Big-money buy Rogue Millennium to make Curragh return

Alan Magee
May 20, 2024 3:57 pm

Mare in line for Lanwades Stud Stakes debut for Joseph O’Brien.

Rogue Millennium is set to have her first run for new connections in the Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh this weekend.

A Royal Ascot winner last season for Tom Clover in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, she also finished a fine second to Tahiyra in the Matron Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend.

Sold for a whopping 1,650,000 guineas to American Scott Heider and now in training with Joseph O’Brien, the five-year-old will have some fancy targets this year.

“The plan for Rogue Millennium is the Ridgewood Pearl (Lanwades Stud Stakes) at the weekend. She looks to have settled in well and the plan is to try to win a Group One with her, obviously she’s already a Group Two winner,” said O’Brien.

“She’s a real beauty, a daughter of Dubawi. She was Group One-placed, she’s a beautiful filly and the dream is a Group One. She’s a high-class filly and I’m delighted to have her.

“I’d love to win a Group One for Scott Heider, who is a big supporter of ours. We did enter her in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, she has won over 10 furlongs but we’ll start her over a mile and see how she gets on.

“She might go to Ascot but potentially she could go for something in America, so we’ll see how she gets on this weekend.

“Her Matron run was her real standout run, she has other good form but that was a serious run. She’s a big, strong mare – well over 500 kilograms – so she’ll probably just take a race or two but her work has been very nice.”

Lumiere Rock in winning action at the Curragh last year (Damien Eagers/PA)

Another smart filly in O’Brien’s care is the Blandford Stakes winner Lumiere Rock, another due to make her seasonal debut this weekend up against Auguste Rodin.

“Lumiere Rock will run in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the weekend, hopefully. She’s been off since she ran in the Breeders’ Cup,” said O’Brien.

“She had a busy year last year so it was always our intention to start her this weekend. She won the Blandford last year, she had a good season, she was very busy, placed in a Group One in France (Prix de l’Opera) and ran great at the Breeders’ Cup.

“It’s the perfect starting point and she probably ran her career-best at the Curragh. She always takes a couple of races but I expect we’ll be able to keep her busy again. Maybe she’ll start off strong this year but she has taken a couple of runs in the past.”

Joseph O’Brien gives instructions to his riders this morning pic.twitter.com/ByDR23gLby
— irishracing.com (@irishracing) May 20, 2024

Goldana has already won a Listed race this season and was just touched off under a penalty last time out. She could take on Rogue Millennium this weekend.

O’Brien said: “Goldana didn’t get the rub of the green in Gowran the other day. She might run in the Ridgewood Pearl at the weekend if the ground isn’t too firm. She was fourth in it last year. She’d have won in another stride or two, we got it a bit wrong on the day.

“Galileo Dame (fourth in Cheshire Oaks) might go for the Gowran Classic (June 3), we’ll see what the ground is like. It’s a new race so we’ll look at that and she’ll have an entry in the Gallinule as well.

“She ran a great race in Chester, she just got back a little bit back but she was staying on well. She should be a good performer, hopefully, for her owners in the second half of the season. Her maiden has worked out very well and she does handle soft ground well.”

Another filly with lofty targets in Maxux, owned by the footballer Alvaro Odriozola.

“Maxux, the last day was a bit of a mess for her. It was a very slow pace, she pulled very hard and she’s not the simplest of fillies in the world. She’s having an easy time of it now but we’ll bring her back for the Pretty Polly,” said O’Brien.

“The Pretty Polly and the (Prix Jean) Romanet will be her spots in the summer. She handles soft but has won on better ground. I think she’s pretty versatile.”

Two more fillies in the yard with Royal Ascot ambitions are Adelaise and Gregarina.

“Adelaise won a Listed at Kempton and she’s going to Ascot for the Kensington Palace,” said O’Brien.

“She ran in it last year and finished fourth and we felt she was a bit unlucky not to win it. She’s a nice, solid filly. She progressed well last year in handicaps and stakes company without winning, so it was nice to get her head in front.

“Gregarina won the Athasi, she’s in a race in America but she’s probably going to go to Ascot for the Duke of Cambridge. She won really well the other day, she came from the back and showed a big kick to get up late. She’s a nice filly so the plan is to go to Ascot.”