Kinane names his pick of O'Brien team

Stable jockey Michael Kinane singled out High Chaparral and Hawk Wing as well as the classy three-year-olds Brian Boru, Alberto Giacometti and Yesterday as the horses he is looking forward to riding the most for Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien this season.

He would have preferred to see both Brian Boru and Alberto Giacometti running at Leopardstown on Sunday rather than the Epsom favourite and his well-backed stablemate going their separate ways.

“A competitive race and a bit of work are very different. If both were racing rather than just Alberto Giacometti with Brian Boru working afterwards, I’d be happier,” Kinane said in reference to their planned schedule next weekend.

Yesterday is still regarded by Kinane as a live contender for the English Oaks in which her full sister Quarter Moon was runner-up to Kazzia last season.

“Yesterday has come to hand pretty quickly. Though she had a hard race at Newmarket last season in the Rockfel Stakes, it probably was the makings of her. Next time out at Leopardstown she did it very nicely for me.

“She is a very sound filly, went well at the Curragh last Sunday after racing and would like a bit of ease in the ground at Epsom.”

Kinane feels that the next 10 weeks are vital.

He went on: “We probably haven’t as many top class three-year-olds as last year when we had exceptional horses like High Chaparral, Hawk Wing and Landseer, as well as Rock of Gibraltar.

“When I rode High Chaparral at the Curragh recently after racing, he seemed happy to be back on the track and moved beautifully. I was taken as well by the way he has done physically over the winter and his likely clash with Sulamani later this year should be worth waiting for.”

Asked about Hawk Wing he said: “If ever there was an unlucky horse it was him last year. The bounce of the ball went against him in the 2000 Guineas and the Irish Champion Stakes, and he would have been an easy winner of the English Derby only for High Chaparral.

“He was just gone a bit of his coat at Ascot for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. I probably should have let him stride on earlier that day, though he still might not have beaten Where Or When.

“Physically he was very mature at this stage last season and the others will have caught up with him by now. But he is still a horse with huge talent.”

Pressed as to Hawk Wing’s best distance, Kinane replied with a smile: “The jury is out on that one.

“A mile to 10 furlongs is perfect. If the ground was fast he’d coast for most of the way over a mile and a half.”