Diego Velasquez is Aidan O’Brien’s major hope of successful a second Qatar Prix on the Chantilly Jockey Membership on Sunday.
Spectacular in his first two juvenile begins, the Frankel colt upset on his final look at two within the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster, however his coach was pleased to “draw the road” in that run as he felt he had upset his unruly stablemate Battle Cry, which was finally withdrawn.
The Ballydoyle trainer, who smashed his duck within the French St Mark’s Derby in 2021, believes Diego Velázquez is greatest judged on his return to ParisLongchamp, the place he was solely crushed to fourth within the 2000 French Guineas, which gave him a advantageous edge. for the second French Traditional tilt this weekend.
“That is what we thought, our different horse received upset. He needed to be taken out and clearly Diego stayed within the race and he was upset as effectively,” O’Brien stated of his Doncaster effort through the France Galop media name. Tuesday.
“We simply felt like, staying within the stalls, we most likely ought to have taken him off. The bottom was very tender that day. We, because it have been, handed by means of her line.
“We have been very happy with the run within the French Guineas. We all the time thought he would run an excellent race and we all the time thought the step as much as a mile and 1 / 4 would swimsuit him. We have been excited to go to Longchamp as a result of it’s clearly right-handed like Chantilly.
“We thought these two races would swimsuit him and we have been very happy with the way in which he got here out of the French Guineas and happy with all the pieces he has completed since then.”
With Diego Velazquez failing to fireplace within the mud at Doncaster, O’Brien will likely be hoping Chantilly does not have an excessive amount of rain forward of his final large race.
He added: “Clearly he is an excellent mover, so the higher the bottom, the higher it fits him.
“We thought he’d most likely need a good, fast gait, as you may see if you see him canter, he is very low and lengthy.
“Hopefully the bottom will not be tender and can enhance (by Sunday). After all, the higher the land, the extra possibilities he has.”
Diego Velázquez is because of be joined by stablemate Cambridge, who has completed fourth in each the Craven Stakes at Newmarket and the Dante at York to date this season.
“Cambridge is a strong horse. Let’s hope he can do effectively over a mile and 1 / 4 and deal with it with ease on the bottom,” O’Brien stated.
“We all the time thought he was the strong horse of the group. Clearly our primary horse will likely be Diego Velasquez and Cambridge will likely be quantity two. He’s actually a really strong and easy horse.
“He has a special motion than Diego, he bends his knee a bit bit. He is probably not as quick as Diego, however he can undoubtedly deal with the tender floor a bit higher.”