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| Staff Writer |
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Auguste Rodin is gearing up for a busy start to the season, beginning with a race in the Sheema Classic in Dubai. After that, Aidan O'Brien's horse, a dual Derby and Breeders' Cup winner, is slated to compete in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, followed by a trip to Royal Ascot.
Following these races, the connections will assess the situation. Despite being by Deep Impact, known for grass races, O'Brien is considering the possibility of competing on dirt tracks due to the impressive performance Auguste Rodin showed during training sessions for the Breeders' Cup.
“Auguste Rodin has another bit of work to do before he goes on Saturday, but everything looks good at the moment. It’s his first run of the year but we’re very happy with him,” he said.
“The plan was he goes there, then he could go to the Curragh for the Tattersalls and then Ascot for the Prince of Wales’s.
“After that, we could have a look at a dirt race with him after that, we’ll see how that goes. He could go to Saratoga. The world has gone small now.
“His season will be split in two really, with a busy first half and then a break.
“As a rule, Deep Impacts are mainly turf horses, but we were surprised how well he worked on the dirt at the Breeders’ Cup, he floated over it. He has an unusual action, so it will be interesting to see.”
Another enduring member of the stable set to make a comeback is Kyprios, who was absent for most of last season but managed to secure second place in both the Irish St Leger and at Ascot on Champions Day.
Kyprios will follow the traditional O'Brien path to the Gold Cup at Ascot, targeting the Vintage Crop Stakes and the Saval Beg races early on.
“It was amazing he came back, I couldn’t believe it. He seems in good form, he’ll go to Navan and then he’ll go to Leopardstown, that’s the plan, the usual Ascot (Gold Cup) route,” said O’Brien.
Regarding the 2YOs, no names have been announced yet, but there are several that have caught the careful attention of those at Ballydoyle.
“None of the 2YOs are named yet, but we think we have two good Justifys, out of two sisters (Fabulous and Butterflies),” said O’Brien.
“We’ve some nice Wootton Bassetts this year, more than we’ve had before. We’re starting (the season) earlier and I was conscious that I didn’t want to have them ready to run in that ground because they have to be very fit, so if they are, they won’t make it through the summer.
“The Wootton Bassett out of Immortal Verse looks very smart, as does the Wootton Bassett out of Ennistymon. We’re just going gently with them.
“Wootton Bassett looks very different, we only had two colts last year and they were both very good – River Tiber and Unquestionable.”