If nothing else, the fact that the normally ultra-cautious Aidan O’Brien was happy to discuss Auguste Rodin as a potential Triple Crown prospect earlier this week suggests that the son of Deep Impact is his No 1 contender for next month’s Derby at Epsom by some distance.
Whether he has the speed to beat the specialist milers in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday, however, is another question entirely, as O’Brien also acknowledged.
“It [the Triple Crown] is a very hard thing to do and some time it would be great to do it,” O’Brien said. “If you don’t try, it won’t happen. You need class to give them the stamina and the speed that they need. He fits into that bracket at the moment and while it’s a dream, if you have a horse with a chance, we don’t want to take that chance away from them.”
With a record 10 wins in the 2,000 Guineas since 1998, O’Brien certainly knows what it takes to win the colts’ Classic at Newmarket. He also went closer to winning the Triple Crown than any trainer since 1970 when Camelot, at 2-5, came up three-quarters of a length short in the St Leger in 2012.
There is a reason why Nijinsky is still the only Triple Crown winner in the last 88 years, however, and the breeding industry’s focus on speed over stamina in recent decades means that it is now harder than ever for a thorough stayer to get over the line at Newmarket.
As a result, Auguste Rodin feels like a favourite to oppose at around 7-4 on Saturday, when he faces several speedily bred opponents with strong profiles as juveniles.
The list includes his stable companion, Little Big Bear, who is unraced since a seven-length Group One win last August, as well as Sakheer, Charlie Appleby’s unbeaten colt Noble Style and Chaldean (4.40), who will be Frankie Dettori’s final 2,000 Guineas ride.
With all due respect to Little Big Bear’s emphatic success last summer, Chaldean’s defeat of Royal Scotsman – another interesting Classic contender – in the Dewhurst in October is as strong as any form on offer.
His return to action in the Greenham was a non-event as Chaldean unseated his rider just after the start, and a price of around 7-1 is simply too big for a consistently progressive Dewhurst winner whose only other defeat at two came on debut.
Newmarket 2.15 Gale Force Maya won her seasonal debut over track and trip last year and a repeat success looks likely.
Newmarket 2.50 Useful conditional Mohammed Tabti takes 7lb off Leap Abroad and he has fair prospects after a promising seasonal debut at the Craven meeting.
Goodwood 1.20 Harry Magnus 1.55 Potapova 2.30 One More Wave 3.05 Farasi Lane 3.45 Mark Of Gold 4.20 Umming N’ Ahing 5.00 Johnjay
Thirsk 1.30 Bellarchi 2.00 Showtime Mahomes 2.35 Agnes Grey 3.10 Sporting Hero 3.40 Pisanello 4.15 Scottish Dancer 4.55 Diamond Haze
Newmarket 1.40 Teumessias Fox 2.15 Gale Force Maya 2.50 Leap Abroad (nap) 3.25 Saga 4.00 Twilight Calls 4.40 Chaldean (nb) 5.15 Shaquille 5.50 Divine Libra
Uttoxeter 2.05 Clody Flyer 2.40 Lookaway 3.15 Carlo Du Berlais 3.50 Dragoon Springs 4.25 Nestor Park 5.05 The Carpenter 5.40 Feivel 6.15 Haveyougotmymoney
Doncaster 5.20 Escarpment 5.55 Battaah 6.25 Higher Law 6.55 Aberama Gold 7.25 Valsad 7.55 Fennor Cross 8.25 Deputy
Hexham 5.30 Pipers Cross 6.05 Excelcius 6.40 Idem 7.10 Twoshotsoftequila 7.40 Without Conviction 8.10 Cudgel 8.40 Applaus
Goodwood 3.05 Farasi Lane was unlucky in running when upped to this trip last time and looks overpriced at around 6-1 to gain compensation.
Newmarket 3.25 The ground has come right for last year’s Britannia runner-up, Saga, who could be a handicapper to follow this term having been gelded over the winter.
Thirsk 3.40 Mark Winn is whistling through his 5lb claim and the dependable Pisanello could keep his followers in profit for the year.
Newmarket 4.00 He has been off the track since a big run at Royal Ascot last year, but Twilight Calls won first time up last season and could edge an ultra-competitive Palace House.
Hurricane Lane on course for Coronation
Hurricane Lane, a dual Classic winner in 2021 and third home when favourite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe the same year, was cut to around 7-1 for the Coronation Cup at Epsom next month after a six-length victory in the Group Two Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.
Charlie Appleby’s five-year-old was without a win since landing the St Leger at Doncaster 20 months ago and finished last of seven runners when favourite for a Group Three event at Newbury on 22 April. He seemed revitalised by the fitting of cheek-pieces for Friday’s race, however, and surged clear of West Wind Blows with three furlongs to run on the way to an emphatic success.
“I know he was disappointing at Newbury but it was a big ask on heavy ground,” Appleby said afterwards. “People enquired why he got beat and why were we coming back and coming back so soon as well. He showed us what he could do midweek.
“He worked midweek with those cheek-pieces on and we were hopeful we would see that today. Full credit to the team as everyone has persevered with this horse.
“At the end of a day when you have a horse that has given us, and the team, what he has given us, of course you feel for them. You want them to do it and you want them to carry on. I always said I wanted to work back from an Arc [this year]. That might be a bit bold but we will see.”
Appleby had earlier seen Native Trail, Europe’s champion juvenile colt in 2021, finish only second behind Charlie Hills’s Mutasaabeq when odds-on for the Bet365 Mile, an addition to the card after Sandown’s meeting seven days ago was abandoned.
Mutasaabeq made all the running and crossed the line three lengths in front of Native Trail, who was racing for the first time since August 2022.
“William [Buick, his rider] said he was just a bit rusty,” Appleby said. “He said he will sharpen up no end on that but that the most important thing was that he wanted it.
“Where we go next, I would say it would be the [Group One] Queen Anne [at Royal Ascot] after that. Not all is lost there at all.” Greg Wood
