Auguste Rodin looks to have very bright future

Alan Magee
September 10, 2022 2:38 pm

Group Ones at Doncaster or Newmarket on the radar for O’Brien youngster.

Auguste Rodin was an impressive winner of the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown.

The Deep Impact colt was the 11-10 favourite for Ryan Moore and Aidan O’Brien, travelling behind the leading pair in the early stages of the one-mile Group Two contest.

Having inched into the race he took up the lead at the furlong marker, holding off all four rivals to cross the line a length and a half ahead of runner-up Caroline Street. The winner’s stablemate Tower Of London had taken them along with Serious Challenge, but dropped away tamely in the straight.

Auguste Rodin winning at Leopardstown (Donall Farmer/PA)

O’Brien said: “He was just ready off his break and will come forward plenty from it.

“He travelled and he’s a lovely mover, so he will appreciate nice ground when he gets it.

“Ryan said he had to go a little bit earlier than he wanted, but we’re very happy with him really.

“His dam (Rhododendron) was very good and he’s by Deep Impact. He’s a horse with a lot of quality.

“He has a beautiful physique and a good nature and always went through his work very impressively. He’s matured into a lovely horse.

“To send a mare to Japan at the time was incredible foresight and it was maybe the last year of Deep Impact. To get a horse like him out of a Galileo champion mare is incredible really.”

Aidan O'Brien predicts a big future for Auguste Robin — Aidan O’Brien predicts a big future for Auguste Robin (PA)

Auguste Rodin could head next to Doncaster or Newmarket and was cut from 16-1 to 12-1 with Coral for both the 2000 Guineas and the Derby.

“He could be a Vertem Futurity or Dewhurst horse, he has plenty of class and quality and will probably sharpen up a lot from the race,” O’Brien said.

“We thought he could be the type of horse who could do both (2000 Guineas and Derby), he could be a Derby horse that could start in the Guineas. He could end up a middle-distance horse, a mile and a quarter horse that could get a mile and a half. But a mile, mile-and-a-quarter horse we thought.”