O’Brien admits inside route backfired for Auguste Rodin

Molly Hunter
July 30, 2024 5:38 pm

Multiple Group One winner disappointed in the King George for a second time.

Aidan O’Brien feels tactics may have also played a hand in Auguste Rodin’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes defeat, along with the ground.

O’Brien voiced some concerns following the race on Saturday that the going was softer than the officially described good to firm.

In the immediate aftermath, the record-breaking Ballydoyle handler said: “When we walked the track, we were very worried then. It was good, good to soft in places. Nowhere was it good to firm and it was cut up on the rails, it was full of sand.”

He felt that did not suit the son of Deep Impact who, despite winning six Group Ones, has also severely disappointed on occasions, including in the King George 12 months ago.

“Auguste Rodin is an incredible, classy horse, he’s not a down-and-dirty street fighter, he never was, he’s all class,” said O’Brien on Tuesday.

“In the race, he got trapped down the inside on bad ground where he was. We know he is a mile and a quarter horse that gets a mile and a half, but he’s not a grueller.

“What I think happened was we put a strong pace on, which we were always going to do. The ground was well watered inside and had sand put in it, so it rode much slower than we thought it would.

“When I walked the track, I had a thing in my head, maybe we should keep out of the ground altogether. Then, in the race before, the horse went around and won on the rail, so we decided we couldn’t do that.

“Ryan ended up on the rail with William (Buick, on Rebel’s Romance) on his outside and they were tight. The position he ended up in, with the sand coming back in his face, the slowish ground, he ran out of stamina.”