O’Brien: Sovereigns can sparkle in sprint
AIDAN O’BRIEN believes that Ten Sovereigns will be far more competitive today in the £500,000 Darley July Cup at Newmarket, where he takes on his Royal Ascot conqueror Advertise.
Last year’s Middle Park Stakes winner, the mount of Ryan Moore, was switched back to sprinting after failing to last out the mile when fifth to stablemate Magna Grecia in the 2,000 Guineas.
He looked sluggish when beaten two-and-a-half lengths by Martyn Meade-trained Advertise in the Commonwealth Cup, but O’Brien hopes Ten Sovereigns has been ‘clicked into gear’ by his Ascot run.
He said: ‘Ten Sovereigns ran a massive race in the Guineas for a fast horse. That would have taken plenty out of him, so we didn’t force him afterwards.
‘He had been trained to be like a miler all winter and spring. At Ascot, Ten Sovereigns was probably a little more laid back than we expected, but we didn’t go through the stages too quickly after the Guineas.
‘The plan was to go to Ascot but that was not the be all and end all. We wanted to do it gradually and let him do it himself rather than force him. We think the Ascot run would have clicked him into gear.’
Ten Sovereigns is one of three O’Brien contenders in a race the trainer has won four times, starting with Stravinsky 20 years ago.
Fairyland, who was fifth to Blue Point in the five- furlong King’s Stand Stakes, and So Perfect, who finished ninth to Space Traveller in the seven-furlong Jersey Stakes, are also back at their optimum trips in O’Brien’s opinion.
With Blue Point — winner of the King’s Stand and Diamond Jubilee Stakes at the royal meeting — now retired, the division is wide open.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Diamond Jubilee second Dream Of Dreams disputes favouritism with Advertise, who bids to give Frankie Dettori success in one of the few Group One races to have eluded the jockey. The Italian, who has won seven Group One races in seven weeks, was successful on Mark Johnston-trained Raffle Prize in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes yesterday.
The filly, who beat Daahyeh a length and three- quarters, had previously won the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot and will now chase greater glory in the Prix Morny at Deauville next month.