O’Brien in seventh heaven after Auguste Rodin bags Breeders’ Cup Turf
The peerless Aidan O’Brien wrote another page in horseracing history when Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact) provided the Irish trainer with an unparalleled seventh win in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf (Gr 1, 12f) at Santa Anita.
Already the winner of both the Epsom and Irish Derbies (Gr 1, 1m 4f), plus the Irish Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 2f) this season, the colt ensured he will be an even more valuable commodity when he eventually heads off to stud when adding the most illustrious turf race in the US to his bumper haul as a three-year-old.
The beneficiary of a sublimely confident rail hugging ride from Ryan Moore, Auguste Rodin, who was sent off the 5-2 favourite, made smooth headway from over two furlongs out, before making a quick forward move on inside to lead over a furlong out, and then kept on well final stages.
Three-time Grade 1 winner Up To The Mark (Not This Time) kept on well late on but could make no impression on the winner, getting to a never closer three-quarters of a length crossing the line, while Japan’s Shahryar (Deep Impact), the winner of last year’s Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr 1, 2400m), did not have the pace to challenge, finishing a further half-length away in third.
O’Brien, who was celebrating his 18th Breeders’ Cup winner, heaped praise on Moore, who is widely regarded as the best rider in the world.
“It was incredible and Ryan had incredible confidence in him,” the winning trainer said.
“Ryan had faith in him and you can see the pace he has. He doesn’t do much when he gets in front, which was a little worry, but he’s a super horse.
“During the week I couldn’t believe how he was cantering on the dirt and I asked myself if we’d done the right thing and should we have been in the Classic.”
Bred to be a star, Auguste Rodin is by Japanese legend Deep Impact (Sunday Silence) and out of the three-time Group 1–winning Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) mare Rhododendron.
As well as his cluster of elite-level wins this season, he was also a winner of the Futurity Trophy (Gr 1, 1m) at two, with Saturday’s win taking his career record to seven successes from ten starts and a prize-money haul of more than AU$7.6 million.
Asked about Auguste Rodin’s future, O’Brien said: “He’s so important to the breed. He brings the best of two continents together and we’re so lucky to have him.
“I’m delighted for the owners as they put so much in. John [Magnier] sent the mare to Japan for this and she was one of the best Galileo mares we ever had.”
While the win brought up an 18th at the meeting for O’Brien, Moore, who will ride favourite Vauban (Galiway) in tomorrow’s Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 2400m), is now just four behind him.
Reflecting on his widely praised ride, the winning rider said: “He started well, but I got squeezed a bit and it was messy crossing the main track. Horses were all over the place and there was no rhythm early, and all I wanted to do was get him into a rhythm.
“I wasn’t able to do that and I was caught back further than ideal, so thought I had to do something a bit different as it was going to be hard to come around them, but we went to one of the last resorts and we got a lovely run round.
“He got to the front quickly and then he waited, as he always does. He’s been an unbelievable horse and we’ve always thought the world of him. He’s got a special pedigree and we thought this was the perfect race for him.
“He’s a brave horse who has won a Group 1 as a two-year-old, a Derby, an Irish Derby, an Irish Champion Stakes and it was a deep field, but Aidan had him in unbelievable shape. He’s been a pleasure to ride and I’ve enjoyed every minute of him.”
O’Brien first won the Turf in 2002 with High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells), who dead-heated in the race a year later, while his son Joseph partnered St Nicholas Abbey (Montjeu) to a memorable victory in the 2011 running of the race. Magician (Galileo), Found (Galileo) and Highland Reel (Galileo), who finished third behind Winx (Street Cry) in the 2015 Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m), also won the Breeders’ Cup Turf for the trainer.