Tabor full of praise for O’Brien and his belief in Auguste Rodin

PA Sport Reporters
September 9, 2023 4:00 pm

‘As usual he’s full of praise for everyone else, but he’s the man’.

Michael Tabor was quick to lavish praise on Aidan O’Brien after the trainer masterminded another comeback of remarkable proportions from Auguste Rodin to win the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes.

Tabor owns the majority of O’Brien’s star-studded Ballydoyle string along with John Magnier and Derrick Smith, while George Westerberg, another of Auguste Rodin’s owners, is taking an increasingly prominent role.

Auguste Rodin’s season has really been a tale of all or nothing. Beaten out of sight in the 2000 Guineas, O’Brien got him back in top shape to win the Derby. He then followed up in the Irish equivalent, only to completely blow out in the King George at Ascot.

It would have been easy to think too many question marks surrounded him this time, but Tabor insisted O’Brien filled him with confidence.

“In the paddock Aidan was very confident and it surprised me how confident he was. As usual he’s full of praise for everyone else, but he’s the man. He’s produced the animal to perfection on the day,” said Tabor.

“It’s so difficult because when you see a horse run so poorly like that (at Ascot), and then you speak to Aidan afterwards and he’s still full of confidence and he seems to know the reasons why the horse perhaps ran badly.

“As you can see he just brings them back to their best and we all have off days.”

The winning connections of Auguste Rodin (Damien Eagers/PA)

Tabor went on: “We always knew from Aidan that this horse had that special brilliance. He kept saying it and if he says it you have to believe it, and the horse has shown it.

“Everything is possible with him now. Obviously Derrick, John, George and myself will discuss it with Aidan going forward and the world is his oyster, so to speak.

“As John Magnier reminds me, we aren’t getting any younger so we want to enjoy the horses as much as anyone else.

“If the horse tells Aidan that he’s in good condition, as he has been today, I would think we’ll carry on.

“The Breeders’ Cup has always been very special to us and if the horse is right I see no reason why he wouldn’t go. Maybe Derrick, John and George will have a different view, but I’m hoping they’ll agree with yer man and myself!”