• PA Sport Reporters
• July 26, 2024 2:19 pm

Aidan O’Brien: ‘Last year, it was soft ground and we probably held him up too much.’

Auguste Rodin will bid for King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes redemption at Ascot on Saturday, where he could also set up a tantalising tilt at the Japan Cup.

There is no doubting the star quality of Aidan O’Brien’s four-year-old, who has dazzled on numerous occasions throughout his career and boasts six Group One triumphs.

However, one major blip came when sent off favourite in this very race 12 months ago, where he trailed in last of the 10 runners in the hands of Ryan Moore.

He somewhat proved that was only a minor setback by going on to score in both the Irish Champion Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Turf at the back end of the season, with O’Brien putting his Ascot defeat down to both ground conditions and the instructions he gave his jockey.

The Ballydoyle handler said: “Last year, it was soft ground and we probably held him up too much.

“When Ryan felt he wasn’t going to win, he just eased him back out of it. Ryan does that sometimes and his run was a lot better than it looked, he was thinking of the next day. But he came out of the race very well.”

Auguste Rodin flopped again in March’s Dubai Sheema Classic but after a solid Tattersalls Gold Cup second, he went some way to erasing any Ascot demons when getting off the mark at four with a terrific display in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at the Royal meeting.

A moment for the history books: Aidan O’Brien has achieved his 400th Group 1 win with AUGUSTE RODIN in The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes! Congratulations to Ryan Moore and bravo to all the Coolmore Partners. #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/CEqjXLlZtx

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 19, 2024

The Coolmore team are already eyeing taking the son of Deep Impact back to his father’s homeland for a shot at the Japan Cup.

“We’re very happy with him. The plan was always to go to Ascot after the Prince of Wales’s Stakes,” continued O’Brien.

“He will have one more run at the King George. We may go somewhere after that, but the ultimate goal is to get him to the Japan Cup, which would be very exciting.”

Joining Auguste Rodin on the Ballydoyle teamsheet is Coronation Cup scorer Luxembourg – who will attempt to better last year’s fourth in this event – with Hans Andersen also making the trip from Tipperary.

“Luxembourg, we’re very happy with him,” added O’Brien. “He won the Coronation Cup over a mile and a half and we thought it would suit him well. He’s in very good form.”

Like Auguste Rodin, Charlie Appleby’s Rebel’s Romance is on the Breeders’ Cup Turf roll of honour and the globetrotting star attempts to not only register a first top-level success on home soil, but also extend a four-race winning run, having excelled at both Meydan and Sha Tin in his most recent outings.

The Moulton Paddocks handler got his hands on this trophy in 2021 with Adayar and told www.godolphin.com: “It’s great to be part of such a historic race. There looks to be plenty of strength in depth in this year’s renewal, but we are very happy with Rebel’s Romance.

“He has earned his reputation on the international stage, and the only real omission on his CV is a Group One win in England. This looks a decent opportunity to fill that gap and he has come out of Hong Kong in great shape.

“Rebel’s Romance is a very uncomplicated horse these days and a true professional. It has been a faultless campaign so far and we feel he is a big player here.”

Adding further intrigue to the contest is Ralph Beckett’s Bluestocking, the only filly in the race, and a contender riding the crest of the wave after notching her first Group One success in the Pretty Polly Stakes – a victory which booked her ticket to this red-hot event.

“It’s the King George and they are the best of the best,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“Auguste Rodin and Rebel’s Romance are both top class and Luxemburg is a Group One winner on his last start, there is no shortage in quality from top to bottom. It’s going to be a top renewal and it’s nice to have a filly good enough to partake in it.

“She’s definitely matured a lot and last year, in fairness, she was probably a little weak. She was gallant in her efforts, but probably just had a bit of weakness, which wasn’t able to carry her through the line.

“This year, she has strengthened and Ralph has been very happy with her, she worked very well last Saturday and I think we’re in a good place, so hopefully we see that on Saturday.”

Francis-Henri Graffard’s French raider Goliath was second in the Hardwicke Stakes over track and trip last month and will have the assistance of Christophe Soumillon seeking to go one better, while third on that occasion was John and Thady Gosden’s Middle Earth, who is also in the mix.

His jockey Oisin Murphy felt the Australia-bound son of Roaring Lion was caught out by the lack of pace in that Group Two event, but believes he has the ideal spot in stall four to play a major part this time.

He said: “Middle Earth was caught out by a slow pace in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot, I should have tried to get more forward on him.

“He doesn’t break that well but I have a lovely draw alongside Rebel’s Romance and when looking at the race make-up, I thought Rebel’s Romance and Auguste Rodin would be towards the front end.

“Hopefully, I can get close to them throughout the race and although he has plenty to find on ratings, he is a horse who still has plenty of improvement in him.”

Middle Earth’s owners Qatar Racing also have an interest in David Menuisier’s Irish Derby runner-up Sunway, who is the sole three-year-old in the contest representing the Classic generation.

“It seems to be the trend these days that less and less three-year-olds run in the race, but you have to try them against older horses some time and they get an 11lb allowance,” said the Sussex-based Frenchman ahead of this British Champion Series contest.

“This is only the second race for them this summer, and a three-year-old won the first of them (City Of Troy in the Eclipse), so it’s doable.

“Sunway was possibly caught in traffic a bit at a crucial stage in Ireland, but we came back from there really chuffed because he’d vindicated what we thought of him, not thinking we were unlucky in the way Tamfana was in the 1000 Guineas.

“It took him a while to come to himself this season, and I’m not sure why, but he was a different horse already in the Prix du Jockey Club, where he nearly fell over coming out of the stalls, and the faster ground in Ireland worked in his favour, as I think he thrives on quick conditions and in fast-run races, even though he won on testing ground last year.

“Having taken so long to come to himself, I didn’t want to stop, and he came out of Ireland absolutely buzzing – kicking and bucking as if it hadn’t taken too much out of him. All the lights are green.”

William Haggas’ Dubai Honour completes the field, having won over this trip for the first time in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last month.

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