Tag Archive for: meditate

O’Brien bidding to continue 1000 Guineas domination

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Aidan O’Brien has won the Qipco 1000 Guineas five times in the last seven years and the master of Ballydoyle will go in search of his eighth victory overall in the Newmarket Classic with Breeders’ Cup heroine Meditate.

A regular in the big races last term, the daughter of No Nay Never won the Albany at Royal Ascot and a Group Two at the Curragh before finishing second behind reopposing duo Tahiyra and Lezoo in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Cheveley Park respectively.

Then came Meditate’s moment of truth at Keeneland when she put herself in the 1000 Guineas picture by triumphing on her first try at a mile.

“We weren’t sure, going to America, whether she would stay or not and it was on a bend. We took our time on her, it was her first time going over a mile and she won very easily,” said O’Brien.

“We ran her over seven (furlongs) at the Curragh on soft ground and we rode her very forward. She ran a very good race, but Dermot’s filly came and got her so we went to America.

“Obviously it was up in trip again, Ryan (Moore) took his time on her and she relaxed lovely, but came home very well. That’s going to be an interesting one, there’s a big difference in the track in America – a flat, round track – and a straight track like Newmarket.

“We’re going to learn a lot about her, she’s a very lazy worker at home who only shows you what she has to. Unless you stoke her up she just stays in second gear really, but we’re very happy with her work.”

One man to briefly halt O’Brien’s recent dominance is Richard Hannon with Billesdon Brook in 2018 and he is double-handed this time with Mammas Girl and Powerdress.

Mammas Girl ridden by jockey Sean Levey on their way to winning the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes
Mammas Girl ridden by jockey Sean Levey on their way to winning the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes (Tim Goode/PA)

Mammas Girl landed the Nell Gwyn last month and although unproven over a mile, is unbeaten in two starts at the track.

“She obviously won the Nell Gwyn and is unbeaten,” said Tom Pennington, racing and operations manager at Amo Racing.

“She goes there having won twice at the track and some experts have said she is not going to get the trip, but I disagree. In her two starts, her last furlong has been her best and she has hit the line strong both times. She’s a relaxed and laid-back filly and I really don’t see the mile being an issue.

“She will be held up and ridden patiently to come with one late run like she has done both times. She’s just ticked over since the Nell Gwyn and Richard is very happy with her.

“To go there with a leading contender is really exciting and she goes there with a good chance.”

Amo also have a useful second string to their bow with Olivia Maralda, who will make her first start for Roger Varian.

“She’s not a bad second string to have and I think she is too big a price if you think she ran Meditate to three-quarters of a length in Ireland last year,” continued Pennington.

“She hasn’t missed a day with Roger and he’s really pleased with her. Whether she is good enough to win, who knows, but she goes there in good form.”

Ralph Beckett hit the crossbar with Prosperous Voyage in this 12 months ago and along with owners Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen will attempt to go one better with Lezoo – who will be a final 1000 Guineas ride for Frankie Dettori.

“We thought about a trial, but she’s pretty experienced and she’s not a filly who needs a race,” said Beckett ahead of the Qipco British Champions Series contest.

Lezoo winning the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket
Lezoo winning the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket (David Davies/PA)

“We decided it was likely to prove inconclusive with regards to her stamina, and that it made more sense to run her in the Guineas and find out for sure one way or another, then drop her back to sprints if she didn’t stay. She’s had a pretty straightforward preparation and she’s ready for this. She did her last bit on the grass on Tuesday and that went well.”

The handler is also represented by Fred Darling scorer Remarquee, who will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Beckett’s first Classic winner Look Here and land big-race success for owner Julian Richmond-Watson.

He continued: “Remarquee is the obvious one. She didn’t really get the run of the race and Rob (Hornby) dropped his stick with half a furlong to run, yet she still won with one ear pricked, having wandered around. She’ll have learned a lot.

“We’ve been here before, having won a few Fred Darlings, and it can be tough getting a filly back in time for the Guineas, but all of the signs are good. She didn’t have a hard race and I’m very happy with her.”

Hugo Palmer’s Stenton Glider had to settle for the silver medal behind Remarquee at Newbury and will now attempt to turn the tables as the duo move up to a mile.

He said: “She’s in great form. I just flicked through the 21st century winners of the 1000 Guineas and from what I can see, 10 of the winners had trialled and only four of those winners who trialled had actually won their trial.

“More horses have been beaten in their trial than won their trial.

“She was beaten two-foot at Newbury and so we’re going to give it a very good go.”

Also beaten in her trial was Clive Cox’s Nell Gwyn fourth Karsavina.

“I’m really pleased with her and she’s a progressive filly,” said Cox.

“The Nell Gwyn was precisely as it was intended as a trial and I feel she has come back really well from there.

“An extra furlong will be most helpful. She has a lot of class and moved up well through the race in the Nell Gwyn and I’m looking forward to seeing her going another furlong.”

One horse proven over the track and trip is Caernarfon, winner of the Montrose Fillies’ Stakes last autumn.

That victory was the perfect way for Mick Channon to bow out – while it would prove fitting if she kick-started the training career of his son Jack on her very next start.

“She is in great form and trained really well all winter and her work, touch wood, has been perfect. I think we’ve got her exactly where we want her and it will be down to simply whether she is good enough now,” said the West Ilsley handler.

“I always thought she had plenty of experience. It is not like she’s won her maiden and that’s all there is. She had a decent amount of experience as a two-year-old, she won over course and distance last time and she is not a filly who is too hard to get fit.

“She looks to have improved and she is not the most imposing type, but she is very athletic and I could not be any happier with her at this moment in time.”

O’Brien keen to have another crack at Tahiyra with Meditate

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Aidan O’Brien is not shying away from the prospect of Meditate crossing paths with old foe Tahiyra in the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday.

Meditate won the Albany at Royal Ascot and then took the Group Two Debutante Stakes at the Curragh when stepped up to seven furlongs for the first time.

The first defeat of her career came at the same track the following month when she came home two and a half lengths behind Dermot Weld’s Tahiyra in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Second again in the Cheveley Park Stakes after that, she then set sail for Keeneland, America, where she ended her season with an impressive success in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

O’Brien has reflected on her losses and feels there were genuine reasons behind both, leaving the trainer excited to see what she can produce when running in the first fillies’ Classic of the term.

Meditate and Ryan Moore at the Curragh
Meditate and Ryan Moore at the Curragh (Donall Farmer/PA)

“We felt in the Cheveley Park we might have rushed her back a little bit after the Moyglare,” he said.

“We felt in the Moyglare we might have made a little bit too much use of her in the ground.

“They’re what we think are legitimate excuses as to why she got beat, it will be interesting but it is her first run of the year as well.”

Meditate’s run in the Breeders’ Cup allowed connections to test her over an increased trip of a mile and the performance certainly proved her ability to stay, though Keeneland and Newmarket differ greatly in their nature.

“The times she got beat, we felt there were legitimate reasons for it and that’s why we wanted to go to America if she was well and find out about the mile,” O’Brien explained.

Meditate winning the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot
Meditate winning the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA)

“We found out about 90 per cent about the mile by going there on a flat track, but the real test of the mile is at Newmarket.

“There’s no test like the Guineas on the Rowley Mile so we’re going to learn a lot more about her.”

Tahiyra is also due to line up at Newmarket on Sunday, but O’Brien has no trepidation about facing her again and is instead heartened by the idea of the best fillies in the division taking one another on.

He said: “We’re delighted that all the good fillies are there, I think that’s what we all want to see in every good race.

“In any big race you don’t want to see any of the good horses not there, then we can put them all together and have a look and see where we’re going.”

Leading fancy Statuette set to miss Guineas, reveals O’Brien

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Auguste Rodin, Little Big Bear and Meditate look likely to spearhead Aidan O’Brien’s Classic challenge this term, but leading Qipco 1000 Guineas candidate Statuette is unlikely to feature at Newmarket.

The daughter of Justify won both her juvenile starts last term but has been off the track since landing a Curragh Group in June.

She had been towards the head of the market for the first fillies’ Classic on May 7, but O’Brien feels she is doubtful to make the line-up.

He said: “Statuette has had a little bit of a hold up and I don’t think she’s going to make the Guineas. We will just go gentle and see what happens.”

Aidan O'Brien and Auguste Rodin on Monday at Ballydoyle
Aidan O’Brien and Auguste Rodin on Monday at Ballydoyle (PA)

The master of Ballydoyle holds a typically strong hand in the three-year-old division, with his two colts Auguste Rodin and Little Big Bear sharing favouritism for the 2000 Guineas with many bookmakers.

Auguste Rodin signed off last term with victory in the Vertem Futurity Trophy over a mile at Doncaster, while Little Big Bear was an effortless six-length winner in the six-furlong Phoenix Stakes on his final start of the campaign at the Curragh in August.

Both took part in a post-racing gallop at the Curragh on Saturday, with O’Brien impressed by Auguste Rodin’s effort in working with sprinting candidate The Antarctic.

Speaking at a stable visit on Monday morning, O’Brien said: “We’re very happy with Auguste Rodin. What he did at the Curragh was very good, following a three-year-old sprinter. We were very happy with that.

“He was very comfortable (working with The Antarctic), we were surprised at him but he was always very classy from the first time Ryan (Moore) rode him.

“I think they are (the main two for Newmarket), then the lads will have to decide whether to let the two of them run together or split them up. They are the two that will be trained for Newmarket, that makes sense.”

Little Big Bear in action at the Curragh on Saturday
Little Big Bear in action at the Curragh on Saturday (Healy Racing)

O’Brien thinks Little Big Bear will get a mile, although he has yet to try a trip in excess of six furlongs, but Auguste Rodin is expected to sparkle over further in time.

He said: “I suppose Little Big Bear would be very comfortable and happy to go back sprinting, but I think there’s a good chance he will get a mile. He races very relaxed.

“You’d imagine Auguste Rodin will go better stretching out to a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half. He’s that type of horse (that could get any trip in time). If we have a horse that could do that, he’s definitely the one.

“We nearly didn’t run him at Doncaster on the ground. He’s an exceptional mover, a very slick, long and low mover. He’s the type of horse that could start in the Guineas and stretch out.”

Victoria Road, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, is pencilled in for the French 2000 Guineas and Derby, while Hans Andersen, Denmark, Alfred Munnings, Adelaide River and Alexandroupolis could all have Classic trial dates at some point, although Espionage is reported to have had a minor issue.

O’Brien said: “He was in full work and then he got a little bit of a shoulder and he’s only swimming, so he’s going to be held up for a little bit.”

O’Brien ranks his three-year-old colts team highly, adding: “We’ve plenty of chances there and we have two very strong Guineas horses, we have the horse for France. Little Big Bear is very classy, but they are obviously two very good colts.

“I suppose the difference in the two is Auguste Rodin could stretch right out and looking at him at the Curragh, he’s not short of pace. The other horse you would imagine would get a mile.”

Statuette might be missing her Guineas date at Newmarket, but Meditate is set to fly the flag after pleasing O’Brien in Saturday’s racecourse outing.

Placed twice in Group One company last summer, she graduated to top-level success in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Meditate at Ballydoyle on Monday
Meditate at Ballydoyle on Monday (PA)

Her trainer said: “Meditate is the one, she’s going there. She did a gentle piece at the Curragh, because she was at Tipperary a month before that and she was a little bit ouchy afterwards, so we had to be gentle with her.

“She still got to the Curragh to do her bit and she’ll do her first trot this morning, so hopefully she’s OK.

“The plan is to go straight to Newmarket with her. She’s a very professional filly, she’s not over big but she’s strong. We were very happy with her on Saturday.”

Dundalk maiden winner Beginnings could get the chance to emulate her dam, Winter, by tackling the 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown on Sunday.

O’Brien, who also confirmed sprinting campaigns for The Antarctic and Aesop’s Fables, added: “Beginnings could go to a Guineas trial next weekend if it was nice ground, she’s fit and forward. We have had fillies from that Leopardstown trial win the Guineas, so they can step up.”