O’Brien upbeat about Glory’s Tattersalls bid
The four-year-old won the first four races of his career and only met with defeat for the first time when coming up against the brilliant Sea The Stars in the Derby at Epsom.
He bounced back to win the Irish equivalent in imperious style before finishing behind John Oxx’s superstar in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
This season started on a downbeat note when he was only third behind She’s Our Mark in a Listed race, but he looked more like his old self when hacking up in Group Three company at the start of the month. While he won the Derrinstown Derby Trial over 10 furlongs, one question mark is that he has yet to win a Group One race at that level, but that doesn’t concern O’Brien.
“He obviously gets 10 furlongs very well because we know he stays a mile and a half very well, but he’s a horse with loads of class and what I mean by that is that he is a great traveller in his race,” said O’Brien.
“We always think it is their class that makes them travel and he is full of it. Usually at the Curragh they go pretty quick and Dixie Music will roll along if nothing else wants to,” said the Ballydoyle trainer.
Only six have been declared for one of Ireland’s most prestigious races, with two challengers from Britain.
However, Michael Stoute’s Gordon Richards Stakes winner Glass Harmonium was not among the final field.
Cutlass Bay will have his first start for Saeed bin Suroor with Ahmed Ajtebi on board, and Ryan Moore will partner Mick Channon’s Halicarnassus.
Recharge and Chinese White, both owned by Lady O’Reilly, complete the sextet.
