AFTER a well-executed double at the meeting 12 months ago, it is clear that Royal Ascot is to the forefront of Joseph O’Brien’s mind when plotting a summer of success in 2024.
The Owning Hill handler has made a real knack of excelling with fillies from other yards in blacktype races, and his current squad of senior performers has plenty with the potential to do similar this term.
No recruit to his yard in the off-season is more intriguing than Rogue Millenium, a winner at the Royal Meeting last year for Tom Clover. The exciting four-year-old joined owner Scott Heider for 1,650,000gns at the 2023 Tattersalls December Mares Sale and debuts for the yard tomorrow at the Curragh.
As O’Brien puts it: “You can say whatever you want to say, but Ascot is where the world watches. There are about five or six meetings in the year that it does, so we have to compete at Ascot.”
O’Brien, who turned 31 on Thursday, has got off to a particularly strong start with his two-year-olds. From his first 11 juvenile runners, he notched hat-trick of winners and only three were out of the first three.
The internationally-minded trainer says he and his team made a concerted effort to buy a more precocious type of yearling at the sales last year than was the case in previous seasons.
“With the two-year-olds, if you don’t have a precocious type of horse, there’s no point going to the races for another while because to win a maiden in Ireland is off the charts,” O’Brien explained.
“We made an effort to compete in the early-season stakes races, and, potentially, to have Ascot horses. We always have some lovely homebreds but the vast majority of them are seven-furlong, mile, middle-distance types, so they don’t really come on stream until July onwards.
“A lot of my owners, historically, have wanted a middle-distance horse, so we had to get our hands on a more precocious type of two-year-old to have for the first half of the flat season. Having two-year-olds that compete is so important, not only commercially but also because a lot of people want to have Ascot horses.”
While there might be an emphasis on sourcing more forward young stock, O’Brien has slightly adapted his training approach with the rest of his flat string in 2024.
He said: “Last year we were a little bit light through June and July, but we started very strong – we had a bunch of stakes winners early – so we made a concerted effort this year to start a bit slower and aim for summer onwards. I think we had some horses who ran big races early and then they were still running well but we felt they could be doing better in the high summer, so we slightly changed our training this spring.
“All the big meetings are May, June, July, onwards, so you’ll have seen some of our horses getting tired on their first runs. They’ll have run well finishing fourth or fifth, and that was fine. I think as the summer gets on, they’ll keep stepping forward for us.”
Adelaise
5yo b m (520/345245-1)
Lawman - Adelasia
She won a listed race at Kempton last time and is going to Royal Ascot for the Kensington Palace. She ran in it last year and finished fourth, and we felt she was a bit unlucky not to win it. She’s a nice, solid filly. She progressed well last year in handicaps and stakes company without winning, so it was nice to get her head in front.
Al Riffa
4yo b c (211/22-4)
Wootton Bassett - Love On My Mind
He ran great last time in the Prix Ganay. With a slightly different setup he might even have been winning it, or been closer, but he’s only beaten less than a length in a Group 1, so that’s a great first run back. I think he’s a horse who’s going to stay well. He’s out of a Galileo mare, and his first dam has a horse who was placed in a Gold Cup at Ascot. We haven’t yet gone beyond an extended 10 furlongs but when he goes a mile and a half it could suit him. We’re kind of dreaming that he could be an Arc horse in the autumn, but we’ll try to win a Group 1 before that. He probably goes to Saratoga next for the Manhattan Stakes on June 8th. He’s a big horse and it’s a bit of a concern that this is a real speed-favouring track, but it’s a $2 million race and he gets a 7lb allowance for not having won a group race in the last year. That means he has 8st 6lb in a Group 1 for a lot of money. It’s a logical place to go.
American Sonja
4yo b f (21/1413222-1)
Tasleet - Gumhrear
She won a Group 3 in France on her first start of the season. The plan is for her to go to Saratoga for the Grade 1 New York Stakes on June 7th.
Atlantic Coast
3yo b c (131-7)
Kodiac - Liwa Palace
He disappointed at Leopardstown when probably stuck in the mud on his first run back but he’s been training well since then. He goes for the Irish 2000 Guineas this weekend because it’s a good spot for him. He could end up in the Jersey Stakes at Ascot. He’s a smart colt, though the Guineas looks a hot race.
Belhaven
5yo ch m (912999402-1)
Belardo - Park Haven
She’s probably going to go for the Cork Derby. I thought she won nicely on her first start for us at Sligo and the horse who finished second [Whimsy] ran well when second at Leopardstown since.
Cowardofthecounty
2yo b c (1)
Kodi Bear - Hawaajib
He goes straight to the Coventry at Royal Ascot, and that was the plan immediately after his debut. He’s a big horse, and we wanted to give him plenty of time. It was a big performance that early in the season, I thought, so we wanted to give him a little break after. I expected him to run well but didn’t expect him to win like he did. I think the second horse [Treasure Isle] looks very good. Our lad was really strong on the sectionals. He has been bought by new owners [Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables and other American-based partners].
Dawn Rising
7yo b g (Flat form: 412/31233-75)
Galileo - Devoted To You
He won the Queen Alexandra Stakes last year and will go back again to Ascot. He’s taken a bit of getting fit this year. His first run was only okay, and his run last week at Leopardstown was better. Hopefully we’ll have him ready to go for Ascot. He loves the long distance and stays well. He gets warm all the time. You’d think a guy his age, he’d be after relaxing a bit, but he always gets a bit hot, ever since he was a young horse.
Galen
3yo ch c (2-)
Gleneagles - Apache Storm
He was second in a maiden at the Curragh last year behind City Of Troy. He had a bit of a hold up last year; he got a bit sick after his run so missed the end of the season. I’ve been waiting for some nice ground and we declared him to run on Friday night at the Curragh [due to run at 6.20pm]. Hopefully he’s a stakes horse going forward, he’s done well over the winter. He’s still a maiden and has to go up through the ranks.
Galileo Dame
3yo ch f (2-14)
Galileo Gold - Two For Tea
She might go for the Gowran Classic on June 3rd, we’ll see what the ground is like. She ran a great race at Chester, just got a little bit back but she was staying on well. She should hopefully be a good performer for her owners in the second half of the season. Her maiden has worked out very well and she does handle soft ground well.
Goldana
5yo ch m (21/14638-312)
Galileo Gold - Humble And Proud
She’d have won in another stride or two in a listed race at Gowran the other day, we got it a bit wrong on the day but she lost nothing in defeat and didn’t get the rub of the green. She’ll have her day again. If the ground isn’t too firm, she’ll run in the Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.
Gregarina
5yo ch m (13/6712757-1)
De Treville - Gagarina
She won the Athasi last time. She’s got an option in America but will probably go to Ascot for the Duke of Cambridge, but she’s been declared for the Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday. She won really well the other day, coming from the back and showing a big kick to get up late. She’s a nice filly.
Intellotto
4yo ch g (Flat form: 72/2-1)
Lope De Vega - Ebeyina
He probably won’t get into Royal Ascot for a handicap after his win at Sligo last week so he might go to Listowel in a few weeks. He might end up mixing and matching it. He could run in the Galway Hurdle or some of the flat handicaps, or both.
Je Zous
3yo b f (712-33)
Zoustar - Jessie Jane
She’s probably going to go to Ascot, either for the Golden Gates Handicap or for the Ribblesdale. She ran well the other day in a Group 3 at Naas but just got a bit of pressure up front. She’ll win a stakes race. Her ideal ground is probably easy-good, and 10 furlongs is probably her trip.
Lark In The Mornin
4yo b g (Flat form: 1/4-)
Soldier Hollow - Loyalty
He had a little setback in his last run at Haydock so he’ll have the summer off and come back for the winter.
Lumiere Rock
4yo ch f (21-42242136)
Saxon Warrior - Last Gold
She runs in the Tattersalls Gold Cup [tomorrow]. She’s been off since she ran at the Breeders’ Cup last year; she had a busy year last year so it was always our intention not to start until this weekend. This looks the perfect starting point and she probably ran her career-best at the Curragh. The Pretty Polly is an option after that, and she could travel afterwards. She always takes a couple of races so I expect we’ll be able to keep her busy again. Maybe she’ll start off strong this year but she has taken a couple of runs to hit form in other years.
Maxux
4yo ch f (1961-25)
Frankel - Chrysanthemum
The last day was a bit of a mess for her [in the Mooresbridge Stakes]. It was a very slow pace, she pulled very hard and she’s not the simplest of fillies in the world. She’s having an easy time of it now and we’ll bring her back for the Pretty Polly. That and the Prix Jean Romanet will be her spots in the summer. She handles soft ground but has also won on better ground. I think she’s pretty versatile.
Midnight Strike
2yo b c (1)
Starspangledbanner - Not After Midnight
He runs in the Marble Hill [today] at the Curragh. He won really well on debut and the second horse won since at Naas. We’re looking forward to getting him out on better ground and see how he handles that. I think he’ll enjoy it. He’s got a lot of speed.
Nusret
5yo b h (Flat form: 2232160/160-)
Golden Horn - Serres
He goes for the Ascot Stakes. He’s a staying handicapper who likes cover. He might end up in a Galway Hurdle too.
Raise You
8yo ch g (15581/1215/4)
Lope De Vega - Hikari
It was a promising run on his comeback when fourth [in the Alleged Stakes] because he’d been off the track for 580 days. He goes back to the Curragh for the Orby Stakes [today], a race he won a couple of years ago.
Rogue Millenium
5yo b m (70-23215205)
Dubawi - Hawaafez
A lovely filly, a high-class filly. We’re delighted to have her, and it would be great to have a Group 1-winning filly, if she could do that, for Scott Heider and his family and team. They have supported us really well and she’s a really exciting filly. She is in the Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh [tomorrow]. We had actually entered her in the Tattersalls Gold Cup as well, and she has won at 10, so I wouldn’t be against running her over ten furlongs internationally at some stage, but we’ll start off at a mile and take it from there. She might go back to Ascot but I’m not sure. She could go for something in America next month. We’ll see how she goes at the weekend and take it from there. The Matron run is her standout from last season when second to Tahiyra. She’s a big, strong mare. I don’t know what her racing weight was before she came to us but she weighs well over 500kg and has since she arrived. She’ll probably take a race or two, but her work has been very nice, as you’d expect.
Romina Power
4yo b f (626/284519-)
Le Havre - Rockatella
She’s yet to run for us but has had a few entries and won a listed race in Germany. I’m not sure where’s she going to start off but she’s another possible for the Listed Kooyonga Stakes for fillies at Navan. She’s been a little slower to come to hand.
Scorthy Champ
2yo ch c (1)
Mehmas - Fidaaha
He won well at Leopardstown last week but I don’t think we’ll send him to Ascot. The Tyros Stakes, or possibly a race in the UK, could be on his agenda. He’s a smart horse, I’d say. A very well-bred colt as a brother to Knight and Malavath, two 110-plus horses.
Stromberg
3yo b c (2115-2)
Iffraaj - Stacey Sutton
He ran well on his first start back behind Bremen at Cork. He’ll probably run in the Gallinule on Sunday at the Curragh and then possibly the Hampton Court at Ascot.
Thornbrook
4yo b f (138-0136)
Saxon Warrior - Lillebonne
She had the option of running this weekend but we’ve decided to wait for the Ballycorus Stakes at Leopardstown on June 13. She’s just been a little bit slow to sparkle this year but she’s starting to now and winning a group race would be the main objective.
Thunder Roll
4yo ch f (233210-1)
Night Of Thunder - Swingland
She’s going to go to the Munster Oaks at Cork - it looks the logical race. She won there last time, and she will have an entry in the Pretty Polly, in case the ground happens to be slow.
Uluru
3yo b f (14-2)
Zoffany - Boucheron
We were looking at the Sandringham with her, but she might go to the new listed race at Navan [the Kooyonga Stakes on June 8]. Wayne [Hassett] rode with his wrong claim, and you have to have three runs to qualify for the Sandringham, so [going forward] I think she still carries the weight of the run that she produced, but it doesn’t qualify as a run [for Sandringham qualification]. I’m waiting on clarification and don’t know for definite at this stage. These things happen.
Uxmal
5yo b g (4/2/4212-1)
Galileo - Only Mine
He won at Killarney last week and goes for the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot - I think that will suit him. He’s a potential Melbourne Cup horse. I thought he won well the other day, though the race may have fallen apart, and he’s done nothing wrong. His form from last year has worked out and doesn’t have a penalty at Ascot. A nice stayer.
I have two two-year-olds debuting this weekend. I’ll have a nice colt called Cadogan, by Farhh, running over six furlongs at the Curragh [today]. There’s also a filly called And So To Bed in the six-furlong fillies’ maiden [tomorrow]. She’s a Kodiac, and we like them both. They’ll both run well, but they’ll be super-hot maidens, as you’d expect.