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BREEDERS' CUP WORLD THOROUGHBRED CHAMPIONSHIPSNovember 2, 2013J.P. MagnierAidan P. O'BrienPaul SmithARCADIA, CALIFORNIA THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf was Magician. We're joined now up on the stage by on the right, Paul Smith in the middle, J.P. Magnier, and on the left, Aidan O'Brien. Yes, Aidan, we'll start with you, of course, and maybe you can talk about getting Magician ready for this race off such a long layoff and the struggles of getting him to this point? AIDAN P. O'BRIEN: No, listen, very grateful to the lads. It was their idea to come here. Obviously, I was afraid going a mile and a half. But it was their idea to come here and I listened. So grateful we are to them for letting us run him. He was a very impressive winner of an Irish Classic over from Ireland. He won the Derby Trial very impressively over a mile‑and‑a‑quarter. So he had a little bit of a mishap before Ascot. With the benefit of hindsight, I shouldn't have run him. He had a good break after that. He hasn't run all the time since then because we were waiting on good ground. But he was always a very exciting horse. Listen, Ryan gave him an incredible ride today. THE MODERATOR: Can you talk more about that ride and your perspective on the race? AIDAN P. O'BRIEN: Ryan said going out he was drawing a little bit wide, and he was going to go forward and slash him in. And because the pace was so strong, he was very happy to let him relax. But, listen, what can you say? Like he put the mislead from the back and gave him a long run. I thought it was an incredible ride. THE MODERATOR: Yeah, once he got in the clear, he really took off. Talk about his finish especially. AIDAN P. O'BRIEN: Yeah, it's easy to say that, but he had him in a lovely rhythm, and lovely and relaxed. He got him balanced after the bend, and that's an art to do that. He produced them after the bend long later on, and the run just carried him to the line. But I thought it was an unbelievable ride. THE MODERATOR: I'll ask you, just give us your thoughts on the race, if you don't mind? PAUL SMITH: It's a superb ride. It really was. As Aidan said, Ryan put him to sleep. Didn't worry about the pace in front, rode his own race. Let the horse go to sleep in the first half of the race and got involved halfway through. A really, really good ride. THE MODERATOR: J.P., can you talk about the job of your trainer getting ready for this race? J.P. MAGNIER: I don't like to give him a big head, to be honest. Obviously, it was a very good training performance. I don't need to say anymore that. I think everybody knows it's very good. THE MODERATOR: Thoughts on Ryan's ride going back to what Aidan was saying about the ride? J.P. MAGNIER: Yeah, he gave him a lovely, patient ride. He wouldn't have liked to be back at him halfway, but he obviously knew what he was doing and he gave him a very good ride. THE MODERATOR: What were your feelings coming into the race after a long layoff? What were your expectations coming here today? J.P. MAGNIER: I didn't really know to be honest, but Aidan brought him here for a reason. He must have been confident enough. So that was very good. Q. Aidan, it's your fourth win in the Breeders' Cup Turf. Can you talk about your success in this race and maybe you can compare some of your past winners, High Chaparral, and St Nicholas Abbey, also choosing which horses are appropriate for the Breeders' Cup Turf? AIDAN P. O'BRIEN: Yeah, obviously we've been very lucky to have some great horses. I said that's what made this horse very different is he was a Classic winner over a mile. So I think it's testimony to the horse, really, that he was able to win a Classic over a mile and come here and win a mile and a half. So, listen, like those horses you mentioned, there are very good horses before him, and obviously, this horse is very, very good as well. So just delighted to have him. Obviously, he's by Galileo, which is just probably the most incredible stallion that we ever, ever had or probably ever will have anything to do with. Just don't know when to give up, really. It's incredible determination and class that he puts into it. Q. Well done, gents. Many congratulations. Some reports suggest it was a very strange setback that Magician had before Ascot that he was in the sparring and a swallow flew in and disturbed him. Is that correct? AIDAN P. O'BRIEN: Sorry, sorry, lads. I missed that. Q. Before Ascot, is it correct that this horse was in the spar and a swallow flew in and disturbed him? AIDAN P. O'BRIEN: What happened the week before Ascot, he knocked his behind leg in the stable and the trainer had a great idea that we'd put him in the spa to get a little bit of feeling out of his leg. When we put him in the spa, he was perfect 20 minutes. He had five more minutes to go to get out of it. And a sparrow flew in the door and right between the two ears flew up. And like I can just tell you that he jumped out of the spa, and doing it, he bruised both his front legs. Obviously, John had a big job to get him to Ascot and to get the swelling down out of his legs, and that's what he did. But with the benefit of hindsight, I probably shouldn't have run him. He just was a bit sore, and he went through a traumatic week really. But with the benefit of hindsight, I shouldn't have done it. But, listen, he had a long break after it, and this is the result really. But it was just one of those freak things. But like I said, I shouldn't have run him at the time, but he recovered well. PAUL SMITH: We're looking for that sparrow now, by the way, Graham. Q. Nice to start 2014 with a Breeders' Cup Turf winner as a 4‑year‑old, and a Derby winner in Ruler of the World; is that likely? AIDAN P. O'BRIEN: Yeah, hopefully. We really look forward to them. As 4‑year‑olds, is that what you mean? Q. Yeah. AIDAN P. O'BRIEN: Yeah, we love it. And both of them are by Galileo, which makes them extra, extra exciting. What we have seen with them to get better as well from the 2 to 3 to 4. So couldn't be more excited about it really. Q. Mr.O'Brien, you started Magician's 3‑year‑old campaign with a win in the Dee Stakes at Chester. Apparently at that time the intention was to take him either to the Irish Derby or the Epsom Derby. Then you went to the Irish in 2000 Guineas. At what point did you think this would be your target going for the Breeders' Cup Turf? AIDAN P. O'BRIEN: At what point? I suppose we were coming to the Breeders' Cup with him, but he was going to the mile instead of the mile and a half. Obviously, we had made the decision with Camelot all year that, amidst the bad decision I made last year with Camelot. I ran him in soft ground, and I shouldn't have run him. So we made the decision this year we couldn't run him in soft ground, and we kept waiting and waiting for him to go to the Breeders' Cup Turf. Couple of weeks ago he had a setback, and he wasn't going to make it. So, obviously, we were left with no horses for the Breeders' Cup Turf. So obviously everyone put their heads together, and the lads had remembered when he won the Dee Stakes, Ryan rode him that day and told him he could be a Derby horse. And Joseph rode him in the Irish Guineas and he thought the same. But, obviously, he didn't go there because Ruler of the World went there. So he got re‑rooted, obviously, to the turf. Then when he went there, it left the slot open for Cristoforo Colombo to run in the Mile. So that's how it all happened, really. But, listen, I think it's credit to the lads for making this decision and letting them run where I probably wouldn't have. I would have stayed at the mile, but this was 100% the right decision. THE MODERATOR: We know you've got two more chances today, so we'll let you go. We appreciate you being here, and congratulations. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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