Aiden O'Brien comments on Rip Van Winkle (and the rest of his contingent)
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from Sporting Life:
Aidan O'Brien appears to have a strong hand going into this year's Breeders' Cup and Ireland's champion trainer was particularly fulsome in his praise of $5 million (US) Breeders' Cup Classic prospect Rip Van Winkle.
The three-year-old colt, victorious in two Group One contests over a mile this season, will be returning to 10 furlongs for the first time since chasing home Sea The Stars in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown in July, when he lines up at Santa Anita on Saturday, November 7.
O'Brien revealed: "The horses have not had an easy season and Rip Van Winkle has not had an easy season with plenty of setbacks, holdups and tough races. But we are looking forward to the Breeders' Cup.
"Rip Van Winkle is a great horse because he has been swimming against the tide all year and he has had no clear run at any race. He has had loads of problems.
"We think he is a great horse and if people only knew the half of what he had to go through this year. Mentally and physically, most horses would have fallen away. It's amazing that he has stood his ground and kept doing it."
O'Brien believes that Rip Van Winkle's combination of speed and strength at the end of his races will see the colt through in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
He continued: "He's only a three-year-old and didn't have it easy but we're looking forward to him in the Classic, he's a real crack miler and full of determination and strength at the end. He has never been on a synthetic surface but he is a good mover and fast ground is his forte. The season has been long and hard but he is one of those horses with real mile pace and he is not wilting at the end.
"Sea The Stars travels like a dream, better than any horse at the two furlong marker, but if you look at the Eclipse, Rip might have been travelling better than him. He has always been an exciting horse.
"It's a great race and very important for a stallion, such is its prestige, so we are just delighted to have him going there.
"The plan is for the horses to leave on Sunday. They will probably do a little bit of work before then but once they arrive at Santa Anita, they will just canter on the track. There will be nothing strenuous."
O'Brien has a top-class reserve for the Classic in Mastercraftsman. The Irish 2,000 Guineas winner is more likely to contest the $2 million (US) Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile after proving he handles a synthetic surface with victory in the Group Three Diamond Stakes at Dundalk on October 2.
The Ballydoyle trainer said: "We know what Mastercraftsman can do over a mile on turf. It's just to give him another dimension. We know he acted on the Polytrack at Dundalk and we are not sure he really gets the trip of the Classic, even though he won over it at Dundalk. He is a horse with a lot of speed and the American horses jump and go fast, so he may not quite get home over the longer trip.
"Even though he coasted home and won very easy at Dundalk, Johnny (Murtagh) wouldn't have been sure that he stayed the trip because he was just coasting the last furlong.
"It's not definite that he goes for the Dirt Mile but we had to make a preference for him and we chose the mile as first preference, so if all is well with Rip then there is a big chance that he will run in the shorter race.
"His best run ever was over six furlongs at the Curragh last season. He is a horse that likes a high tempo in a race, he gets into a rhythm."
Alfred Nobel is on course for a tilt at the $2 million (US) Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile, alongside Dewhurst Stakes winner Beethoven, while Lillie Langtry heads to the Breeders' Cup Fillies' Juvenile Turf and Viscount Nelson takes his chance in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
O'Brien revealed: "Alfred Nobel raced in the National Stakes on atrocious ground. We were working the horses on that ground too and minding them, so they were not quite ready to do themselves justice, but they did come out of their races well.
"He likes to be held up and he won his race very easy on his side at Newmarket last time and obviously there was no pace there. He came out of the race very well and is a horse with loads of speed, like Johannesburg who won the Juvenile, he had loads of speed too. You need speed for that race and if he got a nice, reasonable draw, we would be very hopeful. I think Johnny will ride him.
"Beethoven is a very tough horse, he is like his dad (Oratorio), he is getting better with every run. H e travelled with the pace in the Dewhurst and quickened really well - the visor obviously helped.
"Everybody crabs the Dewhurst form but that's wrong. For us, it was the most solid Dewhurst in years. The second and third both came from the back but Beethoven sat up with the pace all the way. He wanted a strong run race and fast ground and that brought out the toughness in him. Joseph (O'Brien's son) rides him every day and he always thought he would love the Polytrack.
"Lillie Langtry is very well. We were delighted with her at Newmarket last time. The season has been long for her but we are happy with her. The trip will suit her as will the ground. This mile is as far as she has ran, she has only been over seven furlongs but she always ran like a filly who would not mind further.
"Viscount Nelson was second in the Champagne Stakes and we are very happy with him. He will like going the trip and the fast ground. He's a great traveller who doesn't do a lot when he gets to the front. We hope he will run a big race, we have given him plenty of time since his last run. "
O'Brien looks to Man Of Iron, successful at Dundalk last time, in the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon over a mile and three quarters.
He said: "Man Of Iron has progressed with every run. He won at Dundalk last time after being fourth behind Mastercraftsman and won a handicap there the time before. He's a half-brother to a Belmont winner by Giant's Causeway. He's progressing very well and we're happy with him. We can't be sure about the trip but we're hopeful."
Aidan O'Brien appears to have a strong hand going into this year's Breeders' Cup and Ireland's champion trainer was particularly fulsome in his praise of $5 million (US) Breeders' Cup Classic prospect Rip Van Winkle.
The three-year-old colt, victorious in two Group One contests over a mile this season, will be returning to 10 furlongs for the first time since chasing home Sea The Stars in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown in July, when he lines up at Santa Anita on Saturday, November 7.
O'Brien revealed: "The horses have not had an easy season and Rip Van Winkle has not had an easy season with plenty of setbacks, holdups and tough races. But we are looking forward to the Breeders' Cup.
"Rip Van Winkle is a great horse because he has been swimming against the tide all year and he has had no clear run at any race. He has had loads of problems.
"We think he is a great horse and if people only knew the half of what he had to go through this year. Mentally and physically, most horses would have fallen away. It's amazing that he has stood his ground and kept doing it."
O'Brien believes that Rip Van Winkle's combination of speed and strength at the end of his races will see the colt through in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
He continued: "He's only a three-year-old and didn't have it easy but we're looking forward to him in the Classic, he's a real crack miler and full of determination and strength at the end. He has never been on a synthetic surface but he is a good mover and fast ground is his forte. The season has been long and hard but he is one of those horses with real mile pace and he is not wilting at the end.
"Sea The Stars travels like a dream, better than any horse at the two furlong marker, but if you look at the Eclipse, Rip might have been travelling better than him. He has always been an exciting horse.
"It's a great race and very important for a stallion, such is its prestige, so we are just delighted to have him going there.
"The plan is for the horses to leave on Sunday. They will probably do a little bit of work before then but once they arrive at Santa Anita, they will just canter on the track. There will be nothing strenuous."
O'Brien has a top-class reserve for the Classic in Mastercraftsman. The Irish 2,000 Guineas winner is more likely to contest the $2 million (US) Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile after proving he handles a synthetic surface with victory in the Group Three Diamond Stakes at Dundalk on October 2.
The Ballydoyle trainer said: "We know what Mastercraftsman can do over a mile on turf. It's just to give him another dimension. We know he acted on the Polytrack at Dundalk and we are not sure he really gets the trip of the Classic, even though he won over it at Dundalk. He is a horse with a lot of speed and the American horses jump and go fast, so he may not quite get home over the longer trip.
"Even though he coasted home and won very easy at Dundalk, Johnny (Murtagh) wouldn't have been sure that he stayed the trip because he was just coasting the last furlong.
"It's not definite that he goes for the Dirt Mile but we had to make a preference for him and we chose the mile as first preference, so if all is well with Rip then there is a big chance that he will run in the shorter race.
"His best run ever was over six furlongs at the Curragh last season. He is a horse that likes a high tempo in a race, he gets into a rhythm."
Alfred Nobel is on course for a tilt at the $2 million (US) Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile, alongside Dewhurst Stakes winner Beethoven, while Lillie Langtry heads to the Breeders' Cup Fillies' Juvenile Turf and Viscount Nelson takes his chance in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
O'Brien revealed: "Alfred Nobel raced in the National Stakes on atrocious ground. We were working the horses on that ground too and minding them, so they were not quite ready to do themselves justice, but they did come out of their races well.
"He likes to be held up and he won his race very easy on his side at Newmarket last time and obviously there was no pace there. He came out of the race very well and is a horse with loads of speed, like Johannesburg who won the Juvenile, he had loads of speed too. You need speed for that race and if he got a nice, reasonable draw, we would be very hopeful. I think Johnny will ride him.
"Beethoven is a very tough horse, he is like his dad (Oratorio), he is getting better with every run. H e travelled with the pace in the Dewhurst and quickened really well - the visor obviously helped.
"Everybody crabs the Dewhurst form but that's wrong. For us, it was the most solid Dewhurst in years. The second and third both came from the back but Beethoven sat up with the pace all the way. He wanted a strong run race and fast ground and that brought out the toughness in him. Joseph (O'Brien's son) rides him every day and he always thought he would love the Polytrack.
"Lillie Langtry is very well. We were delighted with her at Newmarket last time. The season has been long for her but we are happy with her. The trip will suit her as will the ground. This mile is as far as she has ran, she has only been over seven furlongs but she always ran like a filly who would not mind further.
"Viscount Nelson was second in the Champagne Stakes and we are very happy with him. He will like going the trip and the fast ground. He's a great traveller who doesn't do a lot when he gets to the front. We hope he will run a big race, we have given him plenty of time since his last run. "
O'Brien looks to Man Of Iron, successful at Dundalk last time, in the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon over a mile and three quarters.
He said: "Man Of Iron has progressed with every run. He won at Dundalk last time after being fourth behind Mastercraftsman and won a handicap there the time before. He's a half-brother to a Belmont winner by Giant's Causeway. He's progressing very well and we're happy with him. We can't be sure about the trip but we're hopeful."