Older horses
Aesop’s Fables
4yo b c (/23083330-)
No Nay Never - How’s She Cuttin’
Five furlongs is his trip really. He ran brilliant races at ParisLongchamp and at the Breeders’ Cup. We will work backwards from the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Auguste Rodin
4yo b c (/011011-)
Deep Impact - Rhododendron
He did a bit of work at Dundalk recently and has another bit of work to do this week before he ships out Saturday (today) to run in Dubai (Sheema Classic) next week.
He has done really well over the winter, he was always a beautiful mover, an unusual actioned horse but he has definitely got stronger, more muscular across his back and hips over the winter. He is an impressive physical specimen now.
Andrew is in charge of him, Davy looks after him and Rachel rides him, so they are all very happy with him. If all goes well in Dubai, we plan to bring him back for the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and then the Prince of Wales’s at Royal Ascot.
He could have a look at a dirt race after that, the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga is a race that he could run in. As a rule, Deep Impact’s are more grass horses but we were surprised the way he worked on the dirt at Santa Anita when he was there for the Breeders’ Cup, so it will be interesting to see.
Continuous
4yo b c (/382115-)
Heart’s Cry - Fluff
Won at York and then the Leger for us last year. Unfortunately, he got a setback just before he was due to go to the Japan Cup last year and has only just come back in recently. Hopefully, we can target something like the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot with him for his comeback run.
Jackie Oh
4yo ch f (12501223-)
Galileo - Jacqueline Quest
She was very progressive last year, finishing placed in two Group 1s.
She is back in training and will target the big fillies’ and mares’ races over a mile and two furlongs like the Pretty Polly Stakes and maybe go over a mile and a half in something like the Yorkshire Oaks.
Kyprios
6yo ch h (/111111/22-)
Galileo - Polished Gem
It was amazing for him to come back the way he did last year. He will have the Ascot Gold Cup as his aim again and will probably start off in that trial race at Navan (Vintage Crop Stakes) that he won two years ago.
Luxembourg
5yo b h (/512422-4)
Camelot - Attire
He had another good year last year, winning the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and was just behind Auguste Rodin at Leopardstown before running a great race in Hong Kong. He ran well in Saudi Arabia (fourth) last time and is due to fly to Dubai on Saturday (today) for the mile and one furlong Group 1 race (Dubai Duty Free) next week.
He is very consistent and we are hoping for another big run.
Brilliant
3yo b f (631327355-1)
Gleneagles - Plying
We were delighted with her when she won the Park Express Stakes at the Curragh a few days ago. She doesn’t want ground that deep but she is a hardy filly and she went in it. That was her trial and she will go for the 1000 Guineas now.
City Of Troy
3yo b c (111-)
Justify - Together Forever
He always looked a bit different, every time we worked him really. He is a very deceiving horse, medium-sized to look at but when you stand into him, he is much bigger than you think he is, which is a sign of a very well-proportioned horse.
All he can do is keep turning up and running, but he does work very different. The horses are working in very deep ground at the moment and he shouldn’t like that at all, but he has a lot of power to go through it.
The plan is for him to gallop over about seven furlongs at Naas on Sunday after racing. He will then go to the Guineas and if that went well to the Derby. And if that went well there is a chance that he could go to Saratoga for the Travers Stakes on dirt.
He is by Justify and he should be able to do dirt as easily as he does grass. John and the lads are not afraid to push him out there and see what he is able to do. It is going to be interesting and exciting.
Content
3yo b f (12614-)
Galileo - Mecca’s Angel
She had a lovely run first time but then went to Ascot and was a bit keen in a slowly-run race. She just lost her way a little bit and we had to slow her down and get her to relax. She won a Group 3 at the Curragh and came home very well in the Breeders’ Cup.
She could be a very nice filly. You have to take your time with her, if you jump her out too handy, she is inclined to do too much.
Diego Velazquez
3yo b c (116-)
Frankel - Sweepstake
Won on Irish Champions’ Weekend last year. He could be a French Derby horse. He will go to Naas on Sunday for a gallop and we will see.
Gaspar De Lemos
3yo ch c (412-)
Justify - Hence
He is a lovely horse. He will be going forward in his races and whoever gets past him will have to work.
Grosvenor Square
3yo b c (131-)
Galileo - Wadyhatta
He is a lovely horse, a half-brother to our Irish Derby winner Santiago. He won at Galway and the Group 3 race at Leopardstown (Eyrefield Stakes) at the end of the season.
He is going to start in a Derby trial, it probably won’t be the Ballysax because he would have a penalty but we are very happy with him.
Henry Adams
3yo br c (1144-)
No Nay Never - Jigsaw
He is a lovely, big uncomplicated horse. He is due to go to Dubai for the Derby on the dirt.
Henry Longfellow
3yo b c (111-)
Dubawi - Minding
Won all his races last year and looked very good in the National Stakes. He looks like a miler the way he is going but he could stretch out too. He could be more a French Derby horse than a Guineas horse. Again, he will gallop at Naas on Sunday and it will be interesting.
Illinois
3yo b c (13-)
Galileo - Danedrop
Ran a lovely race behind Los Angeles in France last year and is a nice middle-distance prospect.
Los Angeles
3yo bb c (11-)
Camelot - Frequential
He is a big, strong, powerful horse. He always worked much quicker than he should have been from the day we started working him in February/March as a two-year-old.
He won at Tipperary and then Christophe (Soumillon) was impressed with him when he won on him in France (Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud). We will go the Derby Trial route and see what will happen. He might be a Curragh (Irish Derby) horse. He will probably gallop after racing at Naas on Sunday as well with those Derby-type horses.
Mountain Bear
3yo br c (734412-)
No Nay Never - Holy Alliance
He picked up an injury at the Breeders’ Cup last year but is back in slow work now.
Navy Seal
3yo b c (5145-3)
Dubawi - Athena
He is due to go to Dubai for the Derby on the dirt. He is a No Nay Never, so he will be interesting on the dirt.
Ocean Of Dreams
3yo b c (1-)
Fastnet Rock - All For Glory
He worked well yesterday. He is still a bit of a baby because he has had only one run when he won at Leopardstown but he is a lovely horse and a well-bred one too, by Fastnet Rock and tracing back to Urban Sea. He is getting ready for the Ballysax Stakes. He too will go to Naas on Sunday for a gallop and he certainly looks a Derby Trial horse.
Opera Singer
3yo b f (81211-)
Justify - Liscanna
She is very smart, very classy, she has that huge Justify stride, she can take a lead fine but if nothing wants to go on, she will get on with it and they will have a job to follow her. What she did in France last year on Arc day (Prix Marcel Boussac) was very impressive.
She looks well but she just got a hold-up recently and missed a few weeks. She is cantering but we would have to rush her too much to get her to Newmarket, so I would imagine the Irish 1000 Guineas will probably be the earliest that she will start.
River Tiber
3yo b c (11133-)
Wootton Bassett - Transcendence
We are very pleased with him, he is working well, he is fast but relaxes and we think he is a miler. He won the Coventry last year but we just weren’t 100% happy with him on his last two races last year, in France (Prix Morny) and the Middle Park, and we think that there is a good bit more to come from him. He too is due to work after racing at Naas this Sunday.
Ylang Ylang
3yo b f (11931-)
Frankel - Shambolic
She has done well, very happy with her. So, hopefully she will start in the Guineas. She is our number one for that race. She could get a mile and a half even though she is out of a Shamardal mare. I spoke to Ryan recently and he thinks she could be an Oaks filly, the way she is relaxing now in her races, she could get a mile and a half.
She did very well to come back and do what she did last season because everything went wrong with her on her third start at the Curragh (Moyglare Stud Stakes) when she was too keen. She had to go back to Newmarket and relax and ran a lovely race to finish third. But then to come back and do what she did in the Fillies’ Mile after a tough race, you’d have to like her a lot. You just have to take your time on her.
Unquestionable
3yo b c (312421-)
Wootton Bassett - Strawberry Lace
He won at the Breeders’ Cup last year. A very uncomplicated horse who has done well. He could go to France for a trial before going back for the French 2000 Guineas. He could get a bit further too, he relaxes so he could be a French Derby horse. He too is due to work after racing at Naas on Sunday.
We always have between 110 and 120 two-year-olds here. None of them are named yet. The season is starting earlier this year and I was conscious of that and so I didn’t want to have them ready to run in that ground because if you do that with them, they won’t make it through the summer. They have to be very fit to win on the testing ground we have at the moment. We think we have two good Justifys, a colt and a filly that are out of full-sisters, Fabulous and Butterflies - who are both Galileo half-sisters to Giant’s Causeway.
We have some nice Wootton Bassetts this year, we have more of them than we have had before. There is one out of Immortal Verse that we think is smart, another colt out of Ennistymon that looks nice too. We also have nice types by Sotsass and Arizona, two exciting first-season sires.