O’Brien always believed in ‘collector’s item’
AIDAN O’Brien puts forward a Derby trio at Epsom today headed by the eagerlyawaited Classic comeback bid of Auguste Rodin.
The Ballydoyle trainer has always spoken extremely highly of the colt – a horse he describes as a “collector’s item” as he is out of the top mare Rhododendron and by the late sire Deep Impact.
“Auguste Rodin is a collector’s item. He’s out of Rhododendron, probably one of the best Galileo mares ever, and by Deep Impact, one of the greatest Japanese stallions ever,” said O’Brien.
He won a maiden by two lengths before taking the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown and the Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.
He was well-fancied for the 2000 Guineas after a Triple Crown bid was mentioned in spring dispatches but at Newmarket the three-yearold was denied an ounce of luck and trailed home in 12th after his race was scuppered early on.
That defeat did little to dissuade
O’Brien of his ability, however, and the Derby was immediately lined up as a next outing after the Guineas run was dismissed.
“There were a lot of factors at Newmarket that we couldn’t control, but they happened and that was it, but we didn’t see anything to suggest we shouldn’t adhere to our original plan,” he said.
Opposite
“When we were running him over that shorter trip things had to happen. Every single beat had to go his way and obviously it was the complete opposite, every single beat went the opposite way.
“We were delighted he came out of the race so well, really.
“The soft ground was always going to be a worry and the trip was going to be plenty short for him.
“He did need a clear run and when Little Big Bear got galloped into, he wiped out Ryan (Moore) and then Ryan ended up getting stuck in a pocket.”
The step up in trip to a mile and a half is expected to be of benefit to Auguste Rodin, as is the good ground that will be a contrast from Newmarket’s soft going on Guineas weekend.