Weighting game for O’Brien
The 20-year-old has enjoyed huge success riding for his father Aidan’s Ballydoyle operation but his height has led to questions about how long he can keep his weight down.
O’Brien said: “I’ll ride as long as I can, whether it’s another year or 10 years I don’t know. My weight is pretty much the same as it has been the last couple of years. I keep fit and eat healthy.
“I don’t do less than 9st. I don’t go killing myself. Realistically I’m not going to ride until I’m 50 but hopefully I can get another couple of years at least.”
A more immediate focus in next month’s Derby at Epsom when O’Brien will ride favourite Australia.
“I wouldn’t swap him,” is O’Brien’s succinct assessment of his charge. “He’s plenty of pace, he’s well balanced, he travels. You’re never a 100% sure until they go and do it. I’ve seen nothing to suggest he shouldn’t.”
O’Brien tasted Derby success on board Camelot two years ago and admits the race is a little bit special.
“Every flat jockey wants to ride a Derby winner. There’s something about the Derby that’s a bit different.”
Australia’s skimpy odds suggests defeat is considered out of the question but O’Brien feels there’ll be no shortage of dangers in the final field with Orchestra, another Ballydoyle charge, among them.
“You’d have to be afraid of all the Derby trial winners,” O’Brien said. “Obviously, Orchestra, Mr Stoute’s horse that won in Linfield (Snow Sky), the Dante this week will throw something up and Fascinating Rock won at Leopardstown. All them have to be in there.”
Australia’s most recent run saw him finish third in the 2,000 Guineas behind Night Of Thunder and Kingman at Newmarket, a messy race that saw the field split into two distinct groups.
“He ran a massive race in what probably was a very good Guineas. I thought if we had come up together we might have won but we’ll never know. I’d love to have had a target but that was the way it was.”
