Very interesting piece on So You Think
DiscreetCat
Moderator
Aiden O'Brien generally brings his best horses over for the Breeders Cup, so this guy is definitely one to watch. He is not currently BC-nominated however, and would be subject to a 15% supplemental fee to enter any Breeders Cup race.
from Brisnet:
On Wednesday, Royal Ascot was the scene for the race that I waited for since last November when I had the pleasure of watching Australian super-horse SO YOU THINK (High Chaparral [Ire[) run twice in four days. The winner of five Group 1 stakes Down Under, he was third in the two-mile Melbourne Cup (Aus-G1) in November and sold two days later to the powerful Coolmore/Ballydoyle operation in Ireland for a reported $60 million.
Now with Aidan O'Brien, So You Think won a minor Group 3 stakes race to begin the year and then romped in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-G1) going 10 furlongs to secure his first Northern Hemisphere Group 1 score. He was pointed all along for the Prince of Wales since being purchased and was the most subject of rock-star interest on the part of the bettors and bookmakers in England.
Since showing up at Ballydoyle, he was the subject of rumors that he might be the best horse they have ever had; or at least had trained better than anyone. Considering how many superstar horses have come out of that operation, it was mind-boggling to think that he's better than Giant's Causeway or Galileo, but that was the word being whispered. Finally, Tom Magnier, son of Ballydoyle leader John Magnier, went on the record that So You Think was regarded by Aidan O'Brien as the best they ever had and was doing things in the mornings they could not believe.
So it was with unbelievable expectations that So You Think went to the gate for the 10-furlong Prince of Wales. His main competition seemed to be from REWILDING (Tiger Hill), who was coming off a terrific win in the Sheema Classic (UAE-G1) at Meydan last out, but that was going 12 furlongs and this was at 10.
For some reason, O'Brien entered a rabbit, Jan Vermeer (Montjeu [Ire]), and when the gates opened, So You Think was prominently placed by Ryan Moore. Jan Vermeer broke a bit slow and was on the outside for the first quarter-mile and when they went into the first right-hand turn, he cut over and impeded So You Think, who had to check severely and threw his head up.
Now, instead of settling in behind a rabbit that he didn't need in the race anyway, So You Think was fighting Moore during the middle furlongs. Like Frankel the day before, he took command coming out of the final turn and opened up on his rivals. It looked like victory was assured but on the outside was Frankie Dettori grinding away on Rewilding.
Racing's two biggest rivals were battling it out in the stretch -- Coolmore on the inside and Godolphin on the outside. With each stride Rewilding was cutting the margin down but So You Think was battling gallantly. Finally, after 24 cracks of the whip, Rewilding was able to surge at the wire and get up by a neck. Both horses were fantastic and it was racing at its best with both horses using all their reserves in the drive to the wire.
After the race, the stewards at Ascot gave Frankie a nine-day suspension for violating the whip rule, but I don't think he was complaining. It was a big win for Godolphin over their bitter rivals and Frankie did what he had to do. O'Brien took full blame for the defeat and indicated that he had not trained So You Think hard enough since he had been fooled by his brilliant workouts at home.
Rewilding will most likely be pointed for a start in the Prix de ''Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) in Paris in October. He likes to run fresh so it's unlikely he would wheel back in four weeks and come here for the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1). Since Coolmore has so many 1 1/2-mile horses at their disposal, So You Think might be kept at 10 furlongs so there's a chance that he would come here for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on the dirt. He's already proven Down Under and Coolmore is trying to boost his race record in the Northern Hemisphere. I'd be surprised if he ever loses again.
from Brisnet:
On Wednesday, Royal Ascot was the scene for the race that I waited for since last November when I had the pleasure of watching Australian super-horse SO YOU THINK (High Chaparral [Ire[) run twice in four days. The winner of five Group 1 stakes Down Under, he was third in the two-mile Melbourne Cup (Aus-G1) in November and sold two days later to the powerful Coolmore/Ballydoyle operation in Ireland for a reported $60 million.
Now with Aidan O'Brien, So You Think won a minor Group 3 stakes race to begin the year and then romped in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-G1) going 10 furlongs to secure his first Northern Hemisphere Group 1 score. He was pointed all along for the Prince of Wales since being purchased and was the most subject of rock-star interest on the part of the bettors and bookmakers in England.
Since showing up at Ballydoyle, he was the subject of rumors that he might be the best horse they have ever had; or at least had trained better than anyone. Considering how many superstar horses have come out of that operation, it was mind-boggling to think that he's better than Giant's Causeway or Galileo, but that was the word being whispered. Finally, Tom Magnier, son of Ballydoyle leader John Magnier, went on the record that So You Think was regarded by Aidan O'Brien as the best they ever had and was doing things in the mornings they could not believe.
So it was with unbelievable expectations that So You Think went to the gate for the 10-furlong Prince of Wales. His main competition seemed to be from REWILDING (Tiger Hill), who was coming off a terrific win in the Sheema Classic (UAE-G1) at Meydan last out, but that was going 12 furlongs and this was at 10.
For some reason, O'Brien entered a rabbit, Jan Vermeer (Montjeu [Ire]), and when the gates opened, So You Think was prominently placed by Ryan Moore. Jan Vermeer broke a bit slow and was on the outside for the first quarter-mile and when they went into the first right-hand turn, he cut over and impeded So You Think, who had to check severely and threw his head up.
Now, instead of settling in behind a rabbit that he didn't need in the race anyway, So You Think was fighting Moore during the middle furlongs. Like Frankel the day before, he took command coming out of the final turn and opened up on his rivals. It looked like victory was assured but on the outside was Frankie Dettori grinding away on Rewilding.
Racing's two biggest rivals were battling it out in the stretch -- Coolmore on the inside and Godolphin on the outside. With each stride Rewilding was cutting the margin down but So You Think was battling gallantly. Finally, after 24 cracks of the whip, Rewilding was able to surge at the wire and get up by a neck. Both horses were fantastic and it was racing at its best with both horses using all their reserves in the drive to the wire.
After the race, the stewards at Ascot gave Frankie a nine-day suspension for violating the whip rule, but I don't think he was complaining. It was a big win for Godolphin over their bitter rivals and Frankie did what he had to do. O'Brien took full blame for the defeat and indicated that he had not trained So You Think hard enough since he had been fooled by his brilliant workouts at home.
Rewilding will most likely be pointed for a start in the Prix de ''Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) in Paris in October. He likes to run fresh so it's unlikely he would wheel back in four weeks and come here for the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1). Since Coolmore has so many 1 1/2-mile horses at their disposal, So You Think might be kept at 10 furlongs so there's a chance that he would come here for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on the dirt. He's already proven Down Under and Coolmore is trying to boost his race record in the Northern Hemisphere. I'd be surprised if he ever loses again.
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