Joseph O’Brien tempted to bid for Group One glory with Al Riffa

PA Sport Reporters
August 31, 2022 2:57 pm

Colt may be supplemented for National Stakes.

Curragh maiden winner Al Riffa could make the leap to Group One company with connections considering supplementing the colt for the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes back at that track.

Beaten by the well-regarded Hans Andersen on his racecourse bow, Joseph O’Brien’s charge stepped up on that to win over seven furlongs earlier this month.

Al Riffa is entered in the Group Two KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown on September 10 – the first day of Irish Champions Weekend – but he could wait 24 hours and chase a top-level triumph instead.

Al Riffa made it second time lucky at the Curragh (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

“Al Riffa might be put into the National Stakes,” O’Brien said.

“He’s done well (since his last run). He had the option of the Futurity but we decided to wait. He’s also in the Leopardstown race as well and it will be discussed with his owner in the meantime, but I think he might end up in the National Stakes.

“He’s done well so far and it was a good maiden the last day. He’s a really nice colt.”

⭐️ Meditate – still unbeaten
🏇 Four races🥇 Four wins🏆 G2 Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes 🏆 G3 Albany Stakes💪 She shows a fine attitude to complete a four-timer for Aidan O’Brien & Ryan Moore @curraghrace @Ballydoyle pic.twitter.com/NLNRikzb4Q
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 20, 2022

The Moyglare Stud Stakes takes place on the same Curragh card and O’Brien could rely on Debutante Stakes third Thornbrook, who could clash again with the winner and second from that race, Meditate and Olivia Maralda.

The trainer said: “I think Thornbrook will be the main one, it doesn’t look like I might run another one as well as that.

“Zoinnocent is in there as well but she might wait for the Goffs Million, Caroline Street might run in a seven-furlong Group Three a couple of weeks after at the Curragh and then I have a couple of others, but Thornbrook would be the main one – probably the only one.”

Above The Curve (left) in action at Chester earlier in the year (Tim Goode/PA)

O’Brien has a strong squad to unleash over the fixture with Above The Curve due to return to action having been sidelined since winning the Group One Prix Saint-Alary at ParisLongchamp back in May.

The three-year-old holds a clutch of Champions Weekend options, but O’Brien is currently favouring the Moyglare “Jewels” Blandford Stakes at the Curragh for her.

He said: “Above The Curve is possibly is going to run in the Blandford. She had a little hold up in the spring and she’s coming back for an autumn campaign.

“She’s a nice filly, obviously a Group One winner. You’d think if she did happen to be in training next year, she’d be at least as good, maybe better.

“She’s in the Matron, but I’d say the Blandford would be the more logical race for her.”

A colt firmly on the upgrade – Point King completes a hat-trick in the Listed Jockey Club of Turkey (@_TJK_) Vinnie Roe Stakes @LeopardstownRC, scoring in good style under @ShaneCrosse for the @JosephOBrien2 team 👏 pic.twitter.com/J4A50dlEN7
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 11, 2022

Point King is unbeaten in three runs so far this year and will put his Melbourne Cup hopes to the test in the Group Three Paddy Power Stakes at Leopardstown.

O’Brien, who won the Cup with both Rekindling 2017 and Twilight Payment in 2020, said: “That (Melbourne) will be depend on how he goes in Leopardstown, but if he happened to go well then he would quite possibly go to Melbourne.

“He’s really been progressing this year. He had a lovely run at two and he’s progressed through the ranks from race to race this year.

“We had the option of sticking him into one of the Legers but this looks a nice stepping stone, Listed into Group Three company for him.”

Agartha got a win on the board last time out (Niall Carson/PA)

Agartha could fly the flag for O’Brien in the Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes at Leopardstown after registering her first win in over a year last week.

Group One placed as a juvenile, Agartha landed the Group Three Fairy Bridge Stakes at Tipperary last Friday, atoning for her previous disappointing run when coming home last of 10 in the Belmont Oaks.

O’Brien said: “It was nice to get her back on track the other day, get her head in front again as she hadn’t won for a while. She’s been a very consistent performer really, other than her one disappointing run in America when she probably didn’t get the 10 furlongs.

“She’s a great filly, she jumps and runs and that’s her style. She likes to go, you let her run along and they have to come and get her – she’s not an easy horse to pass, she always boxes on well.

“She likes Leopardstown as well. She does have an option of going back to Tipperary as well a couple of weeks after, but we’ll see. The Matron is probably more likely.”