Aidan O’Brien experienced disappointment in France on Sunday, however, he returned with an unblemished Group One-winning Derby contender, Los Angeles, from his hometown. In contrast to the heavily promoted City Of Troy, who fell short at Newmarket the previous weekend, or Henry Longfellow, unsuccessful at overcoming an unfortunate route in the French 2000 Guineas, Los Angeles maintains an immaculate record following his triumph in Leopardstown’s Cashel Palace Derby Trial.
His victory at the Criterium De Saint-Cloud in October did not draw the same attention as his more prominent stablemates, but subsequent to his triumphant comeback, his odds were slashed to 8-1 for Epsom glory on June 1st.
Los Angeles’ win over stablemate Euphoric was not overly dramatic, but there was promise exhibited, as the stout frontrunner showed signs for potential improvement, and seemed ready to advance to a 1½ mile circuit.
Jockey Wayne Lordan, capitalising on Ryan Moore’s attendance at the French Guineas in Longchamp, placed centre stage riding Los Angeles in a 30-1 four-timer at Leopardstown. “Los Angeles is a wonderful horse that needed the run and is surely set to progress and perform better at a mile set,” Lordan commented.
The anticipation on Henry Longfellow, who started as the favourite for a rain-postponed Poule D’Essai Des Poulians, was reflected by O’Brien’s own presence in Paris. Longfellow—an Irish star—did not give a remarkable performance following the downpour at Longchamp, losing to the local underdog, Metropolitan. O’Brien’s second bet, Diego Velazquez, fared better and finished fourth.
Earlier, Willie McCreery’s Vespertilio demonstrated honour under pressure, finishing third to the surprise 31-1 winner, Aga Khan-owned Rouhiya, in the French 1,000 Guineas, while O’Brien’s hopeful contestant, Content, faded to eighth.
The betting odds for Henry Longfellow’s performance in the Derby have elevated to 20-1 by bookmakers, while the Arabian Crown, owned by Godolphin, shares the top spot with City of Troy. The bookmakers seem to have faith in O’Brien performing yet another miraculous transformation, akin to what Auguste Rodin achieved a year ago. This faith implies a comforting consistency for Los Angeles.
Amid the stability, it is observed that Los Angeles has been particularly understated at home, yet surprisingly, has performed staggeringly well in his three starts. Los Angeles, a handsome horse, seems to be showing a trajectory of improvement that outpaces the loftier, perhaps earlier developed names.
Last year at Saint-Cloud, Moore chose Illinois over Los Angeles, and unfortunately, Illinois was unable to secure a win against Ambiente Friendly, the victor of the compelling Lingfield Trial on Saturday. With the Dante in York proving to be the last major Derby trial on Thursday, it appears that Los Angeles is warming up for the Epsom race.
Chris Armstrong, the Ballydoyle spokesperson, admiringly describes Los Angeles as a large horse who moves gracefully. Camelot, another of their outstanding horses, roamed around Epsom easily demonstrating the strong qualities of his lineage. Los Angeles is expected to reveal similar performance traits, only improving as he proceeds to the mile and a half.
Additonally, Lordan showed promising performance in the initial two races atop the Ballydoyle three-year-olds, Igor Stravinsky and Highbury, and also succeeded in the final handicap on Ortelius.
Lordan, who sustained serious injuries including fractures to the leg and elbow, as well as a significant arm laceration following a fall from San Antonio during last summer’s Irish Derby, made a notable comeback in March. He marked a successful day as Ballydoyle’s new secondary rider.
There was no stopping Wille Mullins from entering the winner’s enclosure, even on a classic trial day, as Colin Keane rode Lope De Lilas to a confident win in the 10-furlong fillies maiden. Owned by his wife Jackie, the filly might ultimately participate in the Irish Oaks in July, a consistent trend with her successful predecessors such as the famed 2003 win by Vintage Tipple, under Mullins’s father, Paddy.
Mullins, in her statement, mentioned that they are maintaining an open mind about the potential of her pedigree. She opined that it’s preferable to be proactive rather than making a late attempt. Mullins hopes that she possesses the quality to be a notable player.
The subsequent available stakes saw Mullins only narrowly lose out on victory, where Ethical Diamond narrowly missed out on defeating Saturn. Earlier in the day, Saturn’s trainer, Jessica Harrington, had won the Amethyst Stakes with Bold Discovery.
Keane showcased formidable form in the Group Three, where she assumed front position in Ger Lyons’s Wendla fillies trial. Lyons owned up to underestimating her, suggesting that Colin assessed her performance correctly. He assumed the race turning into a high-speed sprint would prove disadvantageous, but on the contrary, she demonstrated a higher pace than he recognised.