31 May 2023 , 13:59
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Aidan O’Brien is backing 2,000 Guineas flop Auguste Rodin to put his Newmarket defeat behind him and prove himself a “special” talent at Epsom on Saturday.
Auguste Rodin is rated so highly he was touted as a potential Triple Crown horse, capable of winning the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger, a feat not matched since the great Ninjinsky in 1970.
Yet despite starting 13-8 favourite to win the first leg he trailed in 12th of 14 at Newmarket, on soft ground, 22 lengths behind the Frankie Dettori-ridden winner Chaldean.
Even after that performance Auguste Rodin is 5-2 favourite with William Hill to win an eighth Derby for his record-breaking trainer who remains unwavering in his belief in the colt, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore as one of three Ballydoyle runners in the Epsom Classic.
He is convinced a much different Auguste Rodin will show up on Saturday when he steps up to 1m4f.
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“Auguste Rodin very much has a middle distance pedigree and good ground and better would be what he’d always prefer,” said O’Brien.
“There were a lot of factors that happened in Newmarket that we couldn’t control. We didn’t see anything to suggest why we should veer from our original plan.
“Running him that short every single beat had to go his way and every single beat went the opposite way.
He continued: “He is a beautiful moving horse so soft ground was always going to be a worry for him. The trip was going to be plenty short for him.
Auguste Rodin: favourite for the Derby (Getty Images)“He did need a clear run and when Little Big Bear got galloped into, he wiped out Ryan and then Ryan got stuck in a pocket and there was no pace in the race.
“So many things went wrong. And we were going to fly on the morning and two days before that all changed and we couldn’t do that.
“Either one of them could have been detrimental by themselves but they all landed on him on the one day.
“He’s been very special from day one. Nothing has changed our minds about him, The Guineas went wrong and we put it down to a non-event for him.”
O’Brien has had to change his usual travel plans for his team this weekend because of the early 1.30pm race time for the Derby.
Auguste Rodin, Adelaide River and San Antonio will leave Ballydoyle on Thursday and stay overnight at Epsom.
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“Auguste Rodin is a collector’s item,” said O’Brien. “He’s out of Rhododendron, probably one of the best Galileo mares ever, and by Deep Impact, one of the greatest Japanese stallions ever.
“He’s very unique and rare. When you get a horse that’s bred like that, looks like that, moves like that and has the ability he has is very rare, very unusual