Tag Archive for: Illinois

Illinois shows courage and class in Chaudenay victory

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Illinois got Arc weekend off to a flying start for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore with a determined victory in the Qatar Prix Chaudenay at ParisLongchamp.

Having filled the runner-up spot in the Grand Prix de Paris, the Great Voltigeur and the St Leger since his Royal Ascot victory in the Queen’s Vase, the Galileo colt was a warm order to strike Group Two gold on his return to the Bois de Boulogne and was soon bowling along at the head of affairs.

Moore had to get to work from the home turn and the 4-9 favourite looked at the mercy of Trafalgar Square after being joined and briefly passed by his French rival, but Illinois gritted his teeth to keep himself in the fight and battled back to score by a widening two lengths at the line.

“I’m delighted, he’s a lovely horse and straightforward and stays very well. He’s lazy but finds plenty and Ryan said he’d have no problem coming back in trip if he needs to,” said O’Brien.

“In an ideal world you’d prefer to get a lead, but we’re very happy as it was a lovely race to come to after he got beat in the Leger.

“He should be a lovely four-year-old. I was obviously concerned when the other horse came to him, but knowing him he finds loads and Ryan gave him a great ride – that’s Ryan all over, isn’t it?”

Paddy Power cut Illinois to 8-1 from 10-1 for the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup, but he appears unlikely to turn up at Ascot in a fortnight’s time.

O’Brien added: “That will probably be it for him for this year, I’d imagine. It’s a nice, long winter and he’ll be ready to start early in the spring. Ryan said he could start in Dubai or anywhere.”

Mount Kilimanjaro and Ryan Moore at ParisLongchamp
Mount Kilimanjaro and Ryan Moore at ParisLongchamp (Ashley Iveson/PA)

After doubling up with the remarkable Kyprios in the Prix du Cadran, O’Brien and Moore made it a treble on the card with Mount Kilimanjaro justifying 9-4 favouritism in the €260,000 Arqana Series – Haras de Bouquetot Criterium d’Automne.

Although the son of Siyouni could only finish fifth and third respectively on his first two starts, the form of both has worked out well, with the winner of his Leopardstown debut Scorthy Champ going on to win the National Stakes and Field Of Gold, who Mount Kilimanjaro was placed behind when last seen in action at Newmarket in July, following up in the Solario at Sandown.

With Moore again positive from the off, Mount Kilimanjaro dug deep when challenged and his trainer believes there will be even more to come next season.

“He had a couple of nice runs early and the maiden he ran in Newmarket worked out very well – I think the winner (Field Of Gold) runs in the Lagardere here tomorrow,” said O’Brien.

“Our fella will be a lovely middle-distance horse next year, a mile or a mile-and-a-quarter horse. He’d be one for one of the trials in the spring and he’s big, too.

“He’d be working nicely and Ryan gave him an uncomplicated ride. We could have a look at one of the Group Ones in Saint-Cloud, but we’ll see.”

Ramadan got the home team off the mark at Group level for the day in the Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein.

A dual Group Three winner earlier in the season, the three-year-old finished last of seven behind fellow Nurlan Bizakov-owned miler Charyn in the Prix du Moulin last time out.

But dropping down in class from Group One to Group Two company, the 18-1 shot finished with a flourish under Aurelien Lemaitre to get the better of Andromede by three-quarters of a length.

“I love this horse, what a pace we had during the race,” said Head.

“It’s great to have a winner on Arc weekend for Nurlan Bizakov. He has faith in France and I hope he continues to do it.

“Ramadan is entered in the Arc sale later, so we will see what will happen.”



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Illinois leading O’Brien’s team for glory in world’s oldest Classic

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Aidan O’Brien holds all the aces as Illinois, Jan Brueghel and Grosvenor Square bid to give him an eighth victory in the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster.

Successful with Continuous 12 months ago, the master of Ballydoyle has taken home the trophy for the world’s oldest Classic three times in the last 10 years.

Illinois is attempting to do what Leading Light (2013) and Kew Gardens (2018) have done in the past and follow up victory in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot with Classic glory on Town Moor.

Last seen finishing a neck second to stablemate Los Angeles at York, he will be partnered by Wayne Lordan – who having twice won the 1000 Guineas on a Ballydoyle second string, now gets first pick with Ryan Moore required at Leopardstown.

O’Brien told the sponsors: “We’re very happy with him. We always thought he’d stay, he won at Ascot over a mile and six and he ran very well in the Voltigeur which we felt was a lovely trial for him.

“Wayne rode him that day and was very happy with him. Nice ground is important to him, he’s closely related to an Arc winner (Danedream) so he has a lot of class, we think and hope the Leger will suit him well. We would have run him in the Derby, but City Of Troy was there. We’ve had the Leger in mind for a long time for him.”

Another rider picking up a big-race opportunity for O’Brien is Sean Levey who spent his formative years based with the Tipperary handler and has excelled this season for his primary boss Richard Hannon aboard Rosallion.

He has already steered Lake Victoria to Group-level success for Ballydoyle this season and now partners the unbeaten Jan Brueghel, who showed plenty of fight to grind out victory over Andrew Balding’s Nashville Derby hero Bellum Justum at Goodwood last month.

Jan Brueghel (left) winning the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood
Jan Brueghel (left) winning the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood (Andrew Matthews/PA)

O’Brien said: “He was very green the last day at Goodwood when the track didn’t really suit him, which can happen, but he got the trip well despite being the first off the bridle.

“We think he has improved a good bit since Goodwood. The form has worked out, it was a tough race for him but he dealt with it and was on top at the line. A long straight will suit him.”

The final piece of the O’Brien jigsaw is Grosvenor Square, an emphatic winner of the Irish St Leger Trial, and with stamina assured, he could attempt to put his rivals to the sword from the front.

“He could be very different, a difficult horse to deal with if you are riding against him,” added O’Brien.

“If you let him go he might not come back and if you let him go he might kill you. He’s unbelievable, he has an awful lot of stamina, a very high cruising speed and very genuine. He’s a very rare horse and I think he’s very exciting for people to watch.

“He will make the Leger a very tough race, I think people will want to watch him from everywhere because he wears his heart on his sleeve. We always felt making the running would suit him but he was too weak to do it earlier in the season.”

The sole filly in the field is also the only Classic winner heading to post, as Ralph Beckett’s Irish Oaks heroine You Got To Me lines up against the colts having been supplemented at a cost of £50,000.

It was ironically her effort when narrowly beaten in the Yorkshire Oaks that convinced connections to consider this contest and with her handler happy with both conditions in South Yorkshire and the filly’s well-being, the decision was made to roll the dice.

You Got To Me (left) winning the Irish Oaks
You Got To Me (left) winning the Irish Oaks (Niall Carson/PA)

“All things considered it seemed the right move and it was all to down to the filly’s well-being really. Ralph gave that the thumbs up just before supplementation time,” said Alex Elliott, racing adviser to Valmont, who own the filly in partnership with Newsells Park Stud.

“We go there with solid chance of hitting the board I think and if she could be placed or better in another Classic then all power to her.

“After the Curragh, Hector (Crouch, jockey) and Ralph felt they had a good handle on her moving forward and it looked that way at York. It was just about a career best at York.

“She’s had quite a long year, but if Ralph is happy and thinks she’s happy then we’re all for having a go. Hopefully the ground will hold and we’re all really looking forward to it.”

Deira Mile in action in the Derby
Deira Mile in action in the Derby (Bradley Collyer/PA)

Deira Mile was fourth behind City Of Troy in the Derby, but Owen Burrows has always felt staying would be his forte and the son of Camelot now has the chance to prove his handler right.

“There’s only five Classics each year, so they’re hard to win. I was fifth in the Guineas and fourth in the Derby, so hopefully we can go a few places better on Saturday,” said Burrows.

“It’s always good to have a runner in a Classic and if he could reproduce his fourth in the Derby then I think he will have an each-way chance.

“Staying looked his strong point in the Derby and he had to make plenty of ground up so I think the move up in trip will suit him.

Trainer Owen Burrows is dreaming of Classic glory
Trainer Owen Burrows is dreaming of Classic glory (Mike Egerton/PA)

“It was a messy race at Windsor and only over a mile, three and a half. So I’m hoping this trip will suit him more. It wasn’t the end of the world to get beat and he has taken a nice step forward at home.

“It would have been a long wait to not run from the Derby and the Leger and he would have had to go and have a racecourse gallop somewhere, so I’m much happier to have got a run under his belt. Fingers crossed that has done the job and we go there with a nice each-way shout I hope.”

It would be fitting in the week Burrows’ mentor Sir Michael Stoute announced his impending retirement if he could follow in his footsteps and lift the St Leger trophy aloft.

Burrows added: “I was working for Sir Michael when he won it with Conduit. The only thing is it took him about 20 attempts to win it, so I hope it doesn’t take me that many! That was a good day and if we could get our name on the trophy it’d be great.”

David Menuisier will saddle Sunway in the St Leger
David Menuisier will saddle Sunway in the St Leger (Simon Marper/PA)

Also bidding to honour their former boss is David Menuisier who spent time with John Dunlop before forging his own successful training career and after a year of near misses in the top contests, will saddle Sunway.

Speaking before this British Champions Series race, he said: “It would mean the world to me to win a Classic, and especially the St Leger, as it’s the oldest Classic and is the representation of what I really love – those nice, middle-distance staying races. Also it’s a race my old boss John Dunlop won a few times, with Moon Madness, Silver Patriarch and Millenary.

“I’m trying not to think about it. We try not to get ahead of ourselves, as we’ve burned our fingers before and it will be hard to win, with Aidan sending some proper horses, and a filly (You Got To Me) who could be good too, but it’s a challenge we are keen to grasp.

“He’s had a mini break (since Ascot) and a bit of a chance to grow into himself, and I’d like to think he’s in the best possible shape. I think if anything the extra distance could be a plus, although he’s not really bred for it.”



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Illinois leads home Ballydoyle one-two in Queen’s Vase

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Illinois justified favouritism to give Ryan Moore an 80th Royal Ascot winner in the Queen’s Vase and emerge as a real candidate for the St Leger.

Second to subsequent Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly in the Lingfield Derby Trial, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Galileo colt sat in second behind long-time leader Mr Hampstead before Moore pushed him to the front two furlongs out.

Stablemate Highbury was the first to give chase, but Moore had enough in the tank to bring his mount home by a length and a quarter at 7-4.

Highbury stayed on to give Ballydoyle a one-two, with Jessica Harrington’s Birdman completing a clean sweep of the places for Ireland.

O’Brien, also responsible for fifth-placed The Equator – said: “We felt any three of them could win, but Ryan made the decision on this one. When Diego (Velazquez) got rerouted to the King Edward VII Stakes, this horse got rerouted to here.

“Ryan felt he would stay. He felt when he got beat at Leopardstown it was the ground and he felt he was very green when he went to Lingfield.

“Obviously, all those types of horses had a much easier time than they would normally have because they would be steered into the Derby, but when City (Of Troy) was there, it gave all these horse a chance to develop slowly.

“He’s obviously a Leger-type horse and is going to improve from three to four.”

Ryan Moore is presented with his special prize for reaching 80 career winners at Royal Ascot
Ryan Moore is presented with his special prize for reaching 80 career winners at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA)

He added: “He’s a middle-distance, mile-and-six type horse and he’s going to get better from three to four. He’s a big, sound honest horse and a bit of a baby mentally still. He might have a bit of a rest now and go to York on the way to the St Leger, something like that.

“I think he might have a little more class than just a Cup horse and I think his sister (Danedream) won the Arc. Ryan said he was kind of caught in a position he didn’t want to and wasn’t getting an easy lead, he had to do it tough. When he went to the front he flattened out and he thought the race was over and then he asked him to come again and he did. He probably learned a lot today.

“I will be sure he is going to be a very good mile-and-a-half horse who will also get further.”

Aidan O’Brien accepts his prize from the Duchess of Gloucester
Aidan O’Brien accepts his prize from the Duchess of Gloucester (David Davies/PA)

On equalling Sir Henry Cecil’s record of eight Queen’s Vase wins, O’Brien said: “Obviously we’re over the moon and we’re so pleased for everybody. It’s obviously massive teamwork all the way along and I’m always mentioning lots of names, but there are so many people I don’t mention. There are a lot of people doing work that influences the careers of horses even before they are born and I never mention their names and I would love to.

“It’s all about teamwork and we’re just grateful to have the small part we have and it’s unbelievable. They are homebred horses and there are so many people involved. It’s incredible to be working with the people we are.”

On the runner-up: “He’s only a baby and we didn’t know what to expect, but he’s obviously a good horse. Wayne (Lordan) said he was babyish through the race but will come on as well. He is probably a Leger-type horse as well. He could go to Goodwood and then back to York. These are both Leger-type horses who could quicken up.”



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Illinois motors to impressive Curragh debut win

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Illinois could have a bright future after making a taking introduction at the Curragh on Saturday.

Aidan O’Brien’s son of Galileo is a half-brother to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe champion Danedream as well as being a full-brother to Chester Vase scorer Venice Beach, although even with that bloodline he was relatively easy to back in going off at 4-1 for his first start in the Shoda Market Cafe Irish EBF Maiden.

He produced a professional performance in the hands of Seamie Heffernan and once easily making his way to the head of proceedings two furlongs from home, kept on stoutly in the closing stages for a three-length success.

Having advertised his potential over nine furlongs here, Betfair introduced the smart-looking colt at 20-1 for next year’s Derby.

An impressed Heffernan said: “He’s a beautiful colt. There’s not too many that you go down past the two and a half and they say ‘point me’. I actually got there a little sooner because I thought he’d take a bit of stoking.

“He has a lot going for him – pedigree, scope, size, action, wind. He’s pretty much a steering job and I’m going to miss these Galileo’s.”

There was a deserved victory for Fozzy Stack’s Aussie Girl in the Darley Irish EBF Brigid’s Pastures Stakes as the daughter of Starspangledbanner struck at Listed level for the first time.

On the premises in all four outings since victorious at the track in the summer, the consistent three-year-old was sent off the 9-4 favourite to return to winning ways and made all to deny William Haggas’ raider Pinafore in the hands of Colin Keane.

“She probably deserved that as she has been very consistent in Listed and Group company and she handles those conditions well,” said the winning rider.

“She jumps, she travels and she’s tough.

“Fozzy said not to interfere with her. She usually jumps smart and he said to let her dictate on her own terms. I put my hands down, sat on her as long as I could and she picked up again in the last furlong.

“She’s a filly that should only improve with time. She is a big filly, handles those conditions well and is very tough and genuine.”



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