O’Brien ‘thinking of starting’ Fairy Godmother in 1000 Guineas

Aidan O’Brien looks well placed for another assault on the major three-year-old races in 2025, with his team containing strength in depth in all departments.

Lake Victoria is a firm favourite for the Qipco 1000 Guineas and the Betfred Oaks after being crowned Europe’s champion juvenile filly, but O’Brien is also expecting big things from Fairy Godmother this term.

Her two-year-old campaign was cut short, but the manner of her Albany Stakes success when last seen at Royal Ascot left a lasting impression.

“She’s cantering at the moment and physically has done very well. She’s a very quick filly, looking at her,” the trainer said.

“Obviously, we’ll be thinking of starting her in the Guineas and seeing if she can get a mile or not, but she looks very exciting.

“What she did at Ascot, she shouldn’t have been able to do. It’s a very difficult thing to get stopped once at Ascot and I think she might have got checked twice or three times in the race and still won very easily.

“She’s very strong physically, she’s big and she’s powerful, she’s loads of scope and could be anything, really.”

Impressive Acomb Stakes scorer The Lion In Winter and Dewhurst runner-up Expanded are rated Ballydoyle’s best hopes of landing Qipco 2000 Guineas and Betfred Derby glory, but O’Brien has quality and quantity when it comes to top-class colts.

Camille Pissarro prevailed in the Group One Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp, while Henri Matisse was a beaten favourite that day but made amends in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Delacroix is another talented individual in the mix, having followed up a Group Three victory at Newmarket by finishing a neck second to Hotazhell in the Futurity at Doncaster.

O’Brien said: “Henri loves good ground, he likes to probably be produced late and he’s a very good mover, so I’d imagine he’s kind of a miler type.

“We always thought the world of Camille and we just probably didn’t get it right with him. He’s the same, a fast horse who can quicken.

“He was super impressive in France when Christophe (Soumillon) rode him and he took his time and he said when he quickened, he put the race to bed very quick and doesn’t do too much when he gets there.

“We learned about him as he went on and he’s a big, imposing individual as well, so physically you would imagine he should be better at three than two.

“Delacroix was a little bit slow to learn and was a bit of a baby in his first few runs but learnt as he went along and Ryan (Moore) was very happy with him and impressed with him in Doncaster.

“He felt that he was still coming at the line and he looks like a horse that will have no problem getting a mile and a quarter and could get a mile and a half.

“He’s a big, powerful horse, he’s physical, has loads of scope. Sometimes Dubawis can be a little bit short and strong – he’s not, he’s a big, rangy type of horse. He’s another horse to look forward to as well.”

O’Brien told the British Horseracing Authority: “We seem to have a nice team of nicely-rated horses over all kinds of distances, so I think you’d have to be very happy with our group of two-year-olds from last year, really.

“They’d be doing kind of strengthening and conditioning work now, we’d be building them up and getting them ready for the spring. They are all cantering away all the time.

“Obviously, if any of them have any little physical or mental issues, we’d be trying to go through that now and trying to get it sorted before we start putting more pressure on them.

“But usually it’s straightforward, it’s to get them through the winter safely and hopefully have them in good enough shape when you start moving on with them.”