O'brien To Hold Strong Hand In Spring Features

The Age

Wednesday August 6, 2008

Andrew Eddy

CHAMPION Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien yesterday signalled his intention of extending his current European dominance to Australia when he nominated a staggering 15 horses for Melbourne's three feature spring events.

Only two years after having his first Melbourne runner when Yeats finished seventh in the Melbourne Cup, O'Brien's entries are from the top shelf of his famous Ballydoyle stables and include two of the top-five ranked horses in the world, Duke Of Marmalade and Henrythenavigator, who were entered for the Cox Plate.

Racing Victoria Ltd officials were delighted with the nominations for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and Cox Plate at yesterday's noon deadline, proudly announcing that 66 horses from some of the world's best stables had been entered.

"We were over the moon last year with the number (64) and depth of entries, but I have no trouble in saying this year's nominations are clearly the best I've seen," RVL's racing operations manager Leigh Jordon said. "To see Aidan O'Brien enter so many quality horses reflects very well on our racing. He wants to be here and he clearly wants to win."

In all, there were 295 Melbourne Cup entries, with 56 of those from international stables. The Caulfield Cup attracted 37 overseas nominations in a total of 282 and the Cox Plate received 172 nominations, with 11 from overseas.

O'Brien is recognised as the best trainer in the world and with 17 victories at group 1 level already this season, he is expected to pass the world record of 25, held by US trainer Bobby Frankel, by the end of the year.

The possibility that he could set the record in Melbourne is mouth-watering for RVL and Melbourne's three racing clubs.

Jordon said O'Brien had told him on a recent trip to his stables at the Curragh that the trainer intends also sending other gallopers to contest group 1 races, such as the Mackinnon Stakes and Emirates Stakes this spring.

Five of O'Brien's entries are rated inside the top 20 grass horses in the world. To highlight the depth of his team of entries, four of those horses, Duke Of Marmalade (125), Henrythenavigator (124), Yeats (122) and Frozen Fire (122) are ranked above or alongside Australasia's champion racehorse Weekend Hussler (122), who last season won a record-equalling six group 1 races.

Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who made quite an impact in Australia earlier this year when his Darley operation bought the enormous racing empire of Bob Ingham, is also likely to have a sizeable presence in the spring, with eight nominations from his Godolphin stable.

Among the international contingent are the 2006 Melbourne Cup winner and runner-up, Delta Blues and Pop Rock, but neither of the Japanese gallopers are expected to make the trip due to new quarantine regulations installed for Japan in the wake of last August's first outbreak of equine influenza in this country.

Bart Cummings, aiming for 12 wins in the Melbourne Cup, has 10 nominations. David Hayes entered 11 and Lee Freedman has nine.

NOTABLE NOMINATIONS

DUKE OF MARMALADE

Trained by Aidan O'Brien (Ireland)13 starts - 5 wins - 4 seconds - 1 thirdWorld rating: 125Ranked the third best horse on grass. The son of Danehill has won his past four races at group 1 level in Europe.

HENRY THE NAVIGATOR

Trained by Aidan O'Brien (Ireland)8 starts - 6 wins - 1 second - 1 thirdWorld rating: 124His Sussex Stakes win at Goodwood last month was his fourth group 1 victory in a row.

SCHIAPARELLI

Trained by Saaed bin Suroor (Dubai)13 starts - 9 wins - 1 second - 1 thirdWorld rating: 119Has not raced since being bought by Sheikh Mohammed last year after he had three wins in a row at group 1 level in Germany.

DOCTOR DINOT

rained by Richard Gibson (France)26 starts - 8 wins - 4 seconds - 8 thirdsWorld rating: 119Has recorded group 1 wins in Hong Kong (Vase) and in the US, where he took the Man O'War. Also placed at group 1 in Dubai in March.

FROZEN FIRE

Trained by Aidan O'Brien (Ireland)5 starts - 2 wins - 1 secondWorld rating: 122 Emerged from obscurity to win Irish Derby at the Curragh in June.

? All the entries SPORT 10

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