JOSEPH O’Brien has made a fine start to his training career and with around 45 flat horses to run for the remainder of the season (a few of those will run at Dundalk over the winter), he has a lot to look forward to.
“I get a bigger kick out of training winners than I did when I was riding them. When you rode them, you got off them and to an extent that was that. But training them is very time consuming, but I love it,” he told The Irish Field.
“You are always thinking about the next day – where to run them and how they are working and what work to do with them. We have a good routine going and when they win or run well, it’s great.
“We have a nice bunch of flat horses.
Some of them will go on and jump a hurdle at some stage, but I am very happy with how things have been going and the horses have been running well and that is the main thing.”
ALONG THE SHORE
4yo b f (-3048200)
Dylan Thomas - Golden Dancer
Annus Mirabilis Syndicate
She has been a bit disappointing, but in fairness to her, she does try hard and we’ll try and get her to win another handicap.
AMBIGUITY
2yo b c (123066)
Fastnet Rock – Descant
Mrs A.M. O’Brien
We thought early on that he was good. He won well the first day and was third in the Marble Hill, but he disappointed on his last two runs.
We’d like to think that he is better than that and he is in the Phoenix Stakes on Sunday and he might go there. He has loads of pace and we always thought he wanted better ground, but he has handled soft ground well, so I don’t think ground is that important to him.
ARCADA
2yo b c (841)
Rip Van Winkle – Applause
Lloyd J Williams
He is a nice horse. He ran a nice race on his debut at Leopardstown and he was found out by soft ground after that at the Curragh. He won well after that on Oaks weekend at the Curragh on what was lovely ground.
He is a very good mover and appreciates good ground. He won in the style of a nice horse at the Curragh and if he missed Tipperary, we might look at the Beresford for him but we’ll try and find something for him beforehand. I can see him getting a mile this season and hopefully he’ll develop into a nice horse for us next season.
ARYA TARA
3yo b f (-311117)
Dylan Thomas - Anadiyla
Mrs A.M. O’Brien
She has done very well for us this season. She ran a bit below her best at Cork, but it was great to get her to win a listed race at Leopardstown. She is versatile ground wise – she has won with an ease and it was heavy when she won at Roscommon, so I don’t think ground is a huge issue for her.
She will remain on the flat and while she has improved a lot to get to this far, there is no reason why she won’t improve again and stay a bit further as well. I’d say there is every chance that she will remain in training next year.
She is in the Leger Trial and she might go there, but we’ll see how she comes out of Cork first.
BIRTHPLACE
3yo ch c F (-581100U) NH (9)
Galileo - Ask For The Moon
Annus Mirabilis Syndicate
He has won a couple on the flat and he was in the process of running well over hurdles at Roscommon only to make a mistake at the last.
He had jumped well at home and I’d imagine that he will mix it away over hurdles and the flat. His best form is on good ground so the ground would have been a bit slow for him at Roscommon.
CREDIT THE GIVER
4yo b g -(117336)
Bushranger - Irina
Mrs A.M. O’Brien
He is not an easy horse to train, but he has still won two for us this year. He might just need a bit of leeway from the handicapper, but he might get a mile and a half and hopefully he will win again.
EAGLE SPIRIT
2yo b c (3126)
Holy Roman Emperor - Romie’s Kastett
M.V Magnier
He is a nice horse. He ran well first time out and then won well at Leopardstown.
He was a little unlucky not to win at Killarney and we ran him back a bit quick in the Tyros where he ran a bit keen. He remains a good horse and we’ll look at something like the Beresford Stakes for him. I’d say seven or a mile on nice ground is what he wants. I’d be inclined to put a line through his run in the Tyros and he is better than that.
EPITAPH
2yo b g (36)
Henrythenavigator - Chartres
Mrs A.M. O’Brien
He ran well first time out at Bellewstown and I’d say seven was a bit short for him the last day. He wouldn’t want soft ground, but I’d like to think that he’ll win his maiden over a mile this season. He is a nice horse and will be better over a trip next year.
HYZENTHLAY
2yo b f (1800)
Henrythenavigator - Anka Britannia
Mrs A.M. O’Brien
She won well first time out, but has disappointed since. She is not the easiest of rides and we have tried to get some blacktype for her, so we’ll drop her in grade now and try and get her confidence back. She is a speedy filly and would appreciate six or seven furlongs and nice ground.
INEFFABLE
3yo b g (-312157)
Fastnet Rock (AUS) – Leonia
Mrs A.M. O’Brien
He has won a couple for us and he likes Dundalk. He ran a nice race at Galway last week and that was his first run back after a break. He should be competitive off his mark and is another that we’ll have for Dundalk.
INTRICATELY
2yo b f (13)
Fastnet Rock (AUS) - Inner Realm
Mrs A.M. O’Brien
She has always worked like a nice filly. We expected her to be a bit greener than she was the first day at Gowran, but she won well and after that she ran a fine race to be third in the Silver Flash at Leopardstown. That looked a very good race and my filly has only had the two runs and you’d expect her to improve again.
She is in the Debutante and we’ll look at the Moyglare for her. I’d say seven or a mile will suit her well and any ground bar heavy will be fine for her. She is bred to get better – she is out of a Galileo mare – so hopefully she will get better as the year goes on.
LORD JUSTICE
3yo b g (-26324)
Zoffany - Roselita
Annus Mirabilis Syndicate
He has been threatening to win, but he has schooled well enough over hurdles. The chances are that he’ll run again on the flat before we send him over hurdles.
MAJESTIC FLYER
2yo b f (8)
Majestic Missile - Starisa
T.A. Shirley
She ran a nice race at Bellewstown and ran better than her finishing position would suggest. I’d imagine that she will find her own level and we’ll get her out again in another maiden reasonably soon.
MOTHERLAND
3yo ch c (6311)
Galileo - Pipalong
Annus Mirabilis Syndicate
He stepped up a lot the last day when he won at Galway. He might have been flattered a little bit by how the race was run, but the handicapper put him up to 107. He is in the Leger Trial and I’d imagine he’ll go for something like that and he might develop into a horse for the English Leger.
Off his new rating, he would have been fourth or fifth in the Derby. Looking back at last week, we thought he was handicapped nicely to win. He had won well at Ballinrobe and they went a good gallop at Galway – he sat in second and he does stay well.
There is no doubt that he is a decent horse. He has a high mark now and it will be a big step up for him from winning a three-year-old handicap to take on group horses, but we’ll have to see how that goes. Having said that, he is bred to be a good horse and hopefully he’ll make into a stakes horses. He does stay well and he would prefer nice ground as well.
NO BIGGIE
3yo b g (-9644183100)
Lord Shanakill - Anka Britannia
Mrs A.M. O’Brien
He has been a consistent little horse for us. He has won twice and while he disappointed us a bit the last day, he pays his way well and he will be kept on the go and should win more races for us over the winter. I’d say a mile and a quarter/mile and a half on nice ground is what he wants.
PERPLEXITY
2yo b f (834)
Mastercraftsman – Sleeveless
Annus Mirabilis Syndicate
She has always worked very well, but she has yet to produce it on the racecourse. She has met with a little setback so she’ll be off for a while.
PRONOUNCED
2yo b c (77857)
Power - Le Montrachet
Mrs A.M. O’Brien
It has taken him a few runs to get the hang of things. He ran okay in the nursery at Galway but the race wasn’t run to suit. Hopefully he’ll be capable of winning off his mark. A mile on fast ground will see him in a better light.
RECKLESS GOLD
3yo ch c (32-18)
Pivotal - Golden Shadow
Maxwell Morris
He looked a nice horse when he won his maiden at the Curragh. He had a little setback in the spring so he missed a bit of time, but he looked a smart horse when he won his maiden. He appreciated the bit of nice ground that day.
RUBY GATES
3yo b f (524878)
Avonbridge - Wild Academy
Maxwell Morris
She hasn’t had her ground yet – she wants good ground. She has been placed at Dundalk so that is an option for her but I think she can win a handicap off her mark. She is lightly raced so you’d hope that when she races on a bit of nice ground, that she will improve.
SONG OF LOVE
4yo bg (-36890)
Fastnet Rock - Delicate Charm
Annus Mirabilis Syndicate
He likes Dundalk and a bit of nice ground. He hasn’t really has his ground this year, but he is capable of paying his way in Dundalk over the winter.
SPIRIT OF TIME
3yo b f (084-305)
Zoffany - Blue Dream
Mrs A.M. O’Brien
She is a small little filly. She ran well on her first run of the year at Dundalk. She has had a little break and we’ll have her back for Dundalk for the winter where, hopefully, she might win a little race.
SEA OF BLUE
4yo b f (-13122345475)
Fastnet Rock - Song of The Sea
Mrs A.M. O’Brien
She is consistent filly that likes Dundalk. She runs her race all the time and when things fall right for her, she should be up to winning again. Anywhere from a mile and a half to a mile six seems to suit her well and she’ll be kept on go at Dundalk over the winter.
SWEETASEVER
2yo b f (575)
Power - In My Dreams
Mrs A.M. O’Brien
She is rated 67 and we think that she is capable of running well off her mark. She wouldn’t want the ground too soft.
UDOGO
4yo b g (-59913432)
Lucky Story – Welanga
Annus Mirabilis Syndicate
He has been a very consistent horse for us and he rarely runs a bad race. He has won around Dundalk and he jumps well so he has that option as well. He takes his racing well and he will be kept on the go at Dundalk and we might get him going over hurdles as well.
WAY TO MY HEART
3yo b f (-3770)
Galileo - Mystical Lady
Mrs A.M. O’Brien
She is a well bred filly that we’d love to win a race with. To get a bracket for her would be important and she will be kept for Dundalk for the winter.
ZIG ZAG
3yo b g (-767515)
Zoffany - Le Montrachet
Annus Mirabilis Syndicate
He is a grand horse and has always worked well. It was nice to get him to win on the flat at Gowran and he jumps well, so he’ll be going three-year-old hurdling pretty soon. He will mix it away.