Anthony Van Dyck paints better picture for O’brien
Curragh victory earns early Derby favouritism Loxley runs out easy winner at Deauville
Aidan O’brien’s Ballydoyle yard is now emerging from its recent quiet spell and the trainer had plenty to celebrate at the Curragh over the weekend.
On Saturday, he had four winners, including Ten Sovereigns, who recorded a mightily impressive seven-length debut victory in a six-furlong maiden. His race time was excellent and the son of No Nay Never, who holds a host of Group One entries, should have a bright future.
Yesterday, O’brien enjoyed two further successes, most notably that of Anthony Van Dyck, who led home stablemates Christmas and Mohawk to give him a one-twothree in the Group Two Galileo Irish EBF Futurity Stakes.
The race was run at a furious pace, with Christmas blazing a trail up the centre of the course. Anthony Van Dyck always looked to be travelling well enough and, although he had to be shaken up by Ryan Moore to go to the front, the jockey never resorted to the whip and the son of Galileo won snugly, by half a length.
O’brien said: “I’m delighted. They needed to learn a little bit and that’s why they swung along there. You’d have to be very happy.
“The last day was his first time back to seven [furlongs]. He gets a little bit lazy in the middle of the race, but gets there, and he was doing it well again in the last furlong.
“I would imagine that they’ll all probably come back here for the National Stakes. I’d say he’ll get a mile well, we always viewed him as a horse that would get middle distances next season. He had a tough enough race.”
Moore said: “I think the ground was maybe just a bit too tacky for Anthony Van Dyck, but he was well on top. I like him an awful lot.”
Anthony Van Dyck is now as short as 10-1 favourite for next year’s Qipco 2,000 Guineas and the Investec Derby.
Charlie Appleby, who has enjoyed a fruitful summer in France, was back in the winner’s enclosure at Deauville yesterday after Loxley ran out a comfortable victor of the Grand Prix de Deauville.
Sylvester Kirk’s tough performer Salouen made the running, but his jockey Silvestre de Sousa could never get away from his pursuers and, approaching the final furlong, Loxley loomed up alongside and soon quickened clear to win by two lengths. Master’s Spirit passed Salouen for second close to home.