Aidan O'Brien makes bold statement on Darkness Falls - potentially a first Triple Crown contender since Camelot

In 2012 Camelot came close to becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Nijinsky claimed the British Classic clean sweep in 1970 and O'Brien is already planning on giving the juvenile an ambitious campaign in 2027.

While reflecting on the Irish Champions Festival and the four and a quarter-length victory of Darkness Falls in the HKJC World Pool Golden Fleece Stakes, the master of Ballydoyle told www.coolmore.com: "Darkness Falls could be our first Triple Crown horse since Camelot. He looks to have the capacity to stay, he has that speed.

"The next place to go with him is the thing... do we go to the Dewhurst or the Futurity Trophy (at Doncaster)? It’s possible he could go to the Dewhurst, he could have the pace for it.

“He is unusual, he has a super mind, he’s a great traveller and he quickens so we’ll see how he is, but he’s obviously really exciting."

Regarding fellow juvenile Sun Goddess, who registered his fifth win of the season in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh, O'Brien said: "Sun Goddess looks a freak, that’s all you can say.

"There was a good chance she wouldn’t get the seven (furlongs) but instead of it exposing her it exposed everybody else. If everything is well she could go back for the Cheveley Park, why not."

Looking ahead to more big autumn targets, O'Brien is planning on running Benvenuto Cellini along with Minnie Hauk in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp, where they could be joined by Diamond Necklace who has an engagement in the Prix de l'Opera over 10 furlongs.

“Benvenuto Cellini, we felt in the race in France (fifth in Prix Niel) the pacemaker went off and none of the others followed him so it became a tactical race which didn’t suit him,” said O’Brien.

“He did give a few coughs for a few days when he got back. His coughing is starting to disappear, but his scoping is perfect and he should be fine come Arc time if the ground is nice, if not he’ll go to America.

“Minnie Hauk will probably go to the Arc and it looks like she’ll be at her best of the year come Arc weekend as long as she doesn’t give a cough or anything.

“Diamond Necklace is in great shape, she has a choice of either the Arc or the Prix de l’Opera, she is in good order.

“I might have backed her up too quick in Deauville and not had enough respect for the competition. I thought she would win, but she got a bit tired in the bad ground so she’s probably better than that."

Constitution River was considered one of the best three-year-old middle-distance horses prior to defeats in the Juddmonte International and Irish Champion Stakes, after which his trainer was left considering a drop back in distance for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day.

O'Brien explained: “There’s a chance that we’ve been doing the wrong thing with him (Constitution River) and he’s the miler and Gstaad is the mile-and-a-quarter horse. They are both top colts, we just have to decide with him do we go to Ascot.

“It’s possible he could go to the mile, and does Gstaad go to Ascot and go up to a mile and a quarter (Champion Stakes)? At the start of the year we always thought he would go up (in trip).”

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