BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 4, 2023

Ryan Moore

Michael Tabor

M.V. Magnier

Santa Anita Park

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Ryan Moore here, jockey of Auguste Rodin, winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf. Ryan, kind of take us through the trip. Kind of far back early, and then looked like you just had the perfect trip up the inside.

RYAN MOORE: It didn't really go to plan at all the first half of the race. Got squeezed out and horses were switching, that were inside me switched out. Everyone was in each other's way. There was some things that don't usually happen.

Didn't really like where I was. All I wanted to do was let the horse find some sort of a rhythm. Once I did that and the run started presenting itself, I was able to keep going.

He got there very quickly and very easily. Like is his way, once he kind of gets to the front, that's all he does. But he was -- I think considering how the race went against him the first half, I think it was a big performance and probably the best he's been.

I'm delighted that he's able to showcase how good he is in a race like this against what looked a deep field. He's now won two derbies and an Irish Champion and then come over here and beaten some proper horses.

I'm just delighted that a horse like him, he's kind of vindicated himself now. He showed how good he was at Epsom, and now he's backed that up.

THE MODERATOR: There were a couple of races, his first start back this year, and then the race prior to the win where he was eased. Just quickly kind of tell us what maybe happened in those. Was there ever any concern about him coming back to his regular form?

RYAN MOORE: His first run, that was a bit of hiccup with travel, and then it rained. It was a mess, and he got bumped early. Sometimes horses are quite sensitive, and little things go against them, and they can't recover always.

He had things go against him today, but he overcame them. In Ascot, the ground was probably too deep for him. He'd won on heavy ground as a 2-year-old, so we thought we'd get away with it. Maybe that was the reason that day. We don't know. It's hard to know.

All I know is he's shown himself to be a good derby winner. He's won an Irish Derby. He beat a good field in the Irish Champion. I think coming to win this race proves that he's a real top drawer horse.

Q. Ryan, on the trip, did you feel committed to the rail, or do you have a plan B if you weren't able to get up the rail?

RYAN MOORE: Going to the rail was like plan F really. It was making the most of the opportunities as they present themselves.

Q. You were getting a lot of praise for your particular maneuver in getting in up the rail. Do you feel you've made a difference in that race?

RYAN MOORE: No. I think my horse was getting a bad trip, and I think he won because he's so good. Like I made the right call, but it could have been the wrong call as well.

But because I had so much horse, he was able to overcome things. For me, he won despite things not going as smoothly as they should have gone. I think that marks him out to be a good horse.

Q. Ryan, can you talk a bit about your next 48 hours as you fly into Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup?

RYAN MOORE: 16 hours on a plane, and that's that. I won this race. So we'll get that out of the way, and then we'll think about Melbourne.

THE MODERATOR: Now we have winning connections up here as well, representing the Coolmore team. We were just talking to Ryan about this horse and kind of the season that he's had and the ups and downs. Michael first, Michael Tabor, if you'd just kind of take us through the highs of this horse and then culminating with the Breeders' Cup win today.

MICHAEL TABOR: I think it's well-documented that he's blown out, for want of a better explanation, that we couldn't explain. Having said that, the three races -- I think it's three races he's won this year -- have been fantastic. To see him win the Derby and to see him win this race is something else.

Obviously the ride Ryan gave him is very special. To be honest with you, I'd have to see it again and again to really focus on it because in my wildest dreams I thought he was too far back early, and he just seemed to hug the rail, and he was exceptional, I would say.

THE MODERATOR: Aidan O'Brien joining us. Kind of talk a little bit about the horse and going forward maybe what are the plans for him. Of course, obviously, coming here to America, the ground maybe suiting him so well. Kind of what the conversation was.

M.V. MAGNIER: There's a couple of things we can do with this. It's like Aidan said after he won the Derby it's the meeting of constants with Deep Impact and Galileo and everything.

He's a remarkable racehorse. He's very well bred. We could stand him in Ashford. We could stand him in Europe. Or we could keep him in training next year.

I have this lovely romantic idea that maybe bringing him back for the Classic next year. There's lots of options. Like Aidan said on Thursday, he's floating over the dirt. So there's a lot of options open. We'll have to decide in the next week or so.

THE MODERATOR: So getting to that, Aidan, congratulations on another victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf. Again, with this horse, kind of take us through thought. Bringing him here obviously off the three group 1s over in Europe.

AIDAN O'BRIEN: We always felt this was really going to suit him. He's a beautiful action. He's very intelligent. He's kind of a dream horse for us really. Like obviously we used to be watching Deep Impact race, and I was hoping someday we'd have one. And then the lads decided to send over his mom, was probably one of the best Galileo mares ever. I was kind of shocked at the time when I heard it happening, but what an incredible thing it was.

He brings both pedigrees from Japan and European pedigrees close together. We were watching him cantering on the track during the week, and he was floating over the dirt. I was thinking maybe we've been doing the wrong thing with him all the time. Obviously everybody knows his granddaddy here. He looks the very the same. If you've ever see any pictures of his granddad, what he was, and everybody knows what he was, and this horse looks the very same as him, he has the movement and the personality and the action. It's just incredible.

Delighted for the lads really. Ryan gave him a brilliant ride. What can I say? It's just one of those things. After going three furlongs, the race was turned into havoc. Everybody wanted to be on the rail and off of the rail. It didn't work out as we thought it was going to work out. Ryan found himself back. Obviously he's a brilliant professional. He didn't panic. He needed to relax.

He knew the top of the bend before he turned off, where was he going to go? There was horses on his outside, so he didn't have any option but to go down the inside. He knew, when he gets to the front, he stops. He was just hoping the momentum he had when he went there, that he would keep going.

That's just all. He'd run there and get there and wait. Can't tell you how delighted we are really.

Q. Aidan, Ryan's been riding with you for about 15 years. This year he might have won as many group 1s as his most prolific year, but have you seen him riding better in the time you've been with him?

AIDAN O'BRIEN: He's getting better. I keep telling him he'll improve until he's 45. He's got another five years to go. That's it. We were discussing it in the paddock yesterday. He's a total professional in every way. He doesn't waste anything other than being what he is. He's an unbelievable person to deal with us. Straight, genuine, honest. He has everything, and I promise you he's getting better.

His instinct is getting sharper. He's getting stronger. When you get up in the morning, no matter what time you get up, he's in the gym before you. That's just the way he is. He knows farm inside out. He knows jockeys inside out. He knows horses, tracks, all over the world.

If you only look -- where he's going to travel from here, he's going to Japan, going to Hong Kong, going back to Japan, going to Australia Tuesday, in all the top big races, and all that's making him better and better and better. We just feel very privileged to have him really.

Q. Impossible to plan for next year with the options. Are you seriously giving consideration to (indiscernible)?

AIDAN O'BRIEN: For sure we are. He has an international pedigree. He's a champion. He's out of a champion. (Indiscernible) was a champion as well.

Deep Impact, he's a global sire, and that's definitely a strong possibility. Talk to Michael, Derrick, George, dad, and everyone, and we'll decide in the next week or so. Realistically, those three options are open to the horse to keep him training, to bring him back to Del Mar and Europe or Ashford.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you all so much. Congratulations to everybody.