Tag Archive for: Above The Curve

French assignments on the horizon for O’Brien duo

/in /by

Joseph O’Brien-trained pair Al Riffa and Above The Curve could be bound for Deauville this summer following their respective runs at the Curragh last weekend.

The former won the Group One Vincent O’Brien National Stakes as a two-year-old and had Classic aspirations in the early part of his three-year-old season. But with a setback delaying his return, he made his comeback following a 293-day absence in the International Stakes on Saturday.

Sent off the 5-6 favourite for the 10-furlong Group Three, the son of Wootton Bassett was unable to catch the front-running and match-fit Mashhoor, who was given an enterprising ride by Ben Coen.

However, O’Brien believes there are plenty of positives to take from the run and having blown away the cobwebs during that first try at a mile and a quarter, the handler is now looking forward to his next outing.

“He got on nicely and we were pleased to get him started for the season,” said O’Brien.

“We’re looking forward to the rest of the season with him. He has a couple of Group One and Group Two options, we’re looking at a Group Two in Deauville in August as potentially his next start. I think he will most likely stay at 10 furlongs for now.”

Trainer Joseph O'Brien was pleased with the performances of both Al Riffa and Above The Curve
Trainer Joseph O’Brien was pleased with the performances of both Al Riffa and Above The Curve (Brian Lawless/PA)

Meanwhile, the ever-consistent Above The Curve finished a creditable third in the Pretty Polly Stakes that also featured on Saturday’s Curragh card.

The Coolmore-owned daughter of American Pharoah was up with the pace throughout when having to give way in the closing stages to improving British raiders Via Sistina and Stay Alert and could now seek her third win on French soil in the Prix Jean Romanet on August 20.

“She ran a good race and has come out of the Pretty Polly well,” said O’Brien.

Above The Curve winning the Blandford Stakes at the Curragh last year
Above The Curve winning the Blandford Stakes at the Curragh last year (Donall Farmer/PA)

“We’re looking at things like the Romanet and other races like that going forward. She has a lot of options there (France) and further afield as well.”

The Owning Hill handler also delivered a positive bulletin about his Royal Ascot heroes Okita Soushi and Dawn Rising, who both have further big-race assignments on their agendas.

“Both are in good shape and Dawn Rising will be considered for races like the Cesarewitch later in the season. Okita Soushi has an option in the Curragh Cup.”

Above The Curve shines at Saint-Cloud, with Nashwa fourth

/in /by

Above The Curve made all the running under Maxime Guyon to land the Group Two Prix Corrida with an easy two-length success at Saint-Cloud on Sunday.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained four-year-old had been touched off when finishing third in the Prix de l’Opera over 10 furlongs in October before a lacklustre run in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

A daughter of American Pharoah, she had a bit to find after finishing last on her seasonal return in the Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh earlier this month.

Guyon, riding Above The Curve for the first time, kept things simple, setting a steady gallop before winding things up approaching three furlongs out.

Dual Group One winner Nashwa, making her first start since finishing fourth to Tuesday as favourite in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf having been one place in front of Above The Curve on Arc day, tracked the winner throughout.

However, Hollie Doyle was hard at work turning in and on ground quicker than she would have ideally liked, the John and Thady-Gosden-trained mare faded to fourth, with Mqse Se Servigne coming from last to briefly challenge the winner, with the keen-going India pipping Nashwa for third.

Thady Gosden was far from unhappy with Nashwa’s performance.

He said: “I don’t think we can be too disappointed. All the other fillies had one or two runs already this year and it has been a long time since her last run at the Breeders’ Cup in Keeneland.

“It was just the lack of a run and she’ll come on plenty for that. We’ll see how she comes out of the race and see how she travels back before making any hard and fast plans for her.”

Nashwa primed for seasonal bow in Prix Corrida

/in /by

Nashwa returns to France on Sunday to kick off her four-year-old campaign in the Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the daughter of Frankel’s finest hour came on the continent last June when she claimed Classic honours in the Prix de Diane and a fine 2022 season saw her add further Group One riches in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.

Brave efforts in defeat in both the Prix de l’Opera and Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf followed and having missed out on her intended return date in the Middleton Stakes, she now crosses the Channel once again for the Group Two contest over 10 furlongs.

“She had a wonderful season last year,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for owner Imad Al Sagar.

“It was Imad’s first homebred Classic winner when she won the Prix de Diane which was more than exciting and she went and confirmed that in the Nassau.

“She was a little bit unlucky in the Prix de l’Opera and she missed the kick at the Breeders’ Cup.

“She’s wintered well and her preparation has been pretty straightforward. We hoped to get her back for the Middleton at York but we just ran out of a bit of time. She just hadn’t quite come to herself and really wanted an extra week or so, which she has now got.”

Above the Curve wins the Moyglare ”Jewels” Blandford Stakes at the Curragh
Above the Curve wins the Moyglare ”Jewels” Blandford Stakes at the Curragh (Donall Farmer/PA)

Joseph O’Brien’s Above The Curve is also a Group One winner in France having won the Prix Saint-Alary at ParisLongchamp last May and added the Blandford Stakes to her CV before finishing behind Nashwa in both the Opera and at the Breeders’ Cup.

She brought up the rear on her return in the Mooresbridge Stakes but that will have blown away the cobwebs and O’Brien expects her to show her true colours now.

“It looks a very good race, but she’s come out of her comeback run at the Curragh very well, she’s in very good form,” said O’Brien.

“She’s run well in France in the past which is always a help. It looks a suitable spot for her and hopefully she runs well.”

Waldemar Hickst’s India won the Prix Allez France in the capital last month, scoring by a head from Andre Fabre’s Mqse De Sevigne, and the pair clash again.

Francis-Henri Graffard’s Baiykara and Jerome Reynier’s Romagna Mia were further down the field on that occasion and complete the sextet that go to post in Paris.

Al Riffa taking direct path to Irish Guineas date

/in /by

Joseph O’Brien is planning to head straight to the Irish 2,000 Guineas with his Group One-winning colt Al Riffa.

Runner-up to Sunday’s Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial winner Hans Anderson on his debut at the Curragh last summer, Al Riffa went one better on his second start before securing a top-level victory in the National Stakes in September.

The Wootton Bassett colt is entered for the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 6, but is set to remain on home soil to contest the season’s first Irish Classic three weeks later.

“He’s obviously our flagship horse, he was a Group One-winning two-year-old and he’s the one we’re excited about,” O’Brien said at a press morning at his yard on Monday.

“The plan is to go straight to the Irish Guineas and at the moment what I’m thinking is we’ll then either go for another mile race or go 10 furlongs. I don’t think he’ll go into a Derby.

“It depends how the Guineas goes, but I don’t see him as a real stayer. He’s a horse that showed speed on the track and shows speed in his training.

“I don’t think I’ve had a higher rated two-year-old and he has the frame to go on. Physically he’d stack up with any of those top horses we’ve had.”

Above The Curve (centre) at Joseph O'Brien's yard
Above The Curve (centre) at Joseph O’Brien’s yard (Thomas Weekes/PA)

Another O’Brien inmate with Group One aspirations is Above The Curve, who struck at the top table in the Prix Saint-Alary last season and was beaten less than a length in the Prix de l’Opera on Arc day.

The four-year-old daughter of American Pharoah has options at home and abroad for her seasonal debut.

“She’s one of our top horses and has the option of running in the Prix Ganay or the Prix d’Ispahan and there’s also the Alleged Stakes at the Curragh and the Group Two in York (Middleton Stakes). She’ll start off in one of those and we’ll play it by ear, but she’s a Group One filly and very tough,” the trainer added.

“The Pretty Polly would be an obvious first half of the season target and you can look at international options as well. There’s a good mile-and-a-quarter fillies’ programme through the year.

“She should be at least as good this year.”

A new recruit O’Brien is looking forward to unleashing is Jumbly – a Group Three winner for Harry and Roger Charlton last season before changing hands for 1.25million guineas.

He said: “Her main target will be the mile fillies’ race at Royal Ascot (Duke of Cambridge Stakes) – that will be one of her early season targets.

“She looks good and tough and hasn’t done anything wrong all her career. She’s a little bit behind some of mine, so she won’t have her first run for another few weeks and will just have a prep run for Ascot.”

Joseph O'Brien is set for another exciting season
Joseph O’Brien is set for another exciting season (Brian Lawless/PA)

Among the three-year-olds O’Brien is hoping can make an impact this season is Listowel maiden winner Lark In The Mornin, who is set to reappear in a winners’ race at Cork before stepping up in class.

Two fillies to note are Lumiere Rock, who will line up in an Oaks trial at either Naas or Navan, and Caroline Street, who is due to contest at Guineas trial at Leopardstown.

Goldana, a four-year-old Listed winner in Germany for Peter Schiergen, could make her stable debut in either the Gladness Stakes or the Athasi Stakes, while Ottilien – last seen finishing third in the Group One Prix de Royallieu for David Menuisier – is pencilled in for a Listed race at Cork.

O’Brien pointing to Irish Guineas with Al Riffa

/in /by

Joseph O’Brien is excited about what Al Riffa may go on to achieve this year given his Group One-winning exploits as a juvenile.

The Wootton Bassett colt stepped up from winning a maiden in July before before being supplemented for the National Stakes where he beat Proud And Regal, trained by O’Brien’s brother Donnacha, and who went on to win his own Group One in France at the end of the season.

O’Brien is aiming him at the Irish 2,000 Guineas in the first half of the season but whether he takes in a trial first has still to be decided.

“For a horse that looks and is very much bred to be a better three-year-old, you’d have to be really excited by him,” said O’Brien in a stable tour for www.attheraces.com.

“Everything has gone smoothly with him so far this year and he’s in really good shape. We aren’t in a rush with him, and the Irish 2,000 Guineas is his first main target.

“He will most likely to go straight there, but we won’t rule out the possibility of running in a trial just yet. He has always shown a lot of pace at home and in his races, but he should have a good chance of staying a mile and a quarter later in the season if we ask him to.

“He’s a hugely exciting horse for this year. He really could be anything.”

Others mentioned by O’Brien among his Classic crop are Thornbrook and Caroline Street, who should reappear in Guineas trials, while Lumiere Rock is likely to start off in an Oaks Trial.

O’Brien is well stocked among his older horses who need middle distances, however, several are currently in Australia with targets in the coming weeks.

They include Chester Cup winner Cleveland, Baron Samedi, Raise You, Statement and Temple Of Artemis.

Above The Curve (centre) remains in training as a four-year-old
Above The Curve (centre) remains in training as a four-year-old (Donall Farmer/PA)

Prix Saint-Alary winner Above The Curve has remained in training and is one O’Brien expects to improve from three to four.

He said: “I’d say she’ll start off in something like the Alleged Stakes at the Curragh on April 16 and we have a bunch of international options as possibles for her after that, both in Europe and potentially further afield.”

A dark horse for the year may be Buckaroo. He has not run since disappointing in the Irish Guineas when he came back sick but O’Brien retains faith.

“He’s a big, rangy colt that was always going to improve with time and it’s great to have him back on the team. We aren’t decided on his starting point just yet, but we’re in a great place with him. He could be one for the Prix d’Ispahan at ParisLongchamp in May,” he said.

Mooneista (right) is now with Joseph O'Brien
Mooneista (right) is now with Joseph O’Brien (Brian Lawless/PA)

O’Brien has also taken care of a couple of new recruits, Mooneista, bought out of Jack Davison’s yard for 850,000 guineas and Jumbly, a Group Three winner on her final outing for Harry and Roger Charlton.

Of Mooneista, O’Brien said: “This is a mare that Jack Davison did a very good job with for the last few years. She changed hands at the sales late last year and we were thrilled to be asked to train her for her new connections.

“She ran a great race to finish fourth in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last year and that is the meeting we are aiming her towards.

“Jumbly is a filly with a really nice profile that joined us late last year. She has settled in really well and is going very nicely. We aren’t decided on a starting point yet, but the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot is where we’d like to end up with her. She is an exciting filly.”