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BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPSNovember 6, 2009John MurtaghAidan P. O'BrienARCADIA, CALIFORNIA ERIC WING: We'll be joined by the connections of Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Tapitsfly in a little bit. But we're pleased to have with us the winning rider from the Breeders' Cup marathon, Johnny Murtagh who won aboard Man of Iron. John, a tremendously thrilling race. Mile and three quarters and it comes down to a couple of inches at the wire. Tell us about the journey aboard Man of Iron. JOHN MURTAGH: Yes, he's a horse that starts off in the mornings pretty stiff. There were a couple of vets checking him this morning just to make sure he was okay. But he was a little stiff behind, and -- stays behind, I suppose that's what helps him get these distances. He didn't break very well. But it takes him maybe a half mile to warm up into it. But I think going down the back straight for the second time in the half-mile pole when I gave him a little squeeze, he seemed to come alive. I was following the eventual second, and, you know, I decided to stay on the inside. Got a beautiful run through on the inside. It opened up, and he was very brave until the end. For a horse that doesn't probably get that distance, you know, it's probably as far as he'd ever want. But he was very brave, and I suppose the way erased he relaxed there, and it gives him every opportunity to stay that trip. ERIC WING: As you can tell, we're now joined by the trainer of Man of Iron, Aidan O'Brien. Aidan, I'm sure, very nice to get on the scoreboard in the very first Breeders' Cup race of the day. Man of Iron has a pedigree very familiar to us Americans, although there was some talk especially among the European press that he was like maybe a second stringer or third stringer for this race. Tell us about the decision to bring him over for the Marathon. AIDAN O'BRIEN: He progressed very well every week for the last two months, and obviously Johnny went on and placed in Dundalk, and he was always a big believer in him. He said he loved the surface, and obviously Muhannak was a Belmont winner. And Johnny was very happy to definitely get the mile and a half, and he was going to go around the railing to get this trip. But he was very confident in him, and on the way up to the race. We had Septimus in this race as well, and we were taking him. And Johnny was geared more toward this horse than Septimus. And he said he wouldn't mind going with it, and he gave him a great ride. ERIC WING: Man of Iron exited the same race that Muhannak ran in before winning the marathon last year. Was that a coincidence or something that you had planned? AIDAN O'BRIEN: No, obviously the plan was from way back to maybe go in this race, and obviously we had master craftsman in that race that day. So we didn't expect him to beat him. But we were hoping that he would run well. And Shamus had him, and he was running that day. Q. Could you tell us about Lillie Langtry in the last race? AIDAN O'BRIEN: Yeah, obviously she's had a long hard season. And Johnny just felt maybe the ground was plenty quick for her. She's a Devonshire mare. She's ran on fast ground, but nothing as quick as this. And Johnny just felt when she jumped she was a little bit tense. When he was trying to get her to relax, the race just got a bit rough and he never really got her round. He felt he never got her together. He said that maybe like time will tell next year, but she's a filly who probably needs a little bit of room, a little bit easier ground. And after having a long, hard season, and we hope she comes back okay, and we look forward to having her for the classics in our patch of the world next year. Q. It looks like since early September you've had this race for Man of Iron, because you gave him three races at Dundalk, and he won two of them. Was that the plan? Dundalk comes as close to Santa Anita as you can possibly get. AIDAN O'BRIEN: Yeah, I suppose he was a horse that had progressed with every run. And he was handling at Dundalk very well. He loved the surface. And Johnny always felt that he would love that surface, our dirt surface. He loves it. An even surface. He gets hold of it like a horse. It's been nice preparations for him. He's been coming forward so much every week, and has been amazing. ERIC WING: A great start. Your work is hardly done this weekend, so good luck to both of you the rest of today and tomorrow. End of FastScripts |
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