Optimum Sports : Aidan O'Brien

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Tuesday, 3 November 2015

Crikey! Michelle Breaks Payne Barrier

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Australian Michelle Payne has become the first female jockey to win Australia's most prestigious horse race, the Melbourne Cup.

The New Zealand-bred Prince of Penzance won despite being an outsider, with French horse Max Dynamite second and New Zealand horse Criterion third.

Frankie Dettori was banned for a month and fined A$20,000 (£9,338) for careless riding on Max Dynamite.

Payne said winning was "everybody's dream as a jockey in Australia".

"My sister and I had a feeling I was going to win, and it turned out exactly how I thought it would," the 30-year-old told reporters.

Only the fourth female to ride in the Cup during its 155-year history, she added: "It's such a chauvinistic sport, I know some of the owners wanted to kick me off."

She praised Prince of Penzance trainer Darren Weir and owner John Richards for their support but said: "I want to say to everyone else, get stuffed, because women can do anything and we can beat the world."

Red Cadeaux broke down before the finish line with an injured leg, but officials said they did not believe the injury was life threatening.

Jamie Spencer was suspended for 14 days for causing interference on British-trained Big Orange, who finished fifth.

Time of her life: Ms Payne said every Australian jockey dreams of winning the Melbourne Cup. She said she started when she was five

Michelle Payne said she had been dreaming of winning the Melbourne Cup since she was five years old

Payne, who has fought back from life-threatening race injuries during her career, said she hoped her win would inspire other women: "It's a very male-dominated sport and people think we [women] are not strong enough and all of the rest of it, but it's not all about strength.

"There is so much more involved, getting the horse into a rhythm, getting the horse to try for you.

"It's being patient and I'm so glad to win the Melbourne Cup and, hopefully, it will help female jockeys from now on to get more of a go. We don't get enough of a go."

Japan's Fame Game had been a firm favourite to win Australia's biggest race, but it was Payne who rode to victory, beating odds of 100-1.

Michelle Payne celebrates her winning ride on Prince Of Penzance to win race 7 the Emirates Melbourne Cup with brother and strapper Stephen Payne

Michelle Payne celebrates her winning ride on Prince Of Penzance with brother and strapper Stephen Payne

The Payne family is steeped in Australian racing. The youngest of 10 children, Michelle was raised by her father on the family farm in Victoria after her mother died when she was just six months old.

Eight of her nine siblings have also been jockeys, but none has won a race as big as this.

For the Australian owners of Prince of Penzance, a horse that cost just $50,000 (£25,000; $36,000), it was a lucrative day as they will take home almost A$3.6m (£1.7m; $2.6m) in prize money.

Dubbed "the race that stops a nation", the Melbourne Cup is the world's richest two-mile handicap race, worth A$6.2m ($4.2m; £2.9m).

Eleven international horses were among the 24 in the race. Only one of the local starters, Sertorius, was actually bred in Australia.

Meanwhile, vets have reportedly operated on three-time Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux.

Racing Victoria said earlier the horse had a suspected fetlock injury to his left foreleg.

"On-course veterinarians have splinted and stabilised the horse's leg and he has now been transferred to the University of Melbourne Veterinary Clinic at Werribee to undergo further assessment," it said in a statement .

Last year's cup ended controversially after two horses died.

Pre-race favourite Admire Rakti died after finishing last, while seventh-placed Araldo was put down after fracturing a cannon bone.

Saturday, 7 June 2014

Australia Day at Epsom

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Australia lived up to the hype when giving Aidan O'Brien his third successive Investec Derby at Epsom, making the Ballydoyle trainer the first to saddle the Derby winner three years in a row.

Third in the Qipco 2000 Guineas off the back of O'Brien's claims the regally-bred colt is the best horse he has ever trained, the son of Galileo travelled beautifully throughout.

Having hit the front over a furlong out the 11-8 favourite kicked clear of Kingston Hill and while it looked like he may go away and win by further, he still had a length and a quarter to spare from Roger Varian's gallant runner-up.

John Gosden's Romsdal outran his 20-1 price to finish third, another three and a quarter lengths away.

By a Derby winner in Galileo out of an Oaks winner in Ouija Board, the blue riband Classic was the race Australia was destined to win.

Joseph O'Brien looked confident throughout on the chestnut, sitting on the outside of the 16-runner field in mid-division.

He moved into contention so stylishly, having come down the famous hill without a hitch.

Andrea Atzeni gave Kingston Hill every chance and took over at the head of affairs with a quarter of a mile to run, but in truth he always looked a sitting duck for the market leader.

The placed horses from the Dante, Arod and True Story, were just behind the main protagonists with Red Galileo running a massive race, too.

The major disappointment was the winner's stablemate Geoffrey Chaucer, who was tailed off.

Winning rider O'Brien said: "I had a grand position and was going very easily coming down hill, nearly too easy.

"I got there a bit too soon, I was cantering all the way – I got there too soon but I had to stay going when I did.

Winning rider O'Brien said: "I had a grand position and was going very easily coming down hill, nearly too easy.

"I got there a bit too soon, I was cantering all the way – I got there too soon but I had to stay going when I did."Horses don't come easier to ride than this fellow - he's the best (I've ridden)."

Sunday, 3 November 2013

O'Brien Enjoys Breeders Magic

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Ryan Moore rode Aidan O'Brien's Irish 2,000 Guineas winner to victory at Santa Anita after John Gosden's The Fugue appeared to have the race won.

"I had him in a lovely rhythm, nice and relaxed," said Moore. "He must be one of the best horses I've ever ridden."

Moore had another winner on Dank in the Filly & Mare Turf while Gary Stevens, 50, brought Mucho Macho Man home first in the Classic.

The victory for Dank, trained in Newmarket by Sir Michael Stoute, brought Great Britain's winning total to four at the 2013 meeting after triumphs for London Bridge, Chriselliam and Outstrip on Friday.

Magician gave O'Brien his fourth victory in the race but at first it looked like The Fugue would take the honours when William Buick hit the front from last year's winner Little Mike.

But Moore had other ideas and timed his charge to perfection, winning by half a length.

The Coolmore colt had not run since Royal Ascot, where he disappointed following an injury where he was spooked by a bird that flew into an equine spa, and was moved up from a mile to a mile and a half.

O'Brien, who hopes Magician can return next year, said: "Ryan gave him a wonderful ride - a big 'well done' to everyone involved, and especially to the lads for letting me move him up to this trip.

"The week before Ascot he knocked a hind leg in the stable and the trainer had the great idea to put him in the spa. He'd almost gone through his full swim when a sparrow flew in the door and between his ears, which caused him to jump out and bruise both his front legs.

"I probably shouldn't have run him at Ascot [St James's Palace Stakes], it was one of those freak things, but when Camelot had a setback a couple of weeks ago we were able to reroute Magician to this race off his long break."

Buick, who was unlucky on The Fugue in the Filly & Mare last year, was visibly upset after the race when the horse was led back in by owner Lady Lloyd Webber.

Moore's victory on Dank in the Filly and Mare gave Sir Michael Stoute his sixth Breeders' Cup win and a second success in this race after Islington in 2003, also at Santa Anita.

Andre Fabre's Romantica came second, half a length behind to make it a European one-two in a race run in record time.

Stoute said: "We came here with very high hopes and coming second or third wouldn't have been very good - in fact I think she should be unbeaten and if I am allowed to keep her next year she will show how good she is."

Mucho Macho Man hung on to give Stevens, 50, his first win in the Classic - America's richest race.

Stevens only returned to racing this year after retirement in which he took up acting and punditry roles.

He held off Will Take Charge, with O'Brien's Declaration Of War a close third.

Monday, 14 October 2013

Legendary Camelot Retires

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The 2012 Derby winner Camelot, who narrowly missed out on racing's Triple Crown last year, has been retired.

Owners Coolmore Stud said the colt, who also won the 2,000 Guineas before coming second to Encke in the St Leger at Doncaster, will start a breeding career in 2014.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien said: "He was the perfect racehorse, a beautiful horse with a terrific action.

"Speed, class and a super-intelligent horse to go with it - he had it all."

The four-year-old would have been the first horse since Nijinksy in 1970 to win the three English Classics in one season and claim the elusive Triple Crown.

Following the St Leger, Camelot finished down the field in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

He was then struck down with a bad bout of colic and although he returned to win a Group Three race at the Curragh, he finished behind Al Kazeem in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

A fourth place finish in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot in June - again behind Al Kazeem - was the son of Montjeu's final outing.

O'Brien added: "Unfortunately we never saw the same brilliance on the racecourse as we had done before his colic operation, but he was showing signs of it at home in recent weeks so it's obviously disappointing that he won't get the opportunity to run again."