Tag Archive for: Cowardofthecounty

Ombudsman provides decisive verdict at Deauville

John and Thady Gosden’s Ombudsman remains unbeaten after a taking victory in the Listed-class Prix Nureyev at Deauville.

The Godolphin-owned Night Of Thunder colt did not run at two but had both Newmarket and Leicester novice wins to his name when heading over to France to be partnered by Ryan Moore.

Over 10 furlongs, he was ridden patiently and saved his effort for the home straight, where he looked a real prospect when pulling away easily to record a three-and-a-half-length victory from Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Sons And Lovers.

“That was run at a proper pace and the ground was fast enough,” said John Gosden.

“He was immature last year and had problems with his knees, but he’s done everything right. Ryan says keep him at 10 furlongs.

“He couldn’t run last year and is not a horse to over race anyway, it will be all about next year.

“It was lovely that the French came up with this race, a Listed in which you can run against only three-year-olds, which we can’t do in England.”

Cowardofthecounty proved toughest of the field to take the Prix Francois Boutin.

Joseph O’Brien’s Kodi Bear colt was a winner on debut, beating subsequent July Stakes hero Whistlejacket, but was then only seventh in both the Coventry Stakes and the Anglesey.

The former run was a narrower loss than the placing suggests, however, and in France he stepped up to seven furlongs for a Group Three assignment in the hands of the aforementioned Moore.

On good ground and in a field of five, he was always well placed and as the race developed, it became evident that he was much the best, with the contest effectively won a furlong from home.

Striding out across the line, Cowardofthecounty was eventually a length-and-a-half winner from the highly-regarded Houquetot.

“He had some nice form and was impressive first time out and the extra furlong obviously helped him today,” said Shane Cross, assistant trainer to O’Brien.

“He’s a fine, big colt and Ryan said he relished it, finishing the race good and straight.

“It’s great to be going home with a winner.”

Moore added: “He won well on debut, a lot of the form has started working out well and the step up to seven (furlongs) suited him.

“He won well, he’s a horse with a good future ahead of him.”

The Prix Lady O’Reilly went to the Carlos Laffon-Parias-trained Mosaique, who now has Group One ambitions.

The winning trainer said: “The next step will be to try to get her Group One-placed and after that she might win a Group One. Her trip right now is a mile and a half so we will go for the Vermeille, but I feel she has the speed to operate effectively over a mile and a quarter as well.”



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Anglesey outing to determine Cowardofthecounty’s future plans

Joseph O’Brien will wait on Cowardofthecounty’s run in the Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh before deciding whether it is time to step him up in trip.

The son of Kodi Bear impressed when he broke his maiden at the first time of asking beating evens favourite Whistlejacket, who went on to win the July Stakes at Newmarket by two and a half lengths.

That impressive debut run earned Cowardofthecounty a shot in the Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he ran gamely to finish seventh, one and three-quarter lengths behind 80-1 winner Rashabar after being held up.

The drop in class could be to his liking and will give O’Brien further clues as to what his optimal trip might be.

“It’s a good spot for him and it was a good run at Ascot,” said O’Brien.

“This is a kind of logical stepping stone after the Coventry and after this we will be deciding whether he goes up to seven furlongs.

“He’s been training very well since Ascot and we’re still confident we have a smart horse.”

Gregarina and Dylan Browne McMonagle on their way to winning the Irish EBF Athasi Stakes
Gregarina and Dylan Browne McMonagle on their way to winning the Irish EBF Athasi Stakes (Niall Carson/PA)

O’Brien believes a return to the Curragh in the Romanised Minstrel Stakes can bring out the best in Gregarina after a disappointing run at Royal Ascot.

The five-year-old mare switched into the care of O’Brien from Fabrice Chappet before the 2024 season kicked off and made a winning start for her new stable when edging out You Send Me by a head in the Athasi Stakes.

But at the Royal meeting she trailed home last of the 14 runners in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes after racing keenly throughout.

O’Brien is expecting an improved run on a more favourable track and said: “It was a very messy race in the Duke of Cambridge at Ascot, but going back to the Curragh will suit her well.

“It looks a competitive race as you would expect for a Group Two, but we’re hoping for a big run from her.”

Shane Foley and Norwalk Havoc
Norwalk Havoc will step up in class (PA)

Alan Cooper, racing manager for the Niarchos family, thinks Norwalk Havoc can handle a step up in class at the Curragh.

The Showcasing gelding finished a four-length fourth last time out over a mile and a drop back to seven furlongs – where he won on his only attempt at the distance – will suit.

Cooper said: “We’re dropping back in distance and going up in grade to Group Two, but (trainer) Jessie (Harrington) is very happy with him and thinks we should take our chance.

“It could be a bit ground dependent. His best form is on softer ground.”

David Loughnane during the Boodles May Festival Trials Day
David Loughnane has struggled to find a race of Spark’s Fly (Mike Egerotn/PA)

David Loughnane is hoping for rain ahead of Sparks Fly’s run in the Al Shira’aa Racing Meadow Court Stakes.

It has been a frustrating season for the four-year old, who has not been seen since April with Loughnane struggling to find the right race for her.

Soft ground will get the best out of her and Loughnane believes he has the filly in prime condition.

Loughnane said: “She’ll run providing they get the rain they’re promised. It’s been a tough year for her, she’s been ready to go since March and we haven’t managed to find a race for her with the right conditions.

“It’s been a bit of a tough season but fingers crossed, it’s promised to rain. Hopefully we get the conditions we need.

“She’s in super order, we’re really happy with her, she’s been in great form all year and we’d really like to get a run into her.”



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Rogue Millennium on course to defend Duke of Cambridge crown

Big-money purchase Rogue Millennium is set to defend her Duke of Cambridge Stakes title when she forms part of Joseph O’Brien’s team for Royal Ascot.

A star performer when trained in the UK by Tom Clover, she edged out Random Harvest by a neck when successful in the one-mile Group Two event at the Royal meeting 12 months ago.

Sold for 1,650,000 guineas at Tattersalls in December, she transferred to Ireland to be trained at Owning Hill on behalf of her new owner Scott Heider.

The daughter of Dubawi was a beaten favourite when making her return in the Curragh’s Lanwades Stud Stakes, but her trainer was encouraged by the performance ahead of her quest for an Ascot repeat.

“I think she will head for the Duke of Cambridge,” said O’Brien.

“She made a lovely reappearance and we’re looking forward to getting her back on track.

“We’re looking forward to the week, it will be great racing and one of the best weeks of the year really.”

Another key member of O’Brien’s Royal Ascot plans is crack two-year-old Cowardofthecounty who made the perfect debut at the Curragh in the spring and could get his trainer’s week off to the perfect start in the opening day’s Coventry Stakes.

Cowardofthecounty impressed on debut
Cowardofthecounty impressed on debut (PA)

The son of Kodi Bear heads to Berkshire with just the one appearance to his name, but is as short as 9-2 favourite with both Paddy Power and Betfred having seen the form of his two-and-a-half-length victory over Aidan O’Brien’s Whistlejacket franked in style by the runner-up in Listed company since.

O’Brien continued: “Cowardofthecounty has had a good preparation since his debut. The plan has always been to come here since then and everything since his debut has gone smoothly.

“He made a really good debut, the form of the race has worked out well and he’s been training really well since then.”

One horse who will not be at the Royal meeting but is on course to still run at Ascot in his next start is international traveller Al Riffa.

Al Riffa has always been a high level performer for Joseph O'Brien
Al Riffa has always been a high level performer for Joseph O’Brien (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

A Group One winning two-year-old, the son of Wootton Bassett has always been a consistent performer and will be pointed towards the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at the end of July following his run at Saratoga last weekend, where he was sixth in the Manhattan Stakes over an extended nine furlongs.

“He didn’t get the rub of the green, but he didn’t lose anything in defeat,” said O’Brien of his US performance.

“The track was a bit sharp for him, but he has pulled out of the race well and we look at something like the King George for him now.”



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Cowardofthecounty being sent to Coventry by O’Brien

While Joseph O’Brien has high expectations for his Royal Ascot-bound two-year-old Cowardofthecounty, he is taking the patient approach in the hope the colt is at his best come the end of the season.

The Owning Hill handler resisted the temptation to give the speedy youngster a second outing and he will head to the Coventry Stakes on the back of his debut win at the Curragh.

The son of Kodi Bear looked very impressive that day in beating the highly-regarded Whistlejacket, who gave the form a huge boost when winning a Listed race next time out.

“Cowardofthecounty is going to go straight to the Coventry,” said O’Brien. “That was the plan after his debut as he’s a big horse and we wanted to give him some time after. We gave him a little break, he’ll then come back and go straight to Ascot.

“He was my second colt to run so you really don’t know (how good they are) but when the horse (Midnight Strike) won the first race we knew as they’d both been working nicely and we thought he was a smart colt as well.

“I didn’t expect him to win like he did and the second horse (Whistlejacket) now looks very good as well. The second may be a Norfolk horse rather than a Coventry horse but he looks very good and our lad was really strong on the sectionals. They were a long way clear of the third.

“Just watching the race you could see he ran right through the line so I’d say he put a lot into it so we wanted to give him time to recover. It’s so early in the season, we want him running a career-best in September so to keep going to the well now makes no sense. We’ll play the long game.

“Ascot is so early, even for a two-year-old, but it’s so important. That’s where the world is watching so that is where we have to compete.”

Midnight Strike was a good winner on debut
Midnight Strike was a good winner on debut (Alan Magee/PA)

Stablemate Midnight Strike will have another run, though, at the Curragh this weekend.

“Midnight Strike is going to go for the Marble Hill. His form looks strong as the second horse (Treasure Isle) won at the weekend. I’m looking forward to getting him on some nicer ground, see how he handles that,” said O’Brien.

Another juvenile winner for the yard recently was Scorthy Champ but Ascot is not on his agenda with O’Brien keeping him closer to home.

He said: “Scorthy Champ I think will miss Ascot and we’ll aim him at the Tyros Stakes (Leopardstown). He’s a smart horse I’d say, very well bred, a sibling to Malavath.”



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Joseph O’Brien has Ascot in mind for winning juveniles

There was no surprise that the name O’Brien dominated the opening two races at the Curragh but it was Joseph who unleashed two hugely promising juveniles, beating two trained by his father Aidan in the process.

Midnight Strike made a brilliant start to his career when taking the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race.

The Starspangledbanner colt was a 15-2 chance under Dylan Browne McMonagle but oozed class throughout.

In a field of six Midnight Strike was always travelling strongly and had gained a clear lead by the final furlong marker, going on to cross the line two lengths ahead of Treasure Isle (5-4 favourite), the first two-year-old runner this season for Aidan O’Brien.

“I thought he was a nice colt but didn’t expect him to win like that,” the winning trainer said.

“He looks an Ascot-type horse and he’s another nice Starspangledbanner for the owners.

“We thought he’d stay six but was certainly quick enough to start at five. He looks very smart.”

The younger O’Brien then struck again in the Keadeen Hotel Irish EBF Maiden with Cowardofthecounty, a 17-2 chance under Browne McMonagle.

Again the market was dominated by a Ballydoyle horse as Whistlejacket, a full brother to former champion two-year-old Little Big Bear, went off the evens favourite.

Whistlejacket took up an early lead and looked the winner at one stage, but Cowardofthecounty loomed up beside him to prevail by two and a half lengths.

“This fella looked like he could be a bit special at home but you’re never really sure with a two-year-old until they go to the races,” O’Brien said.

“He’s a particularly laid back horse and couldn’t have been more impressive. He’s a big horse, well over 500 kilos which for a two-year-old at this stage is a lot.

“He could go straight for the Coventry now. He’s such a big horse I don’t know does he need to run again but we’ll have to see.

“We knew when the horse ran well in the first that there was a good chance this lad would run well too.

“A lot of people pitch in two-year-olds with an older horse to give them a guide, but we don’t and keep the two-year-olds together.

“They are the first two colts that we have run and it looks like we have a couple of nice ones!

“They have both been away once and today is just the second time they have been on grass. We don’t drill our two-year-olds and like them to progress. It bodes well on what they have done today.”



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