Get the latest quotes from some key players at Ascot on Saturday including Aidan O'Brien and Oisin Murphy.
Aidan O'Brien
DELACROIX (Champion Stakes)
"We went gently with Delacroix after the Irish Champion Stakes and had our eye on this race while we waited for the lads to decide whether they wanted to go or not. The Eclipse was a normal-run race really, Delacroix just had a lot of things to overcome to win, and he did. York was a bit of a farce, and you would not see that type of race in a small conditions race, let alone a big Group One race like that. The plan in York was to follow the pacemaker if nobody else was going to, but it did not work out that way. Nobody wanted the race to happen the way it did, but it happened and hopefully Saturday is a properly run race. Races like this are what everybody does it for. We all want to see the best horses meeting on the big days, all the time, and the races being as competitive and as fair as possible. Whether it is owners, breeders, spectators, punters, that is what everybody wants."
STAY TRUE (Long Distance Cup)
“He’s a lovely horse, a kind horse. He won his maiden and then ran a lovely race in Lingfield. He had a break after that and we always thought he was going to be this type of horse (stayer), obviously next year. But it’s lovely to be able to compete in these races and get a feel for it next year. He’s such a kind horse with a relaxed way of racing. We think he got a little bit tired in the Leger and possibly wasn’t quite there (fitness-wise) but we’ve been happy with him since and it’s going to do him good with next year in mind.”
BEDTIME STORY (Fillies & Mares)
“We took a chance on going to France and it was probably the wrong thing. We stretched her out too far and the ground got a bit chopped up. But she came out of France very well and I suppose a big factor is the mile and a half – she’s got form over that distance – but the ground looks as though it’s going to be nice and she’s a filly with a lot of ability.”
THE LION IN WINTER (QEII)
“When we made the decision to go the Derby, we had to have a run and we went for the Dante but he wasn’t ready for that and then in the Derby he didn’t stay. Then we had to go back and when we went back to a mile we tried to get a run in against three-year-olds before we met the older horses and that’s what he did. He ran a great race in Deauville (Prix Jean Prat) and wasn’t beaten that far, then he went back to Deauville and we just put a line through that run altogether (last of 10 in the Jacques le Marois). And his next run in Longchamp, he ran a great race so it hasn’t been straightforward – there have been twists and turns – but that’s not unusual and we’re happy with where he is for Saturday. His preparations went well.”
Oisin Murphy
SIR ALBERT (Two-Year-Old Conditions Race)
“Charlie Appleby’s horse (Words Of Truth) is an absolute standout but this is a good addition to the card. It’s likely the winner of the race is a potential Group 1 horse. Sir Albert is improving, he ran a career best at Doncaster and will have no bother coming back to six furlongs from seven.”
FLORA OF BERMUDA (Champions Sprint)
“She needs to behave in the stalls, sometimes she does and sometimes she doesn’t. She’s got lots of Group 1 form and is capable of going very well. I think Wathnan clearly have a strong hand with the favourite in Lazzat, but also with James Fanshawe’s Kind Of Blue which Dan Muscutt’s going to ride. It’s a big field and Montassib is another to mention, he deserves a lot of respect as well as I thought his run the other week was very good.”
DANIELLE (Fillies & Mares)
“I begged Thady to let me ride her. Obviously at the time I was thinking about the ground being soft as this was over a month ago. It’s a strong race with Kalapana and Estrange in there, Aidan has a couple in there too. It’s a good renewal of the race and I hope Kalpana can go very well (for Andrew Balding) but let’s see what kind of tune I can get out of Danielle.”
NEVER SO BRAVE (QEII)
“I rode him yesterday and he feels great. He’s had a good break between York and now and he’s an improving horse. It’s a deep field as you’d expect. There isn’t really much pressure as on ratings he has a bit to find but I see a couple of the TV pundits like him and he’s probably my best ride on the day, particularly in the Group 1 races.”
ALMERIC & FOX LEGACY (Champion Stakes)
“It would be lovely to go step by step but there weren’t many options for Almeric. I rode him on Wednesday, he’s training great. He’s the most beautiful athlete and physical that you’ll ever see. If anyone wants to see a racehorse, have a look at him. He won well at Ayr but it’s as strong a race as you’ll ever see, Ombudsman, Delacroix, Calandagan. It’s going to take some winning, let’s just see how he performs.
“Fox Legacy is a fresh horse as well, he hasn’t run since Goodwood and obviously he won very, very well there. He’s only rated 116 but he’s a horse that could be involved.”
SHOUT (Balmoral Handicap)
“He deserved to go up in the weights for that (recent Ascot win). I rode him last week and he’s in great shape. He’s probably my best ride of the day, although it’s a handicap. He should go close in that race.”
Jerome Reynier
LAZZAT (Champions Sprint)
“Lazzat was unreal at Royal Ascot – he looked very good that day. He had a battle with the Japanese contender and I was scared the race was going to be tough on him, but physically and mentally he was the same afterwards. We were disappointed to be beaten in the Prix Maurice de Gheest but Sajir on the day was really good. In the Haydock Sprint Cup, Lazzat was drawn in the middle and there was a bias towards the stands’ rail. He was not beaten far but was always under pressure, which is not the way he is usually. This time, he is spot on and back on a racecourse he has done so well at. He seems very happy to be back at home because, between the Maurice de Gheest and Haydock, he was based in Deauville, which is not the training environment he is used to. We have benchmarks in the mornings on what he can achieve and, honestly, he has been very well for the past few weeks. Now he needs to show the world that he is the best European sprinter.”
FACTEUR CHEVAL (QEII)
“Facteur Cheval was very tired after Royal Ascot and lost a bit of condition, so we gave him a lot of time during the summer. He was entered in the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp in September but it came too soon. Because he has run so well fresh, we thought it was good to go straight to the QEII, a race he has run really well in for the last two years. Those races were different scenarios as the ground was much softer, whereas this year it will be good ground, although he achieved one of his best results on good ground in Meydan when he won the Dubai Turf. It should not be a problem. There are some very good horses in the race, and he is a bit of an outsider at 16/1, but he showed he can compete with the best in the world in Dubai when winning at a big price.”
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