Saxon is a real Warrior for O’Brien
AIDAN O’BRIEN’S focus might have been on making history by winning the Kentucky Derby with Mendelssohn last night but his heart must have wished he was in Newmarket, where teenage son Donnacha won the 2,000 Guineas on his father’s Saxon Warrior.
It was an eighth win in the first Classic of the season for O’Brien and a 300th group one winner on the flat.
But it was a first Classic for 19-yearold Donnacha (right), whose older brother Joseph won the 2012 2,000 Guineas.
The nature of Saxon Warrior’s length-and-a-half win from 50-1 outsider Tip Two Win after he surged clear more than a furlong out means he is evens favourite for the Derby next month.
That is a race Joseph won twice before increasing weight forced him to turn to training. On Derby day O’Brien’s No1 jockey Ryan Moore, also in Kentucky, will probably be back in the saddle. But another chapter in the blockbuster that is the saga of the O’Brien dynasty has been written. There seems likely to be far more in which Donnacha plays a leading role, even though, like Joseph, his height and weight gains will probably ensure his riding career has limits. For this one his father received a phone commentary ahead of pictures from his wife Annemarie in the Newmarket paddock. Mum, suppressing tears, said: ‘It was incredibly emotional. He’s a great guy and we are proud of him.’ All four of the O’Brien children — Donnacha and Joseph have two sisters Sarah and Ana — have ridden winners. They have a huge head-start but have taken their chances.
Donnacha, who rides Sizzling in this afternoon’s 1,000 Guineas, acknowledged the chances his father was giving him when he said: ‘I’m hugely grateful to him for trusting me and allowing me to sit on these horses. I’m under no illusions that’s the reason I’m riding them.’ Donnacha was also in no doubt how good 3-1 winner Saxon Warrior could be, especially as he has seemed more a Derby contender.
Going into the 2,000 Guineas, the unbeaten winner of the 2017 Racing Post Trophy had attracted less attention than his racefit stablemate Gustav Klimt, who ultimately finished sixth. Donnacha said: ‘He’s an absolute monster of a horse so you never know, he could improve again.
‘I thought he was a very good horse even on his homework — we’ve made no secret of it.’
If there was family pride in the winner’s berth, Roger Teal, trainer of second-placed Tip Two Win, could scarcely believe his colt had finished placed in a Classic.
Teal, who trains 25 horses near Lambourn, said: ‘We knew we had a decent horse. He was only 50-1 because he was trained by me. If he’d been trained by Mr John Gosden he’d have been 5-1.’ Gosden’s Roaring Lion was fifth after getting isolated on the stands rail. Masar, the 5-2 favourite, stayed on without threatening for third, while Elarqam was fourth with his trainer Mark Johnston feeling he was undone on only his third run by his mental immaturity.
Expert Eye ran like a non-stayer in 10th.