Tag Archive for: Jan Brueghel

O’Brien open to Saudi Arabia option for Jan Brueghel

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Aidan O’Brien could look to Saudi Arabia for St Leger winner Jan Brueghel after deciding to bypass a possible Hong Kong run.

The unbeaten colt travelled to Australia and looked to hold strong claims of giving his trainer a first victory in the Melbourne Cup.

However, he was ruled out of the Flemington contest after failing to satisfy the Racing Victoria vets in a pre-race examination.

O’Brien initially suggested the Hong Kong Vase as a possible target but as Jan Brueghel was unable to maintain his fitness while in Australia, his aim will now be reassessed.

In a post on Coolmore’s X feed, the trainer said: “He had a long journey back from Australia and was restricted to only trotting while over there.

“Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to prepare him properly for Hong Kong so we will revisit his plans. We may aim for a race in Saudi early next year.”



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O’Brien looks to Hong Kong with Jan Brueghel following Melbourne disappointment

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An extremely disappointed Aidan O’Brien will reroute Jan Brueghel to the Hong Kong Vase after the St Leger winner was ruled out of the Melbourne Cup having failed a pre-race veterinary check in Australia.

The Galileo colt was the ante-post favourite to provide his trainer with a first victory in Tuesday’s Flemington showpiece, having extended his unbeaten record to four in last month’s Betfred-sponsored Doncaster Classic.

But the three-year-old’s participation has been scuppered following a routine veterinary inspection that has become mandatory for all entrants.

O’Brien was in California on Tuesday morning to see his Breeders’ Cup contenders, including Classic contender City Of Troy, get a taste of the track at Del Mar for the first time and was clearly unhappy with Racing Victoria’s decision.

“Everything was perfect with him, he went through all the hoops and scans. Our vets were happy, but the Australian vets were not happy with them,” said the Ballydoyle handler.

“It’s easy to say now, but we thought he was a massive handicap blot as a classy, unbeaten horse with 8st 7lb to carry and Ryan Moore riding him.

“We will go for the race in Hong Kong now. Most scans are open to opinion, they gave him another in the last few days and found a shadow on the hind leg, but with all horses you can get shadows.

“Everything was properly done with the horse and it’s all getting a little bit ridiculous.”

All smiles for the Coolmore team at Doncaster
All smiles for the Coolmore team at Doncaster (Mike Egerton/PA)

A statement from Racing Victoria said: “Racing Victoria stewards, acting on specialist veterinary advice, have today withdrawn Jan Brueghel from the entries for the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup to be run at Flemington next Tuesday, November 5.

“In accordance with the conditions of the race, Jan Brueghel was presented at the University of Melbourne Equine Centre in Werribee on Saturday, October 26 for compulsory CT scans of its distal limbs.

“Reports received from an expert panel of internationally renowned equine surgeons and diagnostic imaging specialists, who reviewed Jan Brueghel’s CT scan results, indicate that the horse is currently at heightened risk of injury.

“Following advice from RV Veterinary Services in relation to the specialist opinions from the independent imaging panel, RV Stewards ordered the withdrawal of Jan Brueghel from the Melbourne Cup on the basis that he was unsuitable to compete.”



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Jan Brueghel out of Melbourne Cup after failed vet check

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Aidan O’Brien’s Jan Brueghel has been ruled out of the Melbourne Cup after failing a pre-race veterinary check.

The three-year-old, who is the reigning St Leger hero, had travelled to Australia in a bid to give the trainer his first success in the race.

However, those plans have now been scuppered as the colt cannot partake following the routine veterinary inspection that has become mandatory for all entrants.

A statement from Racing Victoria said: “Racing Victoria Stewards, acting on specialist veterinary advice, have today withdrawn Jan Brueghel from the entries for the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup to be run at Flemington next Tuesday, 5 November.

“In accordance with the conditions of the race, Jan Brueghel was presented at the University of Melbourne Equine Centre in Werribee on Saturday, 26 October for compulsory CT scans of its distal limbs.

“Reports received from an expert panel of internationally renowned equine surgeons and diagnostic imaging specialists, who reviewed Jan Brueghel’s CT scan results, indicate that the horse is currently at heightened risk of injury.

“Following advice from RV Veterinary Services in relation to the specialist opinions from the independent imaging panel, RV Stewards ordered the withdrawal of Jan Brueghel from the Melbourne Cup on the basis that he was unsuitable to compete.”



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Jan Brueghel stakes Leger claim with gutsy Gordon Stakes win

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Jan Brueghel showed his quality to fend off Bellum Justum and maintain his unbeaten record in the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.

The son of Galileo went off as the 4-5 favourite and was stoked up by Ryan Moore to ease past Meydaan’s surprise early pacesetting before enduring a two-furlong battle with Andrew Balding’s Bellum Justum.

Meydaan burst into a five-length lead in the early stages of the mile-and-a-half contest, but he was usurped by Aidan O’Brien’s charge a long way from home.

Jan Brueghel hit the front, but he was not alone as Bellum Justum fought for supremacy and the pair were neck and neck inside the final 100 yards.

However, Moore asked for more and Jan Brueghel delivered to win by a neck and secure the Group Three victory, with more looking to be in the tank.

O’Brien said: “He stays very well obviously, but he’s very babyish. Very green. He did an extra lap in the parade ring and Ryan said he was very green going to the start.

“He said he was delighted when a horse went off in front, but he was very green when he was by himself. He’s a baby, he’s going to improve a lot.

“I’d say time and distance is going to improve him, he’s just a big baby and you can really see it now. I’m delighted, we took him to the Curragh twice and I’m delighted we took him over here.

The Qatar Goodwood Festival – Day Three – Goodwood Racecourse
Jan Brueghel and Bellum Justum pulled clear of Sayedaty Sadaty (Andrew Matthews/PA).

“You’d have to be very happy and Ryan was very good on him.

“He led the other two to the leader and then got left there, then all he was doing was looking around and he wasn’t really concentrating because he’s a baby. He still fought when Ryan asked him to, you’d have to be very happy considering that.

“I’d say you’d have to (go straight to the St Leger). It was a bit of a crash-course coming here, he had a lot to learn in a short time. It’s only his third run but I wouldn’t think there’d be time for a run in between.

“He’s a lot heavier today than his last run and that’s unusual, that usually means that he’s maturing a lot. It can mean that they’ve got unfit but he didn’t look lighter, he’s obviously maturing.

“We also have the horse that won at Royal Ascot – Illinois – for the St Leger and the Irish Derby winner Los Angeles is a possible.”

Moore added: “He’ll get better, still. There is definitely more class in there, we just need to get it out.”



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Jan Brueghel boosts Leger prospects with International win

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Jan Brueghel finished with a flourish to deny Trustyourinstinct a Group Three victory in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai International Stakes at the Curragh.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt was an eight-length maiden winner at the track on his racecourse debut last month and there was plenty of confidence behind the 8-13 favourite.

Ryan Moore was happy to sit on the heels of pacesetter Trustyourinstinct but with half a mile still to run, he had to get to work on his inexperienced mount.

However, when Jan Brueghel finally hit his stride in the 10-furlong contest, he edged in front of Trustyourinstinct to prevail by a neck, although with a bit seemingly still in the tank.

A full brother to Irish Derby winner Sovereign, Jan Brueghel is now a 10-1 shot from 14s for the St Leger at Doncaster with Paddy Power.

O’Brien said: “We were worried about the ground. We knew he had improved a lot from the last day and knew he’d stay further but we weren’t sure about the ground.

“You could see him swapping and changing when he turned in and Ryan was very good on him I thought.

“He will stay much further and will be very happy going up to a mile and a half. We came here to educate him and bring him on.

“It’s hard going from a maiden straight into a group race. Joseph’s horse brought him along at an even gallop and it was a competitive race. We were delighted.

“We weren’t sure he was going to get away with it but he did and he stays very well.

“Ryan said he was having a right look going to the line, so there is obviously plenty there still.

“He said he was watching the photographers at the line, so he was obviously very focused and very aware of what he was doing. That’s a good sign and that means he was doing it very easy.”

Goodwood now appears a likely port of call for the winner, with the St Leger on connections’ radar, although plans have yet to be decided.

O’Brien added: “We were thinking of coming here then going on to Goodwood and then going to the Leger after that, if the lads decided to go that far, it depends on what they decide to do.

“Obviously, Sovereign got a mile and a half really well, really strong. This fella is a better mover than Sovereign, a very low mover, and a bigger horse. He’s very exciting going forward.”



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