Rodin and Luxembourg poised to shine in Irish Champion Stakes

Aidan O’Brien’s Ambitious Targets for Luxembourg and Auguste Rodin in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes

Renowned trainer Aidan O’Brien is leaving no stone unturned as he prepares both last year’s winner, Luxembourg, and the talented Auguste Rodin for the upcoming Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

Last season, Luxembourg triumphed over French-trained duo Onesto and Vadeni in a thrilling showdown during the Irish Champions Festival. Adding to his already impressive resume this year, he conquered the Tattersalls Gold Cup with ease.

Luxembourg’s recent performances have taken place at Ascot where he finished second to Juddmonte International hero Mostahdaf in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes before a slightly disappointing fourth-place finish in the King George. Meanwhile, his stablemate Auguste Rodin failed to live up to expectations during that same race.

O’Brien remains puzzled by Auguste Rodin’s lackluster display but hopes that Leopardstown will be their chance at redemption on September 9th.

“We’re delighted with how Luxembourg has been progressing; everything has gone according to plan so far,” said O’Brien from Ballydoyle.

Reflecting on Auguste Rodin’s performance in the King George, he added: “We still can’t quite put our finger on what happened there. He was drawn wide and found himself trapped throughout most of the race. He struggled earlier than expected, and jockey Ryan Moore made the decision to protect him by pulling him up. In hindsight, it was probably a blessing in disguise for this young three-year-old.”

Furthermore, O’Brien hinted that Auguste Rodin’s future as a four-year-old is uncertain due to his unique pedigree as the son of Japanese sire Deep Impact.

“Auguste Rodin possesses such a rare pedigree; he’s almost irreplaceable,” O’Brien acknowledged.

Aidan O’Brien’s Exciting Juveniles: City of Troy and Henry Longfellow

O’Brien isn’t just focused on his experienced runners; he also has ambitious plans for his crop of talented juveniles.

City Of Troy seems set to be O’Brien’s top contender in the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at Curragh during day two of the Irish Champions Festival. Unbeaten in both starts so far, City Of Troy impressed with an outstanding victory in the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket after making a successful debut in a Curragh maiden race.

“At present, our plan is to enter City Of Troy into the National Stakes. If not, then we will consider sending Henry Longfellow instead. However, we initially intended for Henry Longfellow to participate in the Dewhurst,” revealed O’Brien about his promising youngsters.

Proudly hailing from American Triple Crown hero Justify as his sire, City Of Troy currently stands as general 2-1 favorite for Qipco 2000 Guineas. This opens up possibilities for potentially switching surfaces later this year and venturing onto dirt tracks at events like Breeders’ Cup.

“To compete successfully on American soil requires a horse performing consistently at an elite level. Given City Of Troy’s potential, it is not entirely implausible that he could make the journey,” O’Brien acknowledged.

O’Brien also mentioned the likelihood of potentially running at six furlongs in the Middle Park Stakes to further sharpen City Of Troy before a possible venture on American dirt tracks.

Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes: River Tiber’s Upcoming Challenge

In addition to his other plans, it appears O’Brien has set his sights on entering River Tiber into the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. With an unbeaten record across two starts and success in the Futurity Stakes at Group Two level, Henry Longfellow seems destined for this prestigious event.