AIDAN O’BRIEN brought a huge string of 48 horses to work after racing at the Curragh last evening and afterwards reported that both Mastercraftsman and Rip Van Winkle remain on track for the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas.
Rip Van Winkle had last week been taken out of some ante-post lists for the Guineas with Mastercraftsman promoted to classic favouritism in his place. However O’Brien revealed yesterday that Rip Van Winkle missed six weeks work earlier this year through injury.
“He had a bad over-reach about two months ago and caught a hind one. He missed six weeks which can be a lot at this time of year,” O’Brien said. “But we have five weeks until Newmarket and that gives us plenty of time.”
Johnny Murtagh yesterday teamed up with Rip Van Winkle in a group of 17 horses that worked over a mile. He finished just off the leaders but pleased his rider.
“Johnny said he was very fresh and got a bit tired in his hands which he was entitled to do,” O’Brien said. “We brought Henrythenavigtor here last year and he got tired as well. A lot can happen between now and Newmarket but if he and Mastercraftsman go to Newmarket, they won’t have a run beforehand.”
Europe’s champion juvenile of 2008, Mastercraftsman, had earlier worked over seven furlongs and finished alongside his Champagne Stakes-winning stable companion Westphalia behind two four-year-olds, Poet and Windsor Palace. “He had a good blow but he is entitled to. They swung along and the three-year-olds and the older horses all carried level weights,” O’Brien added.
There was ante-post action after the second gallop which was won impressively by High Chaparral’s full brother Black Bear Island. He was cut to 16 to 1 by Boylesports for the Derby afterwards.
“He did it nice, didn’t he,” O’Brien said. “I remember High Chaparral in his year came up here on the same day ahead of Ballingarry. They are full brothers so there is hope there.”
Last year’s Irish Derby winner Frozen Fire finished well behind Black Bear Island and could reappear in the Tattersalls Gold Cup in May while Septimus, who also worked in that group, may be dropped back to a mile and a half for the Coronation Cup.
O’Brien ruled out a return to the Melbourne Cup for the Irish Leger hero. He also nominated the Breeders Cup runner-up Heart Shaped as a likely starter in next Sunday’s 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown with Grand Ducal a possible for the colts trial.
