Aidan O'Brien cautious about his Classic chances on Guineas Weekend
Trainer Aidan O'Brien offered cautious updates ahead of the Newmarket Guineas Classics. Despite a strong stable, his fillies, Precise and Diamond Necklace, have drifted in betting due to fitness uncertainties. O'Brien may split their targets between Newmarket and France. After a computer glitch, Gstaad was re-added to the 2000 Guineas alongside Puerto Rico, a strong miler by last year's form. Decisions on final runners will be made by Thursday, as Ballydoyle weighs its strongest options for the first Classics of the flat season.
- Aidan O'Brien's fillies Precise & Diamond Necklace drift in betting due to fitness concerns
- Gstaad and Puerto Rico remain key contenders for the 2000 Guineas
- Final decisions on race entries to be made by Thursday
Aidan O'Brien didn't exactly deliver a positive bulletin when he spoke with Racing TV about his Classic contenders for Newmarket.
The master of Ballydoyle has enjoyed a strong start to the season, winning several big races on home soil. The first Classics of the new flat season will be up for grabs at Newmarket this weekend, and Aidan O'Brien looks set to be represented in both.
His top two fillies have dominated the 1000 Guineas from the outset. Precise ended her two-year-old campaign with impressive victories in the Moyglare Stud and the Fillies' Mile, while Diamond Necklace claimed Group One glory in the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day at Longchamp.
The two were available at 9/4 and 4/1 for the 1000 Guineas at the start of the week. However, after Aidan O'Brien spoke to the press at Naas on Tuesday, both have drifted slightly in the market.
"Both of them are well. Precise has a little setback and a temperature six, seven weeks ago. She was at the Curragh for her away day but it was only a canter. Everything has gone well since." O'Brien revealed to Racing TV.
"She's a good bit heavier than she was last year. She's only a small filly, but she's a good bit heavier on the scales and looks to be carrying plenty."
"Diamond (Necklace) looks very fit. Everything has went well with her. I'd imagine that the lads might want to split them up if they're both ready to run. I'd imagine one would go to France, but the next few days will tell us what we're going to do."
"I'd imagine Precise would improve a good bit more from her first run than Diamond Neckless because she might be carrying a little bit more condition, but both seem very well at the moment."
A computer glitch resulted in both Albert Einstein and Gstaad being removed from the 2000 Guineas field at the last declaration stage. At the time, O'Brien said that the team intended to add both back in, but Albert Einstein wasn't supplemented in at the start of the week, following a second defeat of the season at Newbury two weeks ago.
Breeders' Cup hero Gstaad was added back into the Classic mix on Monday. O'Brien could also be represented in the opening Classic of the season by Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, Puerto Rico.
O'Brien continued, "We put in Gstaad, and Puerto Rico, they're obviously our two main ones. We'll see what the lads want to do. Whether we'll run both, or one will go to France. The lads have until Thursday morning to decide what we want to do."
"Both of them are well. Everything has went well with both of them so far. Two high class colts from last year, and we're happy with where we have them at the moment."
"Puerto Rico won on Arc weekend over seven, and then went on to win at Saint Cloud over a mile. He won both of them very easily. His form turned out to be the best form last year, and hopefully we'll get him started."
"Puerto Rico looks to be a real miler. Gstaad is the same, but might even get a mile-and-a-quarter. We said over the winter that he'd start over a mile and progress up to a mile-and-a-quarter."
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