bet365 Gold Cup on the final day of the season, missing out only due to interference when second in 2021 and coming home third in 2022.
Last year he was completed the set of podium finishes when winning by two and a half lengths under usual jockey Jack Tudor.
The two are well acquainted and teamed up for Kitty’s Light’s Grand National bid at Aintree earlier in the month, where he ran a valiant race to finish fifth behind four Grade-One winning Irish chasers.
Williams was incredibly proud of his stable star and is now hoping the gelding can shine again in the Sandown contest he has found to be lucrative in the past.
“It was wonderful, we trained him to win the race and we thought he could, but you couldn’t be disappointed with what he did,” Williams said of the National performance.
“We were thrilled, the horse tried his best and we were very, very proud of horse and jockey.
“He’s come out of it very well, if the race was run today even then he’d be running, he’s in good form.
“He loves it at Sandown with the big fences, his jumping has come on now but even as a five-year-old he nearly won the race.
“He was third the year after that, it really seems to suit him.
“I think he likes going right-handed, he hangs a little bit right at home and he seems to really enjoy it there.
“We’re taking our chance anyway, he seems well and we’ll hope for the best.”
Olivier Peslier announces imminent retirement
Olivier Peslier will retire from riding at La Teste on Thursday.
The 51-year-old has enjoyed an exemplary career in the saddle, being crowned French champion on four occasions and claiming a string of big-race successes across the world.
Peslier counts four victories in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on his CV, as well as Derby success aboard High-Rise in 1998 and a 2000 Guineas triumph with Cockney Rebel in 2007.
He enjoyed a long association with star miler Goldikova, riding the mare to win 17 of her 27 career starts which included a famous Breeders’ Cup Mile hat-trick in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Peslier also chalked up two Japan Cup wins and victories the Hong Kong Cup, Mile and Vase plus big-races successes in the likes of Germany, Italy, Ireland and Dubai during a truly international career.
He was retained rider for owners Alain and Gerard Wertheimer between 2003 and 2014 with the aforementioned Goldikova and 2012 Arc winner Solemia two of the headline acts of their lengthy relationship.
Peslier will sign off after two rides at La Teste in the south-west of France, bowing out with over 3,700 wins to his name.
“My health is fine, but you need the horses and need the practice and if you don’t have so many horses, it is the time to decide to stop because it is very tricky to ride only a few horses,” Peslier told the PA news agency.
“After a very long career I have had plenty of success. I have had more than 3,700 winners and over 500 Group race wins. I have won with both Arabians and thoroughbreds and 165 Group Ones, so it is amazing when I look at my career.
“I have won everywhere in the world and had great success and great moments. I’ve met so many good people and I’m very happy to stop my career and watch what has happened before.
“I won all the good races in England – the Epsom Derby, the King George and at Royal Ascot. In Japan, I won 12 Group Ones and won the Japan Cup and all the big races over there and also the Breeders’ Cup and all the Derbies in Europe.
“So now is the time and I’m in good form and everything is fine. It’s sad to take the decision but this morning I rode six horses and tomorrow I will ride some horses in training and for sure I will keep riding some horses because everybody loves horses and also I ride for my passion.”
Peslier is unsure what the future holds, intending to spend the summer months enjoying time with family and friends before finalising plans for the next stage of life, while he highlighted the talents of both Goldikova and Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Peintre Celebre as notable memories from his decorated career.
“I will take a little break and see some friends and see what happens over the next few months,” continued Peslier.
“After a holiday, September will be a new life, and I think I need a little bit of time to see what will happen in the future. I’m going to spend some time with my kids and enjoy life, then it will be a new life.
“Normally when I go to say Hong Kong and England it is for work, now I can go and visit people I know and take the time to enjoy it.
“Goldikova won 14 Group Ones and Peintre Celebre won the French Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and were both really, really good.”
Bellum Justum stakes Derby claim with Epsom victory
Bellum Justum halved in price for the Derby after Andrew Balding’s colt won the Betfred Blue Riband Trial at Epsom.
While he took four attempts to get off the mark as a juvenile, the form of his win over Kevin Ryan’s Inisherin now looks much stronger than it did at the time and he took another leap forward here.
Ridden by Oisin Murphy, he was content to take a lead off Ryan Moore on Aidan O’Brien’s Chief Little Rock and with those in behind struggling to get on terms, it soon developed into a battle.
Bellum Justum held a narrow advantage for much of the final furlong but while he was well on top of the Ballydoyle runner close home, Roger Varian’s Defiance began to stay on strongly.
Without looking like winning, he closed to within three-quarters of a length of the 9-1 winner, looking promising for the future on just his third outing.
Bellum Justum was cut to 25-1 from 50s for the Derby by both Coral and Paddy Power.
“He had a setback about a month ago and he missed 10 days, so he’s entitled to come on for that today,” Balding told Racing TV.
“His form looked pretty strong and he improved a lot with racing last year and he’s entitled to improve from two to three, so we were fairly sure he’d be there or thereabouts but we’re expecting him to come on for it.
“He’s in the Dante and if he was going to run again that would be the likely target, we’ll just see how the Guineas goes and the other trials and we might end up coming back here.
“He’s out of an Oasis Dream mare but he’s closely related to Fox Tal who stayed a mile and a half.
“He’s up there with our best three-year-olds but unfortunately the one we were really excited about, Anzac Day, has had a setback.”
Crystal Delight (5-2) made a winning debut for Harry Eustace when leading home stablemate Ziggy in the Lilley Plummer Risks City & Suburban Handicap.
Previously trained by the now-retired William Jarvis, he was sent straight to the front by Jim Crowley and controlled matters from the outset.
He kicked clear over two furlongs out and came home five and a half lengths ahead of Ziggy, who stayed on without ever looking a danger.
“William came as he’s good friends with dad (James Eustace) and we ended up with a couple off him, this one and Duke Of Verona and it’s going well so far,” said Eustace.
“I thought he’d run well as he’s been training well at home. It was a small field and he likes making the running, so I thought we’d be able to set our own fractions and that’s what Jim did, it worked out well.
“I had a mile-and-a-half handicap at York in mind so we’ll see how we go.”
Eustace had to settle for third with Duke Of Verona in the Weatherbys Global Stallions App Great Metropolitan Handicap as Champagne Piaff (5-2 favourite) ran out an easy winner for Gary and Ryan Moore.
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