OpinionUnder The Saddle
premium

Which of Aidan O’Brien’s Classic colts will star next year? History warns us not to forget this one…

In a new weekly column, Chris Cook delves under the surface of one of the weekend's biggest talking points

author image
Senior writer
Puerto Rico wins the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
Puerto Rico: continues to go from strength to strengthCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"We'll enjoy today," is one of the most common things you hear in a winner's enclosure, when pesky members of the press are asking what this horse could do in the future, while the trainer would prefer some appreciation for what has just been achieved. 

Such concerns tend to slide off Aidan O'Brien after so much experience but he must have wanted to use those words after winning three top-class juvenile races this weekend, an astonishing achievement that got somewhat subsumed in all the chatter about how each should be campaigned next year.

Puerto Rico, a runaway winner of Saint-Cloud's Criterium International, is now favourite with several firms for the 2,000 Guineas, while Pierre Bonnard, successful in the similarly titled Criterium de Saint-Cloud, is Derby favourite. Hawk Mountain, who ground his way to victory over a couple of stablemates in Doncaster's Futurity on Saturday, is prominent in the betting on both Classics.

Read the full story

Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.

Subscribe to unlock
  • Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
  • Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
  • Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
  • Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
  • Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
  • Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Subscribe

Already a subscriber?Log in

Published on inUnder The Saddle

Last updated

iconCopy