Aidan O’Brien was not ruling out a tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Kyprios after the popular stayer took back his crown in the Comer Group International Irish St Leger at the Curragh.
Aidan O’Brien was not ruling out a tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Kyprios after the popular stayer took back his crown in the Comer Group International Irish St Leger at the Curragh.
The son of Galileo carried all before him in 2022, winning the Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup, Irish St Leger and Prix du Cadran on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp, but suffered a life-threatening injury the following spring and was beaten on his Irish Leger comeback and again on Champions Day at Ascot, albeit performing with credit given the circumstances.
The six-year-old has returned to his very best this season, however, regaining the Gold Cup and the Goodwood Cup, and it was no surprise he was the 2-5 favourite market leader to do the same in the final Classic of the year on home soil.
After tracking his pacesetting stablemate The Euphrates for much of the one-mile-six-furlong contest, Kyprios was bustled into the lead at the top of the home straight as Ryan Moore looked to draw the finish out of Marco Botti’s Yorkshire Cup and Princess of Wales’s Stakes hero Giavellotto.
The latter was travelling ominously well in the hands of Oisin Murphy but was unable to reel in the hot favourite, who galloped on remorselessly to prevail by two and a quarter lengths.
The Willie Mullins-trained Vauban came from the rear of the field to throw down his challenge and split Kyprios and Giavellotto in second.
“He’s so special and we can see what he did there today,” O’Brien said.
“He’s a very, very special horse and every year he seems to be improving. That even looks to be his best again. Ryan said he won so easy.
“It’s a special place and a special race and these kind of horses are once in a lifetime.
“In the Ascot Gold Cup very few horses are able to get that far (two and a half miles), but this horse has serious class as well.
“He’s so genuine to get through what he did and still be the way he is and stay the way he does and relax the way he does. He’s one in a million.”
Paddy Power make Kyprios their 4-6 favourite from 11-10 for the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup while offering 25-1 from 50-1 for the Arc.
When asked if he could run again this year, O’Brien added: “I’m not sure, he doesn’t have to. The way we approach every race is that we see how he is and have a chat and then see if we go again.
“He looks very fresh there. He could run in an Arc, we knew that, at any time. It’s important to mind him, do the right thing for him, and let him tell us how he is and where he wants to go at that time of the year.
“There is only one Arc and he has a serious engine. He just doesn’t get tired, he keeps going.”
Bradsell blazes to Flying Five glory
Bradsell produced another blistering display to supplement last month’s Nunthorpe success with another Group 1 victory in the Bar One Racing Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh.
Having sat out the first half of the season before a comeback victory in Listed company at Deauville, Archie Watson’s speedball has quickly confirmed himself as the real deal in the five-furlong division.
Having won the Nunthorpe at York just over three weeks ago with something to spare, the four-year-old was sent off the 2-1 favourite to follow up and broke smartly to ensure he was right in the firing line from the off in the hands of Hollie Doyle.
After taking over the lead from fellow British raider Washington Heights racing inside the final two furlongs, Bradsell quickly drew clear of the chasing pack to win by a decisive length and a quarter.
George Boughey’s admirable mare Believing, runner-up in the Nunthorpe, got rolling late further across the track to again pick up second place.
“To be fair it was pretty easy watching. There wasn’t really a moment where you had any worries. He was imperious really,” said Watson.
“He never looked like being beat, he kicked clear and he’s done it very well.
“I was surprised he wasn’t favourite for the Nunthorpe and was surprised this morning when there was a bit of negativity about the horse. I thought he was by far the best sprinter around and I hope that he’s showing people that he is.
“He’s just got so much speed, so much class, he’s tough and he’s just a pleasure to have anything to do with.”
Paddy Power make Bradsell their 5-2 favourite from 4-1 for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, while the Prix de l’Abbaye in three weeks’ time at ParisLongchamp is also likely to come under consideration.
Watson added: “There are two more obvious races. The Abbaye is one, but I wouldn’t want it to be horrible ground or for him to be drawn stupidly high. If he got a good draw on alright ground there you’d say again he’d be very hard to beat.
“Then there is the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar which should be right up his street, a very quick five. One or both of those, all being well, would be the plan.”
When asked if Bradsell could return as a five-year-old next season, the trainer said: “I hope so. He’s very good, he’s obviously had a slightly truncated career and he hasn’t really had a full season yet.
“I might have the best two-year-old five-furlong horse in my yard in Aesterius so it depends on what’s coming through and will be three-year-olds next year.
“I’d obviously love to have this horse to run throughout the year in all these divisions because I’d say he’d be very hard to beat again.”
Lake Victoria swoops for Moyglare Stud success
Lake Victoria upstaged her better-fancied stablemate Bedtime Story in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.
Bedtime Story had created a huge impression when winning the Chesham Stakes by nine and a half lengths at Royal Ascot and while her subsequent two wins were more workmanlike, she was the 4-5 favourite to extend her unbeaten record to five.
Ryan Moore set out to make all the running aboard the daughter of Frankel and dual Nunthorpe heroine Mecca’s Angel, but Aidan O’Brien’s youngster was flat out entering the final furlong and her four rivals were queuing up to challenge.
Lake Victoria heads for home
Lake Victoria – also a Frankel filly out of a Group One winner in Quiet Reflection – had looked a smart prospect herself in winning on her course and distance debut before following up in the Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket last month, and she finished best down the outside of the five-strong field to win going away by a length and a quarter under Wayne Lordan.
Ollie Sangster’s British raider Simmering filled the runner-up spot, just ahead of O’Brien’s apparent third string Exactly in third and Red Letter in fourth. Bedtime Story passed the post last of five.
O’Brien said: “She’s a very good filly. She won here the first day, she got to the front and was very green. Ryan said she got to the front way too early that day, but her pace took her there and she obviously still won.
“She went to Newmarket and Seanie (Levey) won on her and she won very impressively. She’s a very classy filly.
“We thought she would be second to the other filly. Ryan’s filly just hit the gates, he just couldn’t get her back then and that was it. When that happens it’s usually over.
“She’ll be grand too, she’s a little bit like her sister and we’ll just go gentle and slow her down a little bit.
“It’s always a worry after what she did in Ascot that could happen and we took it very gentle the next twice afraid it could happen but it still happened.
“We’ll work another way out just to get her to go to sleep again. Wayne rides her out the whole time and he will do that.
“I’m delighted for Wayne. He’s a great fella and he does a lot of work, day in day out at home.
“He’s a great rider and we’re so lucky to have him here after what happened in the Irish Derby. He went through a tough time for four or five months and nobody deserves it more. He’s a world-class rider.
“It’s a possibility the winner could go to the Cheveley Park. We ran her here with the thought in our head that she could be a Cheveley Park filly.
“We thought she’d be second to the other filly. She’s a very fast filly and that was the plan. We took our time on her, let her relax, and didn’t want to give her a tough race.
“Wayne gave her a brilliant ride. She’s fast, she’s by Frankel but she’s made like a sprinter.”
Scorthy Champ floors Henri Matisse in National surprise
Scorthy Champ inflicted a shock defeat on the previously unbeaten Henri Matisse in the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh.
Henri Matisse had won each of his three previous starts for Aidan O’Brien, completing his hat-trick with a clear-cut victory in the Group Two Futurity Stakes over this course and distance three weeks ago despite jinking close to the finish.
The Wootton Bassett colt was the 5-6 favourite to make it four from four on his Group One debut, but his wayward tendencies were again in evidence and this time he did not get away with it.
Having made a winning debut at Leopardstown in mid-May, the Joseph O’Brien-trained Scorthy Champ made late headway to finish third in the Futurity after a tardy start and was a 12-1 shot for the rematch.
Dylan Browne McMonagle’s mount broke smarter this time around and after being produced to lead, he stayed straight and true, whereas Henri Matisse wandered left and right when coming under pressure and was three-quarters of a length behind at the line.
Hugo Palmer’s British raider Seagulls Eleven shaped with plenty of promise in third.
“It’s a special day. I’m really happy with the horse and it was a fantastic ride from Dylan,” said the winning trainer.
Scorthy Legend – winner at the Curragh
“He had a really good debut and the form of that maiden worked out really well. He came back here the last day off a lay-off and we knew whatever happened that we were going to be better after the run.
“I’m not saying we’d thought we’d win today but we thought we’d run a big race and I thought he was very impressive. Dylan said he idled in front and he’s a top notcher.”
O’Brien, who also saddled the fourth-placed Cowardofthecounty, added: “They are two high-class colts, but this guy (Scorthy Champ) probably has a little bit of brilliance about him.
“I was very happy with Cowardofthecounty’s run too. He didn’t get the run of things and I think he’s going to be better than we saw today.”
On whether Scorthy Champ will run again this year, he said: “I don’t know but if I was to guess I’d say we probably would.
“He had a mid-season break, not by choice as he had a little hold up after his debut, so I’d say we probably will see him again this year somewhere.
“I see him more as a miler, so I suppose he could go for the Lagardere or the Breeders’ Cup.”