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O’Brien reaches 23 Group I wins this year

By Tom Krish | 15 Nov 2008 |


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Here is news from Dubai that should be of considerable interest to racing fans in India. Jockey Wayne Smith who plied his trade until recently in India, rode four winners at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday. Jockey Smith won the first four races.

Smith will now serve a six-card ban imposed by the Indian authorities. This is the second time Wayne Smith has ridden four winners in a card in Dubai.

Zenyatta will race in 2009 as a five year-old. The Street Cry filly is nine for nine in her career. She was an impressive winner of the Ladies’ Classic at Santa Anita last month.

Trainer John Shirreffs talked about the decision. “She has been busy for almost a year. For her, not to have a cough or pimple for so long, it is amazing. Everything depends on how she is when she starts back. It is hard to put a number on how long it will take to get ready.”

Zenyatta will be voted the best older female and there are no two opinions about it. Curlin’s loss in the BC Classic has enhanced Zenyatta’s prospects of being voted Horse of the Year.

Seeking The Gold has been pensioned. The son of Mr Prospector stood at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky. Seeking The Gold will be 24 next year. In addition to being a splendid racehorse, Seeking The Gold made a name for himself as a sire. In the 1988 BC Classic, Seeking The Gold was second to Alysheba.

On Wednesday at Saint Cloud in Paris, Aidan O’Brien chalked up his 23rd Group I win in 2008. Fame And Glory broke the duck at Navan last month. The Criterium Saint Cloud, a race over 2000 metres for freshmen run on heavy ground, was not beyond Fame And Glory’s reach. The Montjeu colt, owned by Derrick Smith, lay in striking range of pace-setting Zafisio, struck the front late in the lane and beat back the challenge of Drumbeat, a stablemate. John Murtagh was aboard the 31-10 second favourite.

O’Brien had a four part entry. In addition to one-two, he took the fourth and the sixth spots. Drumbeat was ridden by Colm O’Donoghue. Fame And Glory’s win left O’Brien two shy of Bobby Frankel’s record of 25 G I wins in a year.

John Murtagh said, “Fame And Glory is very tough and genuine and will stay a mile and a half. It was only his second run. He has come on a lot after his maiden at Navan. “

Trainer O’Brien was winning the Criterium for the third time in eight years. Talking about 2009, O’Brien said, “he (Fame And Glory) has had only one run. We have not done much with him since. He will be trained as a Derby horse.”

O’Brien confirned that he will have no more G I runners this year. Halfway To Heaven and Moonstone, intended runners at Sha Tin in mid=December, are being retired. “That’s the end of the line this year, “O’Brien said.

Feels All Right, the 29-10 favourite, took third. Olivier Peslier flew in from Tokyo for the ride.

The 2008 French racing season produced two ‘unexpected’ conclusions. Trainer Andre Fabre drew a blank in G I events. After 21 years as France’s top trainer, Fabre was dethroned by Alain de Royer Dupre.

Jockey Julien Leparoux is a French transplant now riding in America. On Tuesday, jockey Leparoux won the first five races at Churchill Downs. He sat the sixth out. Leparoux came back to win the seventh and eighth races. His number stood at seven. Pat Day rode seven winners in 1984. Leparoux had two chances to better Day’s mark. In the ninth race, he was eighth. In the tenth race, Leparoux’s mount finished second.

Jockey Leparoux speaks excellent English. The French accent, however, is unmistakable but it is beginning to change. He was thrilled. “Seven in one day is fantastic. I just got lucky. It was a good day, good horses. I just kept riding my races. Five, six and seven and it was super.”

The Irish riding title went to Pat Smullen. Jockey Smullen rode Muhannak to victory in the BC Marathon at Santa Anita. Smullen had 85 wins. Fran Berry took second with 81. Murtagh came in third with 78. Mick Kinane had 46. Chris Hayes rode 43 winners. Colm O’Donoghue had 20. Niall McCullagh came up with 14 and Danny Grant had 13.

As 2008 comes to a close, there are only two major meetings. The Japan Cup (grass and dirt versions) will be run in the coming weeks. Then the big day at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on December 14. Four Group I races are scheduled.

The ‘jumps’ season is in full swing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In America, there are no more grass races out East. California has good weather and Hollywood Park and Santa Anita have stakes action.

Frankie Dettori will ride in Argentina on Saturday. He has some high profile rides. Dettori told me, “I love to travel. Travel keeps the adrenaline going.” 

Sources: NTRA, Racing Post and TV reports