Aidan O’Brien, the 12-time prime coach at Royal Ascot, has saddled a report 85 winners on the massive assembly and is ready for extra glory in Berkshire in 2024.
Since being appointed because the coach within the historic Ballydoyle complicated in 1996 on the age of simply 26, he has damaged each report price breaking and received each race price successful in Europe and past.
Royal Ascot has all the time been a spotlight level for O’Brien, and it’s a assembly that he has loved a large amount of success at.
Certainly, he overtook Sir Michael Stoute as essentially the most profitable coach within the lengthy historical past of the assembly final yr together with his report now standing at 85 winners. In addition to that, O’Brien has been topped the main coach on the assembly on at least 12 events.
Aidan sat down with Kevin Blake of attheraces.com to debate those who can provide him extra glory at Royal Ascot in 2024.
Auguste Rodin
He is in nice order and he has been educated for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. We had been joyful together with his run within the Tattersalls Gold Cup. The hope going into it was that he’d win, however the rain despatched the bottom in a route that wasn’t preferrred for him. He additionally simply had somewhat wobble when he received pushed out on the house flip which interrupted his rhythm for a number of strides. Despite the fact that he was crushed, the run was all the time going to carry him on. Royal Ascot has been a giant a part of the plan with him, and we could not be happier with the place he’s on the minute. We would not need rain for him and would a lot desire quicker floor.
Steady
The plan is for him to run within the Hardwicke Stakes. We’re joyful to ship him there and not using a run as we did not really feel there was an appropriate lead-in race for him. He is been away for 2 works, and he appears in good type. He ran nice the final time we noticed him on the monitor within the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. We thought afterwards that perhaps we rode him too quietly and that he would have run higher with a extra constructive journey. We predict there’s extra to come back from him and hopefully he could make a robust begin to his season at Royal Ascot.
Kyprios
He’s bang on track for the Gold Cup. He has hit each marker we have set for him this season and it has all gone very easily. He is by no means prone to be the kind to stretch away and after what occurred in France, the place he veered left after hitting the entrance, we’re by no means in a rush to ship him to the entrance. We’d all the time ideally wish to get him a lead for so long as doable. After all of the difficulties he confronted final season, we’re excited to see him again within the Gold Cup.
Diego Velazquez
It is not locked in but, however on the minute it seems to be like he might go for the Hampton Court docket Stakes on the Thursday. We’re inclined to forgive his run within the Prix du Jockey Membership final time. He had a large draw and Ryan wasn’t pleased with the slot he ended up in from on the market in what was a messy race. We predict he’ll go away that run behind him and the Hampton Court docket seems to be a pleasant spot for him.
Diego Velazquez and Ryan Moore win for coach Aidan O’Brien
Henry Longfellow
Henry Longfellow will go for the St James’s Palace Stakes. His final run within the Poule d’Essai des Poulains was a little bit of a large number. He received trapped again within the subject in a slowly-run race and each time he tried to come back out somebody reduce the top off him. It was a little bit of a non-event, however he did not have a tough race in consequence, and he appears to have come ahead from it. We predict he’ll carry out an terrible lot higher at Royal Ascot. If the rain comes, that’ll be nice for him.
Opera Singer
We’re actually wanting ahead to seeing her within the Coronation Stakes. She had a hold-up earlier this yr and we felt we needed to run her within the Irish 1,000 Guineas if she was going to make it to Royal Ascot. She hadn’t been away for a piece and actually, we did not anticipate her to run in addition to she did on the Curragh as we did not suppose she had almost sufficient work finished. It says lots about how a lot class and skill she has that she ran so properly. She seems to be to have come ahead at residence simply as we hoped she would since then and she or he’s one to sit up for.
River Tiber
The plan is to run him within the Jersey Stakes. He ran very properly within the Irish 2,000 Guineas and in equity, you could not say he did not get the mile, however he does present loads of tempo and we really feel the Jersey Stakes is a pleasant spot for him. We’ll study extra about him there, nevertheless it would not be in any respect out of the query that he might return as much as a mile after the Jersey. We’ll be guided by what we see from him there. He is a horse we have all the time held in excessive regard and we’ll wanting ahead to him.
Moore seems to be throughout to see River Tiber has simply edged out Military Ethos within the Coventry
Two-year-olds…
Bedtime Story – The plan is to run her within the Chesham Stakes. We had been delighted together with her efficiency at Leopardstown. We did not actually got down to try to pressure any of those two-year-olds into attending to the Chesham, we simply let it occur if it occurred. She put her hand up for the job at Leopardstown and regarded an aesthetic filly.
Camille Pissarro – The plan is for him to run within the Coventry Stakes. We have now thought for fairly a while that he’s a Coventry horse. He works like an excellent horse. He was simply inexperienced within the Marble Hill final time. Ryan felt he was very babyish and would come ahead a superb bit once more. We’re wanting ahead to him.
Celtic Chieftain – I might say he is prone to run within the Windsor Fortress Stakes. He was able to run early, however he had somewhat hold-up that delayed him. We had been delighted with what he did at Navan, and it was nice to see him beat a horse in Crimson Evolution that had such a superb run below his belt. He was lots inexperienced when he hit the entrance. He ought to sharpen up and are available on lots from that.
Simple Mover – I do not suppose she’ll run as it’d come somewhat bit quickly for her after solely successful on Friday. If she was going to run, it could be the Albany Stakes, however I might say greater than seemingly she’ll await the Airlie Stud Stakes on the Curragh on the finish of the month.
Fairy Godmother – She’ll go for the Albany Stakes. She has all the time labored like a very good filly. We could not see her being crushed on her debut at Naas, however when she received there to problem, she began wanting in all places and was crushed. So, for her second begin we set out with the intention of driving her a lot quieter and instructing her as a lot as we might. She quickened up rather well from off the tempo to win narrowly and for us she may very well be rated a good bit higher than the naked type. She appears to have come ahead once more and is a very pretty prospect.
Heavens Gate – We’re aiming her on the Queen Mary Stakes. It is a risk that she may discover that take a look at somewhat bit sharp for her, however now we have to separate them up and we hope she may get away with it as she had good tempo. I might see her operating over seven furlongs later within the season.
Treasure Isle – He is one for the Windsor Fortress Stakes. He knuckled down properly when successful at Naas final time and we predict he is come ahead from that. He has loads of tempo and will get pleasure from Ascot.
Treasure Isle and Ryan Moore win for coach Aidan O’Brien from Saratoga Particular
Tunbridge Wells – He is one other one which is not a sure runner at Royal Ascot. If he goes, it’s going to be within the Coventry Stakes. If he would not go, he’ll be one for the Railway Stakes. He galloped by means of the road very properly on the Curragh and appears a pleasant prospect.
Whistlejacket – He is the one for the Norfolk Stakes. We thought he could not be crushed on his debut, and he ran nice, however he ran into what regarded a very good horse in Cowardofthecounty. He had no downside dropping again in journey for the First Flier Stakes and was spectacular there. The shape has labored out properly since then. His full-brother Little Huge Bear was crushed on debut and went on to win the Windsor Fortress Stakes at Royal Ascot and we predict this fella will go there with a giant likelihood.
