An interesting weekend of G1 racing, on Saturday, at Epsom we had the Derby and Oaks, at Belmont we had the Manhattan and Metropolitan. On Sunday, at Chantilly we had the French Derby and Oaks, and at Sandown, the Coral-Elipse.
Love before the winning her maiden at Leopardstown
It turned a lot of heads.
Love conquered all in the Oaks, she was nothing short of sublime. You wonder how can Aidan O’Brien do it. They might be the best bluebloods in the world but to do what he has with Love is truly wonderous.
After her first two runs last year you’d maybe have put her down as an ordinary enough individual in the context of Ballydoyle, first time out in a maiden Donnacha took care of her with a hands and heels ride to run fourth, again in the saddle for her second run he once again nursed her, this time to second, it was the third time he asked her for effort that she won.
Seamie Heffernan took over on her for the G3 Silver Flash where Ballydoyle ran four, she was third choice in the market of the Ballydoyle quintet going off at 8/1, she made all, nothing could catch her.
She did take a step backwards in the G2 Debutante Stakes, prominent throughout she didn’t get home on yielding ground, a month later back on a decent surface she powered home in the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes. Another setback in the Fillies’ Mile, third to Quadlaterial, the word soft in the going description, her season was done.
This year, the Guineas- Oaks double, a chance of a triple crown, and she’s usurped Enable as Arc favourite.
Only Aidan O’Brien.
Serpentine, unheard of by most before the weekend, battered them into submission in the Derby, ridden by one of the unsung hero’s of Ballydoyle, Emment McNamara, he told us after the race how Aidan had instilled the confidence in him, he knew he could win.
Only Aidan O’Brien
In France on Sunday the locals were feeling a bit sore.
In Prix du Jockey Club, a slow starting Victor Ludorum couldn’t get up, John Gosden’s Mishriff showed a clean pair of heels to sprint clear of the pack.
In the Prix de Diane a 1-2-3 for the Irish, this time Donnacha, Aidan had told us last year he was looking after the filly Fancy Blue when she won a listed race last September.
The jockey, turned trainer, still jockey at the time, had won on her first time out but he asked Seamie to ride her in the listed race. He chased her home on one for brother, Joseph.
This year she came from a long way behind in the Irish 1000 Guineas to nearly get up behind Peaceful the line coming just too soon. then Paris, the rematch, with Jessica’s filly Alpine Star in between, she made amends for the Curragh defeat getting the better of both.
Only Aidan, not anymore.
We live in rich times in Ireland, not only do we have Aidan, we have Jessica, we have Ger, we have Donnacha, all eating at the top table this year.
It’s a great time of year now, the classic’s sorted, the generations are about to meet, it usually happens first in the Eclipse, not this year, only the older one’s lining up, no diminishment in the race, what a field, now Ghaiyyath tops the perch of the older brethren, he’d already taken the scalp of Anthony Van Dyck in the Coronation Cup, now a convincing winner of the Eclipse over Enable, she showed her battling qualities are still there to get up to take second from Japan.
In New York, Vekoma backed up the G1 win in the Carter Handicap taking the Metropolitan in a pillar to post stroll. The Manhattan went to Instilled Regard under a wonderful ride from Irad Ortiz Jr, patience personified, he waited and waited and when the gate opened deep in the last furlong he came charging through to collar Rockemperor, another 1-2 for trainer Chad Brown.
A season finally taking shape, two very exciting three-year-olds, not only Love but also Siskin, both will take on the older generations, what battles we have to look forward too, the benchmark couldn’t be higher, the best of last year’s generation, Japan and Anthony Van Dyck and then there are the five-year-olds, Ghaiyyath and Magical, who better to test them than the six-year-old Enable, she could put manners on them all.
A Look Back On Last Weekend’s G1 Action
July 6, 2020
An interesting weekend of G1 racing, on Saturday, at Epsom we had the Derby and Oaks, at Belmont we had the Manhattan and Metropolitan. On Sunday, at Chantilly we had the French Derby and Oaks, and at Sandown, the Coral-Elipse.
It turned a lot of heads.
Love conquered all in the Oaks, she was nothing short of sublime. You wonder how can Aidan O’Brien do it. They might be the best bluebloods in the world but to do what he has with Love is truly wonderous.
After her first two runs last year you’d maybe have put her down as an ordinary enough individual in the context of Ballydoyle, first time out in a maiden Donnacha took care of her with a hands and heels ride to run fourth, again in the saddle for her second run he once again nursed her, this time to second, it was the third time he asked her for effort that she won.
Seamie Heffernan took over on her for the G3 Silver Flash where Ballydoyle ran four, she was third choice in the market of the Ballydoyle quintet going off at 8/1, she made all, nothing could catch her.
She did take a step backwards in the G2 Debutante Stakes, prominent throughout she didn’t get home on yielding ground, a month later back on a decent surface she powered home in the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes. Another setback in the Fillies’ Mile, third to Quadlaterial, the word soft in the going description, her season was done.
This year, the Guineas- Oaks double, a chance of a triple crown, and she’s usurped Enable as Arc favourite.
Only Aidan O’Brien.
Serpentine, unheard of by most before the weekend, battered them into submission in the Derby, ridden by one of the unsung hero’s of Ballydoyle, Emment McNamara, he told us after the race how Aidan had instilled the confidence in him, he knew he could win.
Only Aidan O’Brien
In France on Sunday the locals were feeling a bit sore.
In Prix du Jockey Club, a slow starting Victor Ludorum couldn’t get up, John Gosden’s Mishriff showed a clean pair of heels to sprint clear of the pack.
In the Prix de Diane a 1-2-3 for the Irish, this time Donnacha, Aidan had told us last year he was looking after the filly Fancy Blue when she won a listed race last September.
The jockey, turned trainer, still jockey at the time, had won on her first time out but he asked Seamie to ride her in the listed race. He chased her home on one for brother, Joseph.
This year she came from a long way behind in the Irish 1000 Guineas to nearly get up behind Peaceful the line coming just too soon. then Paris, the rematch, with Jessica’s filly Alpine Star in between, she made amends for the Curragh defeat getting the better of both.
Only Aidan, not anymore.
We live in rich times in Ireland, not only do we have Aidan, we have Jessica, we have Ger, we have Donnacha, all eating at the top table this year.
It’s a great time of year now, the classic’s sorted, the generations are about to meet, it usually happens first in the Eclipse, not this year, only the older one’s lining up, no diminishment in the race, what a field, now Ghaiyyath tops the perch of the older brethren, he’d already taken the scalp of Anthony Van Dyck in the Coronation Cup, now a convincing winner of the Eclipse over Enable, she showed her battling qualities are still there to get up to take second from Japan.
In New York, Vekoma backed up the G1 win in the Carter Handicap taking the Metropolitan in a pillar to post stroll. The Manhattan went to Instilled Regard under a wonderful ride from Irad Ortiz Jr, patience personified, he waited and waited and when the gate opened deep in the last furlong he came charging through to collar Rockemperor, another 1-2 for trainer Chad Brown.
A season finally taking shape, two very exciting three-year-olds, not only Love but also Siskin, both will take on the older generations, what battles we have to look forward too, the benchmark couldn’t be higher, the best of last year’s generation, Japan and Anthony Van Dyck and then there are the five-year-olds, Ghaiyyath and Magical, who better to test them than the six-year-old Enable, she could put manners on them all.
We’re in for a treat, if only we could go.
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