O’brien making late charge
It is not often at this stage of the European season that Coolmore and Aidan O’brien are not responsible for the top horse in at least one category of the Cartier Awards.
But a quiet July and August, when Ballydoyle was laid low by a virus, means the all-conquering yard finds itself in that position. It is a measure of Ballydoyle’s success, though, that the last time it drew a blank at the awards was in 2004.
However, if Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire weekend is anything to go by – the horses seem to be firing on six cylinders now and won six of the seven Pattern races there – that is unlikely to happen in 2018.
O’brien’s best chance of a Cartier Award at the ceremony on Nov 13 lies with his two-year-olds, who are now beginning to look strong. The victories of Ten Sovereigns (Juddmonte Middle Park) and Fairyland (Cheveley Park) bumped them up through the field in their respective divisions, the Two-year-old Colt and Two-year-old Filly.
Ten Sovereigns is unbeaten in three starts but, after two quick runs to ready him for Newmarket, O’brien is minded to leave him alone for the rest of this season so he may not be scoring more points.
There are, however, plenty of points up for grabs for the juvenile colts in Sunday’s Prix Jean-luc Lagardere at Longchamp, while the following Saturday’s Dewhurst Stakes looks a vintage one with Advertise, Too Darn Hot, Sangarius and, possibly, Ballydoyle’s Anthony Van Dyck due to run.
The l’arc de Triomphe-bound fillies Enable and Sea Of Class have a big chance on Sunday to state their case for top Cartier honours, while Laurens, quietly advancing up the Three-year-old Filly category, can add to her tally in Saturday’s Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket.
Havana Grey, who is a stablemate of Laurens in Karl Burke’s yard, has taken a while to find his feet this season but attempts to go clear in the Sprinter category when he tackles Sunday’s Prix de l’abbaye.