Trainer Aidan O’Brien has posted a note of caution for next week’s Epsom
Derby (Eng-G1),
warning would-be punters that plans for Ballydoyle’s hopefuls in the Blue Riband
event have yet to be finalized. He issued a statement Friday stating that
ante-post favorite ST NICHOLAS ABBEY (Montjeu [Ire]) had failed to inspire jockey Johnny Murtagh in a
routine gallop and
elaborated further Saturday.
“St Nicholas Abbey worked with MIDAS TOUCH (Galileo [Ire])
on Friday and worked as well as him, but that was the unusual thing because he
usually
works head and shoulders above everything,” O’Brien explained. “He did a piece
of work on
Tuesday and Johnny was over the moon with him, but he was a bit disappointed on
Friday
morning so we decided to let everybody know.
“The problem with training horses is
that
they’re all different, there is no rule. (Jockey) Colm (O’Donoghue) rode Midas
Touch and he
thought he had improved a lot from Leopardstown so that’s also there, but St
Nicholas Abbey
is usually head and shoulders above everything; he’s the most incredible worker
you’ve ever
seen. I suppose it might have just taken Johnny back a bit that he just worked
as well as
Midas Touch. He wasn’t disappointing, just not as scintillating as he usually
is. I think we’ll
make a final decision in the middle of the week.”
Regarding next Sunday’s Prix du Jockey
Club (Fr-G1), O’Brien added, “Obviously we have to decide which horses will go
to France. VISCOUNT NELSON
(Giant’s Causeway) will definitely go there and whether something goes with him
will be
decided in the middle of the week. They’ll work again Tuesday or Wednesday and
we’ll have
the main work done by then.
“The two intended for Epsom were St Nicholas Abbey
and Midas
Touch, along with AT FIRST SIGHT (Galileo [Ire]). JAN VERMEER
(Montjeu [Ire]) and CAPE BLANCO (Galileo [Ire]) had the possibility of going to France too, so if
there was any doubt
about St Nicholas Abbey, there is a big chance Jan Vermeer might go to Epsom as
well. It’s
all up in the air and I would say to everybody to just wait and see because we
wouldn’t want
to run him unless we were very happy with him.”