A minor setback meant the 1000 Guineas favourite Precise would only canter at a public workout at the Curragh on Sunday, but Aidan O’Brien has suggested still has plenty of time to make the fillies’ Classic.
The daughter of Starspangledbanner was a revelation last season, winning four on the bounce after being beaten on debut. She was an eye-catcher over six furlongs, and evidently improved for the step up in trip.
Her season culminated with two Group 1 victories, with the first leg in the Moyglare Stud. She then stepped up in trip in the Fillies Mile, producing career best effort. She’s bred to improve further this season, but it remains to be seen if she’ll make the 1000 Guineas.
Speaking at the public workout, via the Racing Post, O’Brien said: “Precise had a temperature a couple of weeks ago. We had to just back off her and slowly build her back up. She hasn’t done a lot for the last couple of weeks, she went to the Curragh for a day out.
“If she comes out of that well, she’ll have plenty of time to be trained for the 1,000 Guineas. She was forward enough at the stage]. She had a good level of fitness before we had to back off her. The next couple of weeks will tell a lot. She only cantered up with a lead horse at the Curragh and we were very happy with her.”
“It’s possible he could go back sprinting” – O’Brien on Albert Einstein
Aidan O’Brien also had the 2000 Guineas favourite prior to the weekend. But Albert Einstein’s sixth in the Gladness Stakes has led to connections deliberating over his future regarding his trip. It was suggested Albert Einstein would go straight to the 2000 Guineas, but connections opted for a prep run. It was a lacklustre effort without any obvious excuses, but O’Brien remarked: “It was more important that he behaved well and was beaten at the Curragh than behave badly and win. We felt that he did behave well. He settled, but he was a little bit strong in Ryan’s hands. Ryan said he was by no means unmanageable.
“He felt they were going very slowly. In the full light of day, you’d have to be happy enough. It would be very easy to make him a very fast horse. Sometimes it’s hard to go against nature, so it’s possible he could go back sprinting. We’ll see how he is over the next couple of weeks and the lads will decide if they give him a chance at a mile or go back sprinting.”