O’Brien to finish with a flourish
If Ireland’s champion trainer Aidan O’Brien needs any reminder of the scarcely credible season he has enjoyed in 2016, then Monday’s Horse Racing Ireland celebration of the Irish Flat season may have provided him with just that — an opportunity to reflect on exactly what the Ballydoyle team have achieved in a year in which he has left other trainers toiling in his slipstream.
There he collected the Flat Award, as well as seeing his five- time group one winner Minding crowned Horse of the Year at Ireland’s season- ending ceremony.
This 2016 campaign has seen Ballydoyle collect a remarkable 22 group/ grade one victories, and record an unprecedented 1- 2- 3 in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe — thanks to Found, Highland Reel and Order Of St George.
Whether O’Brien himself has had time for his achievements to sink in and allow himself a small pat on the back is another matter. His stance is to deflect any credit from himself and instead to pay tribute to the unstinting efforts of all those who make Ballydoyle such a formidable team.
Speaking on Tuesday, O’Brien had this to say: “Yes, we have had a good year, it’s true. It is down to a lot of hard work by a lot of people. We have been very lucky this season in that we have had some very good horses that have progressed throughout the year, and that has obviously been important in the year overall.”
His outstanding run of success may not be over yet. The Hong Kong International Races offers the stable further opportunities to add to its season, when Highland Reel defends his crown in the Hong Kong Vase ( 2400m), and Cougar Mountain contests the Hong Kong Mile.
Highland Reel has been one of the stable’s flag bearers in 2016, with group one wins in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes ( 2400m) at Ascot and the Breeders’ Cup Turf ( 2400m) at Santa Anita, not to mention that highly creditable second in the Arc, and tomorrow this remarkable traveller will be making his 20th career start and his 15th outside his native Ireland. His is an odyssey that has seen him run in England, France, the US, Australia, Dubai and now Hong Kong for a third time. In flying distance he has circled the globe three times.
Looking ahead to tomorrow, O’Brien said of the Hong Kong Vase favourite: “Highland Reel is a very good colt, we know that. He has tactical speed, he stays, and has everything you could want really. He’s been a good traveller from early on in his career, he relaxes, he’s adaptable, he doesn’t overthink situations.
“Cougar Mountain goes in the Mile, and we were pleased enough with his last run [ Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita]. He was drawn wide, was checked in his run, was running on at the finish, and not beaten that far.
“He has the potential to win a group one race, we feel. He’s a good traveller, and he’s a fast ground horse — we’ll see how he goes on the day.”
New Zealand will also be represented on the big day by Central Districts galloper Benzini.
“It’s just a different world over here — it’s a long way from the farm in Hunterville,” said Harry Bull.
“I’m really enjoying it though and everything has been put on for us.”
Benzini will represent his country against a high- class international lineup at Sha Tin in the group one Hong Kong Vase, in which he will be ridden by Rosie Myers.
“He travelled over well and after a few days to settle in here he was away,” said Bull, who trains in partnership with his father Adrian.
“His work at the track has been very good and he had his last bit of fast work on Friday morning with Rosie in the saddle.
“He came over here a fit horse and he’s ready to go,” Bull said.
Benzini will be facing the sternest test of his career tomorrow against a field that includes Highland Reel and fellow group one winners Silverware, Erupt, Quechua and Nuovo Record.
“It’s obviously going to be very tough, but we’re Kiwis and you’ve got to have a crack,” Bull said. Victorian horseman David Hayes is looking to consolidate the future of the Lindsay Park empire with plans for a third training centre. Hayes, who trains in partnership with his son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig, has set up a country training base at Euroa, complemented by a metropolitan base at Flemington.
With some uncertainty over the future of training at Flemington in the years ahead, Lindsay Park has bought two stabling plots at the Pakenham Racing Club’s complex at Tynong.
Hayes says there are no immediate plans to build on the plots, which, when combined, are the size of Lindsay Park’s Flemington operation.
He said establishing new stables at Pakenham would fit in perfectly with what the stable already has at Euroa and Flemington.
“There’s going to be 40 or 50 meetings a season at Pakenham,” Hayes said. “It makes perfect sense to have a stable here.”