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| Sumita Pawar |
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Aidan O’Brien has suggested that Auguste Rodin, the standout 3YO from last year, might kick off his 2024 season by participating in the Dubai Sheema Classic.
Auguste Rodin, a triumphant performer in the Derby, Irish Derby, Irish Champion Stakes, and the Breeders’ Cup Turf, showcased O’Brien's adept management skills, enabling the colt to rebound from setbacks in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the King George at Ascot.
Claiming victories at the highest level in four prestigious races across three different countries affirmed O’Brien's belief in the extraordinary capabilities of Auguste Rodin, sired by Japanese sensation Deep Impact.
The decision to keep him in training was a courageous move by the connections, and O’Brien seems intent on avoiding excessive caution, with potential plans already in motion for the initial part of the season and even the prospect of challenging the world's best dirt races later in the year.
Speaking on a media call regarding the 2023 European Classifications, which saw his City Of Troy lead the way, O’Brien said, “I suppose with Auguste Rodin this year we are going to start off probably in Dubai (March 30), then he might come back to the Curragh for the Tattersalls (Gold Cup), then he could go to Ascot for the Prince of Wales’s.
“Then after that it is possible we could have a look at dirt and see what happens because when we cantered him on the dirt at the Breeders’ Cup he was loving it.”