Group 1 winner Gear Up set to continue career in Ireland with Joseph O'Brien

Gear Up, winner of last year's Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud, has left Mark Johnston's stable to continue his career in Ireland with Joseph O'Brien.

Having won three of his four starts as a juvenile, including the Group 3 Acomb Stakes as well as the French Group 1, the Teme Valley Racing-owned colt was priced up at 20-1 for the Derby prior to his comeback in the Dante Stakes.

Not disgraced in fifth at York behind Hurricane Lane, Gear Up finished down the field in the Derby before a solid fifth in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and fourth place in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket.

"He's just arrived to us, so we haven't got to learn much about him yet, but it's lovely to get a nice horse like him," O'Brien said of the 105-rated son of Teofilo.

"He had some very good two-year-old form. We'll see how he settles in and learn a bit more about him."

State Of Rest (centre) prevails in a thrilling Ladbrokes Cox Plate in OctoberCredit: Vince Caligiuri (Getty Images)

O'Brien registered one of his biggest career victories for the same owners in October when memorably plundering the Cox Plate with globetrotting star State Of Rest.

That was the Starspangledbanner colt's third and final start of 2021, which also included victory in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby, with O'Brien opting to keep him fresh for a four-year-old campaign.

"He arrived back safe and sound after his travels," he said.

"He had done a lot of travelling this season to America and Australia, so we're aiming towards next year with him. There hasn't been any plan made yet as to where he could start back."

State Of Rest and Gear Up were among seven O'Brien-trained horses to feature in this week's Dubai World Cup Carnival invites, alongside Thunder Moon, Baron Samedi, Master Of Reality, San Andreas and Raise You.

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