Monday, June 1, 2009

DEATH OF VINCENT O'BRIEN ANNOUNCED

O'Brien secured 16 English and 27 Irish Classic victories, 25 Royal Ascot wins and 23 Cheltenham Festival successes during an amazing career which spanned 51 years.

He retired from training in October 1994 and had been spending his winters in Perth, Australia.

O'Brien began training in 1943 and quickly graduated from winning moderate races to sending out the likes of Cottage Rake to win the Irish Cesarewitch, the Leopardstown Chase, the King George VI Chase and three Cheltenham Gold Cups.

The trainer also masterminded the career of triple Champion Hurdle winner Hatton's Grace before buying the Ballydoyle yard in 1951 from where he sent out Early Mist, Royal Tan and Quare Times to win consecutive Grand Nationals.

However, O'Brien eventually switched his attention to the Flat and handled the likes of Nijinsky, Sir Ivor, Alleged, Sadler's Wells, Golden Fleece, The Minstrel, El Gran Senor, Ballymoss and Roberto during his stellar career.

O'Brien was also the original purchaser of Coolmore Stud and he set the wheels in motion for their worldwide breeding operation when he recruited John Magnier to run the farm.

The later recruitment of owner-investor Robert Sangster sealed Coolmore's place as one of the world's most important stallion stations.

O'Brien is survived by wife Jacqueline and five children including David, who trained the Derby winner Secreto and now lives in Perth, and Charles, who trains in Ireland.

A statement from O'Brien's daughter, Sue Magnier, and her husband John and their family read: "Dad's racing career speaks for itself and needs no elaboration.

"There was nobody like him. Coolmore Stud and Ballydoyle are the results of his vision and testament to his success.

"More importantly, he was a loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather and an extraordinary mentor. His passing is a great loss to me and my family and we will all miss him greatly."

BAKER’S DOZEN CHASING INVESTEC DERBY GLORY - OWNER BARRY WALTERS HOPES FOR MONTAFF SUCCESS

Trainer Aidan O’Brien, successful with Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002) looks to hold all the aces going into Saturday’s contest as he accounts for no less than six of the acceptors. The Ballydoyle sextet includes Fame And Glory, who has followed the same path as Galileo and High Chaparral by winning the Ballysax Stakes and the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial this season. Also among the contingent from Ballydoyle is Dante Stakes winner Black Bear Island, Lingfield Derby Trail scorer Age Of Aquarius, the first two horses home in the Chester Vase victor Golden Sword and Masterofthehorse and 2000 Guineas fourth Rip Van Winkle.

In addition to O’Brien’s formidable contenders, Ireland also has two other leading Investec Derby contenders in 2000 Guineas victor Sea The Stars, trained by John Oxx, and Gan Amhras, from the Jim Bolger yard and a fine third behind Sea The Stars at Newmarket on May 2. Both trainers certainly know what it takes to prepare an Investec Derby winner, with Oxx saddling Sinndar to success nine years ago and the Bolger team triumphant with New Approach in 2008.

One horse aiming to keep the prize in Britain is the Mick Channon-trained Montaff. The Montjeu colt was successful at Newbury in a maiden last year and on his only start this season finished a neck behind Age Of Aquarius in the Lingfield Derby Trial on May 9. He worked at Epsom Downs during the Breakfast With The Stars media morning on May 28 and is set to be partnered by Richard Hills on Saturday, with regular pilot Darryll Holland currently serving a 21-day suspension for a riding offence at Warwick.

Montaff’s owner Barry Walters revealed today: “We were quite pleased with his work at Epsom on Thursday and he handled the course fine. Richard Hills liked his temperament and he seemed to settle, which is good for a Montjeu colt. Running him on Investec Derby Day might be a bit different for him, with such a big crowd, but you don’t know until you run.”

“I didn’t think that Darryll deserved to be banned for that length of time. He knew the horse very well so we were a bit gutted when he couldn’t take the ride, but I am sure that Richard will do a good job.

“Montaff is a good horse and worthy of a try at the Investec Derby. We had a little problem with him earlier in the year, when he had a small splint, and he wouldn’t have been as fit as some of his rivals in the Lingfield Derby Trial.

“That was the first time we really put the gun to his head and I thought that he was a bit unlucky not to pinch the race. There appears to be some long odds about him but, if we get the luck on the day, then I think he can run well. He’s a top horse and I am sure that he will have his day somewhere, hopefully at Epsom Downs this weekend.

“I’ve bred some good horses before, including Lady Lahar, who won a Group Three in Ireland, and Classic Legend, who was a very good two-year-old, but Montaff looks to be the best. I also bred Popmurphy, who was second in this year’s Weatherbys Bank Blue Riband Trial Stakes, and I thought that he might be a potential Investec Derby colt, but it’s hard to find the right horses.”

Other British-trained horses hoping to claim the Investec Derby prize include last year’s Racing Post Trophy victor Crowded House, who disappointed on his return to action in the Dante Stakes, and Godolphin’s Kite Wood, who finished fifth in the same contest. South Easter, who is part-owned by Investec managing director Bernard Kantor, could aim to maintain the 100 per cent record in the Investec Derby of trainer William Haggas. Haggas saddled the 1996 hero Shaamit - his only previous runner in the Classic.

One acceptor to have already scored at Epsom Downs is Debussy, who was successful in the Weatherbys Bank Blue Riband Trial Stakes at the course on April 22. Owned by last year’s winning owner, H R H Princess Haya Of Jordan, the son of Diesis is trained by John Gosden who triumphed with Benny The Dip in 1997.

The going at Epsom Downs is currently GOOD. Director Of Racing Andrew Cooper will be walking the course later this afternoon to further assess the condition of the course.

THE INVESTEC DERBY
Class 1, Group 1, £1,250,000 Total Prize Fund, 3.45pm, Epsom Downs, Saturday, June 6, 2009. For three-year-olds only, entire colts & fillies, one mile & four furlongs. Entries closed December 5, 2007, (474 entries). First scratchings deadline noon, March 3, 2009 (138 remained), £8,000 second entry stage noon April 7, 2009, (8 extra entries received), second forfeit stage May 21, 2009, (20 remained), £75,000 supplementary entry and five-day confirmation stage noon, June 1, 2009 (13 remain), final declaration stage 10am, June 4, 2009. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Sunday, May 31, 2009. May not include some overseas form.

Form Horse Owner Trainer
(1)4-1 AGE OF AQUARIUS (IRE) Sue Magnier/Michael Tabor/Derrick Smith/Eduard Mordutchovitch Aidan O'Brien IRE
21-31 BLACK BEAR ISLAND (IRE) Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
0(1)21-0 CROWDED HOUSE Paul Reddam, Carmen Burrell, J Harvey Brian Meehan
4-(1)13 DEBUSSY (IRE) H R H Princess Haya of Jordan John Gosden
11-11 FAME AND GLORY Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
312-3 GAN AMHRAS (IRE) Jackie Bolger Jim Bolger IRE
3541-41 GOLDEN SWORD Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
211-5 KITE WOOD (IRE) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
2130-2 MASTEROFTHEHORSE (IRE) Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
21-2 MONTAFF Barry Walters Catering Mick Channon
110-4 RIP VAN WINKLE (IRE) Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE
411-1 SEA THE STARS (IRE) Christopher Tsui John Oxx IRE
21 SOUTH EASTER (IRE) Markus Jooste & Bernard Kantor William Haggas

13 five-day confirmations
8 Irish-trained

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