The master of Ballydoyle proposes to leave no stone unturned with his Dubai World Cup string this year. The additional incentive of The Saudi Cup is too tempting to be ignored.
Aidan O’Brien has shortlisted three horses from the cream of his crop to represent the stable on Dubai World Cup day. Coolmore bred Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck will join St. James Palace Stakes winner Circus Maximus and Gr.1 Mackinnon Stakes winner Magic Wand at Meydan at the end of March.
Magic Wand has a prior engagement in Saudi before she heads down to Dubai for the main Dubai World Cup race.
“If Magic Wand performs well, we plan to aim her at the Dubai World Cup (race),” said O’Brien.
The track at Saudi has recently had the seal of approval from several top-notch jockeys including champion jockey, Frankie Dettori. “The ground is perfect. We want to have it like this race day. Today the test went with flying colours.”
Although O’Brien has not been to the track yet, his team inspected the track several weeks ago.
“The track looks good. The lads went out there a few weeks ago and were happy with the surface.”
O’Brien’s wins at Meydan include the Gr.1 Dubai Sheema Classic with St Nicholas Abbey (2013) and three Gr.2 UAE Derby wins with Daddy Long Legs (2012), Lines Of Battle (2013) and after a five-year hiatus with Mendelssohn (2018).
“I’ve been going to Meydan for a long time.”
“Its an amazing track. It’s a beautiful and fair track and everything for a horse is done to perfection,” said O’Brien.
The son of Galileo out of Believe’N’Succeed (Exceed and Excel) is being aimed at the Gr.1 Dubai Sheema Classic while the other son of Galileo out of Duntle (Danehill Dancer) is being pointed at the Gr.1 Dubai Turf.
The popular Anthony Van Dyck was disappointing in his last start at Sha Tin as Glory Vase ran out an emphatic winner of the Gr.1 Hong Kong Vase. However, he is in good form for his next start in the Sheema Classic.
“He is a very relaxed horse. He is very fast and has a great attitude.”
His other prodigy, Circus Maximus has been a revelation since failing to stay in the Gr.1 Investec Derby and, though co-owned with the Coolmore partners is a sixth Moulin winner to carry the two-tone blue of the Niarchos family, while Aidan O'Brien adds this success to that of Rock of Gibraltar in 2002.
"He's a really good, tough horse who enjoys his racing," the family's racing manager Alan Cooper had said after the race while speaking from Kentucky.
O’Brien revealed, “He is a good traveller. He could be a very nice 4YO.”
Although the Dubai Turf is a ‘wee’ bit longer than the Prix Du Moulin, Ballydoyle’s master definitely believes this horse can take on the best.
All three horses are sired by leading Coolmore sire, Galileo. The son of Sadler's Wells out of Urban Sea has been champion 3yo in Europe, winning the Epsom Derby, Irish Derby & ‘King George’ in very fast times.
His most famous offspring is Frankel, who went unbeaten for his entire 14 race career, and has become one of the world's most successful stallions with 10 Individual Group 1 Winner and 21 Individual Group 1 performer from five crops, to date.
The Master of Ballydoyle doesn’t do things by halves and has a long-term plan in place for his Dubai string already in mind.
“While Magic Wand is likely to go back to Hong Kong after the Dubai World Cup, Anthony Van Dyck is likely to be aimed at the Gr.1 Coronation Cup while Circus Maximus will take a tilt at the Gr.1 Lockinge in Newbury.”
Royal Ascot is also not far from his mind. “Those are the sorts of horses we will take to the Ascot.”
For a man who has been part of horse racing at the highest level, he is not one to be pressured or awed by the spotlight.
“Each horse is different. We take things one race at a time. We take our time. And we let them tell us what it is they want to do.”
The massive conglomerate Coolmore has put their trust in the man with the lilting Irish accent, who they know will do right by the one thing that matters, the horses.