O’Brien thinking of Tattersalls Gold Cup clash with Workforce
Five times a Group One winner for legendary handler Bart Cummings in Australia, So You Think switched to Aidan O’Brien after the Coolmore team snapped up a controlling interest in the son of High Chaparral.
O’Brien opted to kick off the five-year-old’s campaign in the aptly-named High Chaparral EBF Mooresbridge Stakes over 10 furlongs at the Curragh on Monday and So You Think made light work of his rivals.
Sent off the 2-13 favourite, he settled nicely in third for Seamie Heffernan as stablemate Windsor Palace put the pace to the race before drawing 10 lengths clear without being hard ridden in the finish.
O’Brien is now eyeing a crack at the Tattersalls Gold Cup for his star, a race which has also been slated as a possible starting point for the Michael Stoute-trained Workforce.
“He’s an incredible horse and we feel privileged to have him,” said O’Brien.
“He didn’t do much between his racecourse gallop here last month and today and he only needs to do half-speeds at home. He was just ready to come racing.
“He came to Ireland with the most unbelievable reputation and is a real product of Australian breeding, training and racing.
“We heard all the things about how unbelievable he was and when you see him, you can believe it.
“He went through the line like he was going to the start.
“He seems to go so easily in his races that he could either go up or even step back in trip, but his most likely next race is the Tattersalls Gold Cup here on May 22.”
Meanwhile, O’Brien dominates the entries for Sunday’s Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial.
The Ballydoyle handler has saddled seven of the last 10 winners with Galileo (2001), High Chaparral (2002) and Yeats (2004) the headline-grabbing names.
He sent out Midas Touch to claim the prize last term before going on to finish fifth in the Derby at Epsom and placed in two other Classics.
Seville and Recital, two leading names in the Epsom frame, are among his entries this time along with Exodus, Last Crusade, Memphis Tennessee, Obligation, Pirateer and Regent Street.
John Oxx trained Alamshar to win in 2003 and he relies on Zanughan this time while Dermot Weld, who was responsible for 2008 scorer Casual Conquest, can pick from Notable Graduate and Rich Tapestry.
David Wachman’s Giant Step and the Paul Deegan-trained Best Hello make up the 13-strong entry.
