‘There’s something very different happening’ – Paddington’s express rise shows no sign of stopping
Aidan O’Brien’s rapid improver provided yet another big-race success for Coolmore and the Ballydoyle maestro looks to hold all the aces as he chases a seventh cross-channel trainers’ title.
Another big-race winner for the all-conquering trio of Aidan O’Brien, Ryan Moore and Coolmore. It seems a recurring theme of these Eye On Europe columns, but how could it not be?
Just a week on from Auguste Rodin’s Group 1 Irish Derby success, slightly underwhelming it may have been, and the same colours were carried to victory in last weekend’s Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes.
Having last been seen landing Royal Ascot’s Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes over a mile less than three weeks prior, the son of Siyouni had been available at odds of 4-1 with bookmakers in the UK at the start of the week. But when Aidan O’Brien confirmed Paddington’s participation in the Sandown feature, a shade of odds-against was the best any bookmaker would offer…and right they were.
Clearly in good form following his most recent top-level success, Paddington was sent off an 8-11 chance in the Eclipse, despite the fact he faced what was certainly his stiffest task to date – racing beyond a mile for the first time and coming up against dual Group 1 scorer, and unfortunate 2022 Epsom Oaks runner-up, Emily Upjohn.
The colt raced in second place throughout the contest, and travelled well approaching the two-furlong marker. Moore then sent Paddington to the lead entering the closing stages, and, with his three other rivals pushing along, looked set for an easy success.
However, the outcome was not as straightforward as first seemed – main market rival Emily Upjohn, trained by father-and-son duo John and Thady Gosden, emerged as a real threat entering the final furlong.
Yet, displaying what has been one of his greatest traits (among many) during his seven-start career, Paddington turned away the challenge of the four-year-old mare, who was conceding 7lb, in ultra-game fashion to score by a half-length, never once looking like being headed.
Now, the undoubted breakout star of the flat season and, in my opinion, the most exciting horse in training, Paddington is set to return to a mile for his next outing after O’Brien confirmed he is being aimed at the Group 1 Sussex Stakes during Glorious Goodwood.
“It’s likely to be the Sussex next, that’s the way everyone is thinking at the moment. If everything goes well between now and then, it’s very possible he could go back to a mile at Goodwood next, but nothing is written in stone yet either. He’s looked very versatile,” O’Brien told the Racing Post at the start of this week.
“He did a canter this morning and we’re very happy with him.”
Reflecting on his record-breaking seventh success in the Eclipse, O’Brien said: “It went as we thought it might and Ryan gave him a beautiful ride. We were hoping they would go a nice, strong, even gallop so we would find out whether he would get a mile and a quarter or not and Ryan said in an ideal world he would have preferred for the leader to take him a little bit further, but he had to go when he was in his rhythm.
“It was perfect really. If Ryan ended up making the running that would have been fine too, but it was lovely to get a lead for as long as he did. It was a good Eclipse too. The filly [Emily Upjohn] is a good yardstick for a three-year-old.”
Paddington’s presence means that Goodwood’s £1 million feature looks likely to take place without leading older milers Triple Time and Inspiral, the first and second from last month’s Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes. The Ballydoyle colt was cut from a best-priced evens to 1-2 by wary bookmakers following O’Brien’s update on plans.
Triple Time’s trainer Kevin Ryan revealed that the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois was now the preferred target for his horse, while connections of Inspiral said she could also head to France instead of Goodwood, with Cheveley Park Stud’s managing director Chris Richardson citing Paddington as a reason for the potential bypass.
“We’re considering the Sussex Stakes and the Jacques le Marois as well,” Richardson said.
“The Sussex Stakes is an option but Paddington was very impressive on Saturday. He looks formidable, but we know she runs well fresh and those are the two races we’re considering.”
One horse that springs to mind immediately when assessing the current career of Paddington is Giant’s Causeway, or, as he was also known, the ‘Iron Horse’.
Having finished a neck runner-up in the Group 1 Irish 2,000 Guineas, a race that Paddington won by two lengths, Giant’s Causeway then strung together victories in the St James’ Palace Stakes and Coral-Eclipse, before going on to land the Sussex Stakes, Group 1 International Stakes at York and Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes, while also hitting the bar on his final two starts in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot and Churchill Downs’ Breeders’ Cup Classic, both at the highest level.
When asked if Paddington had any similarities with Giant’s Causeway, O’Brien said: “The surprising thing about him is the progression he’s making from race to race. He’s getting more confident, stronger, bigger. Mentally he’s more professional, and he came out of Ascot in an unusually good way.
“It’s very surprising what he’s doing. He’s a lot quicker than Giant’s Causeway, his constitution is amazing too. Giant always ran at the same weight, but this horse is getting heavier so physically he’s doing very well. He’s surprised us so much with every run. There’s something very different happening.”
It may be that Paddington follows the exact same route that Giant’s Causeway did in his three-year-old season in 2000, however, if he was mine, I’d be keeping my eye constantly on the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe over a mile and a half on October 1.
Auguste Rodin to provide O’Brien with extra options as trainers’ title calls
If the brilliance of Paddington was not enough, Aidan O’Brien will continue through the British and Irish summer with two powerful strings to his bow as he chases a first British-Irish trainers’ title double since 2017.
O’Brien first scooped the cross-channel crown in 2001 when Galileo’s Epsom Derby and Group 1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes victories proved instrumental in him becoming just the third Irish-based trainer to pull off the feat.
Paddy Prendergast won three in a row between 1963-65 and Vincent O’Brien was successful twice, in 1966 and 1977. The latter’s Ballydoyle successor also came out on top in 2002, 2007, 2008 and 2016 and 2017.
O’Brien currently sits £312,771 behind the Gosdens in his pursuit of the UK Flat Trainers Championship, amassing an impressive £3,171,471 with 12 winners and 26 placed horses from 55 runners, while he is already €2 million in front of his son Joseph in the Irish equivalent, a title that looks sewn up already.
Both Auguste Rodin and Paddington look the keyholders to O’Brien’s chance of lifting the UK title once again. The former is also headed for an elite-level race on British soil next, the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot on July 29, a race with a total prize pool of £1.25 million, the lion’s share of which will go to the winner.
Name To Note – Warnie
Having made a promising debut when beaten just three lengths as the only debutant in last month’s Listed Chesham Stakes over seven furlongs at Royal Ascot, the Joseph O’Brien-trained Warnie (Highland Reel) had no trouble in winning his second start at Bellewstown last week. Ridden by Dylan Browne McMonagle, the colt was sent off as the 10-11 favourite and, although waiting for a gap with just two furlongs of the mile trip left to run, found room with a furlong from home and produced a strong finishing effort to beat Captain Maverick by three and three-quarter lengths going away. Having previously been sold for 18,000gns at Book 3 of last year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Warnie, who is named after the late legendary Australian cricketer Shane Warne, was then picked up for 65,000gns by owners Bennett Racing in conjunction with Blandford Bloodstock at the Tattersalls Guineas Sale in May. The fourth foal out of the winning Footstepsinthesand mare Cumbfree, herself a half-sister to Listed scorer On Call Now, Warnie is a half-brother to winner Mutaraafeq. Warnie holds an entry in the Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh on September 10.