Aidan O’Brien Fan site (@AOBFS) Present – Coolmore Classic Contenders with Other Trainers….
AOBFS takes a look outside of Aidan’s yard to bring you 5 possible Classic contenders….
5 horses from Andre Fabre, Donnacha O’Brien & Joseph O’Brien
First up is Andre Fabre….
NAME — Ancient Rome
GENDER — Colt
MONTH BORN — January
LINEAGE — War Front x Gagnoa
PEDIGREE —
Sire American based Sire War Front ; Sire of over 20 individual Group/Grade1 winners including Declaration Of War, Air Force Blue, Roly Poly, Lancaster Bomber and U S Navy Flag
Dam Gagnoa ; Group 3 Winning Daughter of Sadler’s Wells
SIBLINGS —
Full brother to Group 3 winner Etoile and brother to race winners Most Gifted, Galateia, Etched and Pour Deux
TRAINER — A. Fabre
OWNER — Coolmore, Westerberg
COLOURS CARRIED — Michael Tabor
RACE RECORD — 6 Races 3 Wins 3 Places
BEST RESULT — Group 3 winner Group 1 placed
CAREER EARNINGS — £159,616
BIG RACE ENTRIES — French Guineas and French Derby
AOBFS THOUGHTS — Ancient Rome made his debut over 7 furlongs at Compiegne in June beaten just a head by Scherzo, who went on to be Group 3 placed during his juvenile campaign.
Ancient Rome got off the mark next time out at Deauville in July over the extended 7 furlongs, he stayed on strongly to see off his rivals that day. He was sent to Deauville again for his third start and came home a comfortable winner of the Prix d’Etreham Conditions Stakes in August.
Ancient Rome was then sent into Group company for his fourth career start when he was sent to Paris-Longchamp in September to contest the Group 3 Prix des Chenes, where he again ran out a comfortable winner making it 3 wins on the bounce. In October at Paris-Longchamp Ancient Rome stepped into Group 1 company for the first time and he ran with great credit finishing a close up 3rd behind Angel Bleu in the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
Ancient Rome was to have one final run as a juvenile when he was sent to St Cloud at the end of October to take on Angel Blue again in the Group 1 Criterium International. Ancient Rome ran a cracker finishing just a head behind Angel Bleu who became a multiple Group 1 winner. Ancient Rome
had a fine juvenile career and seemed to improve for each run even though he was constantly stepped up in class. The one worry I have is he is a War Front and they can be notorious for not training on. Interestingly his full sister Etoile won a Group 3 on debut as a juvenile but sadly never raced as a 3 year old.
I’d Imagine Mr Fabre will be targeting the French Guineas and
French Derby with this colt and should he have trained on he would have to be considered as a leading contender for the French Classics.
NAME — Jasperoid
GENDER — Colt
MONTH BORN — January
LINEAGE— Galileo x Illuminate
PEDIGREE —
Dam Illuminate ; Group 3 winning daughter of Zoffany, who was also Group 1 placed
Sire Galileo ; 12 Times Champion Sire in Great Britain and Ireland.
Sire of 92 Individual Group 1 winners including Frankel
SIBLINGS — Dams first foal
TRAINER — A. Fabre
OWNER — Coolmore, Westerberg
COLOURS CARRIED — Mrs John Magnier
RACE RECORD — 2 Races 1 Win 1 Place
BEST RESULT— Conditions Stakes Winner
CAREER EARNINGS — £20,000
BIG RACE ENTRIES — French Derby
AOBFS THOUGHTS — Jasperoid didn’t make his debut until mid October when he was sent to Chantilly to contest the Prix des Terriers des Houx Conditions Stakes. He was partnered by Mickael Barzalona and was only beaten a head by My Fancy, who would later go on after this to win in Listed company.
His second start came just a month later at Saint-Cloud when he ran out the commanding winner of the Prix des Trois Roses d’Argent Conditions Stakes once again partnered by Mickael Barzalona. Jasperoid has shown enough during his juvenile campaign to believe that he should be considered a classic contender in 2022.
I would not be shocked to see him out early this season in a French Classic trial with maybe the Prix Du Jockey Club being his main target as a 3 year old. He had no problem getting a mile in heavy ground as a juvenile so I think he should be able to handle going up in trip by 2 furlongs for the French Derby as a 3 year old.
NAME — Piz Badile
GENDER — Colt
MONTH BORN — February
LINEAGE — Ulysses x That Which Is Not
PEDIGREE —
Sire Ulysses ; 2 time Group 1 Winner during 2017 including the Eclipse Stakes and Juddmonte International Stakes
Dam That Which Is Not ; Listed winning daughter of Elusive Quality who was also Group 2 placed in her race career
SIBLINGS — Dams first foal
TRAINER — Donnacha O’Brien
OWNER — Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd, Coolmore
COLOURS CARRIED — Niarchos Family
RACE RECORD — 2 Races 1 Win 1 Place
BEST RESULT — Maiden winner and Group 3 placed
CAREER EARNINGS — £15,857
BIG RACE ENTRIES — Irish 2000 Guineas and Irish Derby
AOBFS THOUGHTS — Piz Badile made his racecourse debut in mid July at Killarney where he ran in a maiden over a mile. It turned out to be a winning debut for the son of Ulysses. On paper at the time it did not look the strongest of maidens but since then Cryptos Dream, Don Julio and
Buckaroo have all gone on to win races.
Piz Badile was next sent to Leopardstown on the 23rd of October to contest the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes over 1m1f. He put in a really good performance to finish runner up in the race just half a length behind Dermot Weld’s Duke De Sessa but after the race his jockey Gavin Ryan said Piz Badile had suffered bad interference inside the final furlong and could well have won.
It was a very fair and solid juvenile campaign for Piz Badile and looking at the distances that he ran at as a 2 year old you could imagine the English and Irish Derby trips would suit and you could even imagine the Leger trips would not be beyond him. He is certainly coming into 2022 very much under the classic radar.
NAME — Simply Glorious
GENDER — Filly
MONTH BORN — April
LINEAGE — War Front x Misty For Me
PEDIGREE — Sire American based Sire War Front ; Sire of over 20 individual Group/Grade 1 winners
Dam Misty for Me ; 4 time Group 1 Winning Daughter of Galileo her victories include the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Prix Marcel Boussac in 2010 and the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Pretty Polly Stakes in 2011
SIBLINGS — Full sister to 3 time Group 1 Winners U S Navy Flag and Roly Poly and race winner Elizabethan. Half sister to Group 3 Winner Cover Song
TRAINER — Donnacha O’Brien
OWNER — Westerberg, Coolmore
COLOURS CARRIED — Westerberg
RACE RECORD — 3 Races 1 Win 0 Places
BEST RESULT— Maiden Winner
CAREER EARNINGS — £7,522
BIG RACE ENTRIES — Irish Oaks
AOBFS THOUGHTS — Simply Glorious made her debut in a Naas Maiden on the 26th of April over 6 furlongs finishing 8th behind highly regarded Ballydoyle juvenile, Contarelli Chapel.
Pandemic Princess, Sangria, Freedom Of Speech, and Juncture all went on to win races after this maiden & Juncture actually went on to be Group placed. Simply Glorious was then sent for her second attempt to break her maiden tag when she appeared at Leopardstown on the 3rd of June, once again in maiden company over 7 furlongs. The daughter of War Front showed a little improvement finishing 6th of 14. Dissociate, Madonnadelrosario, Seisai and Discoveries all went on to win races after this very hot maiden.
Discoveries went on to win the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes. while Seisai went on to win in Listed company and was also Group race placed.
It was to be third time lucky for Simply Glorious, she was able to break her maiden tag at Dundalk on the 5th of November over 7 furlongs Simply Glorious kept on well towards the finish to see off her challengers in the final furlong to score by half a length ahead of Knocklane Lass, who would run out a winner on her next outing.
Looking at the siblings of Simply Glorious it leaves me rather surprised that she is even entered in the Irish Oaks. You would have to say going by her pedigree she would do well to stay further than a mile. Her full brother was a champion sprinter and her full sister was a 3 time Group 1 winner over a mile.
I think we could see her running in something like the Leopardstown 1000 Guineas trial in April and should things go well you could see her supplemented into the English and Irish 1000 Guineas.
NAME — Velocidad
GENDER — Filly
MONTH BORN — February
LINEAGE — Gleneagles x Astrantia
PEDIGREE —
Sire 4 time Group 1 Winner Gleneagles ; The Sire of 18 black type winners including Group 1 Winner Loving Dream
Dam Astrantia ; unplaced daughter of Dansili
SIBLINGS — Half Sister to race winners Oliver Hardy & Dajla and 7 time race placed Live Twice
TRAINER — Joseph O’Brien
OWNER — Coolmore, Westerberg
COLOURS CARRIED — Derrick Smith
RACE RECORD — 3 Races 2 Wins 0 Places
BEST RESULT — Group 2 Winner
CAREER EARNINGS — £63,214
BIG RACE ENTRIES — Irish 1000 Guineas
AOBFS THOUGHTS — Velocidad made her racecourse debut on the 28th of May at Fairyhouse in a maiden over 6 furlongs, it was to be a winning debut. Multiple race winners Doitforandrew Tut Tut and Admiral D also came out of this maiden. On only her second start Velocidad was sent straight into Group company when she was sent to the Curragh on the 27th of June to contest the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes, she was to put the race to bed with the
minimum of fuss running out a clear winner by over 2 lengths finishing ahead of Yet & Cheerupsleepyjean who finished 3rd in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot this was a serious bit of juvenile form. Velocidad made one final start of her juvenile career when she was sent to France to take on the boys in the Group 1 Darley Prix Morny on the 22nd of August
at Deauville. It was to be her first run at the highest level and she only managed to finish 11th but that run can be forgiven considering she was carried wide by a drifting rival towards the final furlong which basically finished her race. I can certainly forgive her last run and see her as a very
exciting prospect. Gleneagles is starting to produce some lovely horses. Interestingly Coolmore and Westerberg bought into this filly after her Group 2 success they now co own Velocidad with Annemarie O’Brien the filly’s original owner.
I’d Imagine a Guineas trial will be top of this filly’s early season agenda in 2022. She could well be a dark horse for the classics this year.
Article – AOBFS
Pictures – AOBFS
AOBFS article in association with Arseonlineracing
Published – February 2022
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