Aidan O’Brien is confident Emily Dickinson will be better the further she goes as he prepares a two-pronged assault on the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
Though last year’s winner Kyprios has been ruled out through injury, the Ballydoyle maestro runs both Broome and Emily Dickinson in Thursday’s feature, which he has won on a record eight occasions.
The latter will have to recover from a lacklustre display when finishing a disappointing sixth as a 2-5 favourite in the Saval Beg at Leopardstown.
But O’Brien believes the four-year-old daughter of Dubawi will benefit from stepping up to two and a half miles, having previously won over two miles in testing ground at the Curragh in October – her first time at that distance.
“We always thought this race would suit her well, because we think she stays very well,” O’Brien told Sky Sports Racing.
“Obviously, she handles some ease in the ground well and when there is ease in the ground, stamina comes into it more.
“We think the trip will suit her and even though she handles soft ground, we don’t think she minds fast ground.”
Winner of three of her 13 runs, Emily Dickinson is the general 6-1 third-favourite behind Coltrane and Eldar Eldarov in what is considered to be an open race.
O’Brien feels Ryan Moore’s mount had excuses in the Saval Beg, run over a mile and three-quarters.
He added: “When we stepped her up to two miles at the Curragh she kind of grew another leg, then she won in very soft ground in Navan.
“The ground was soft, so it made it a testing, demanding race, and then she went back to Leopardstown for her next run and it was fast ground, they went no pace.
“Ryan got left in front. He didn’t want to be putting the gun to her head in that race, because it was obviously being used as a trial for the Gold Cup. He wasn’t too hard on her when he knew the race wasn’t going to suit her.
“She ran a nice race, obviously she will have to step up a lot from that but we think she will, going that trip.”
Last year’s Hardwicke winner Broome advertised his credentials with a Group Two success at Meydan in March, before finishing a close-up third to Giavellotto in the Yorkshire Cup last month.
The seven-year-old has yet to race beyond two miles, and O’Brien admits it will be “interesting” to see if he can handle the extra half-mile.
He added: “Obviously, we were delighted with him in Meydan and delighted with him the last day.
“I suppose the Gold Cup is an unusual race because a lot of horses get two miles, but when you go past that two miles, a lot of different stuff happens, especially in the last quarter of a mile, so it will be very interesting.
“Obviously he is a classy horse. Ryan gave him a brilliant ride in Dubai and he was very happy with him again the last time at York and he was staying on again, so it is going to be very interesting – will he get the trip?
“He is a very good-natured horse – he should relax. He should have no problem with the track or ground, so it will be interesting to see if he gets trip or not.”
Hopes are high Little Big Bear, who reverted to sprinting at Haydock after a disappointing experience in the 2000 Guineas, can back up his Group Two Sandy Lane success when he runs in the Commonwealth Cup.
He has already shown a liking for Ascot, winning the Windsor Castle at last year’s meeting.
“He is a big, powerful, classy horse,” added O’Brien. “We were delighted with him at Haydock. He is a big traveller. He looks like a big sprinter.
“Obviously, we tried him at a mile and we didn’t have time to go back again – the whole Guineas just went wrong on us and that was it.
“But we knew to go to Ascot that it would be a nice thing to have a run into him at this trip, rather than throwing him straight back in from his Guineas run.
“Frankie (Dettori) rode him and was very happy with him. Wayne (Lordan) has been riding him work since and seems very happy with him, so we’re hopeful.”
King on weather watch for Trueshan
Alan King will send at least three runners to Royal Ascot next week, with big gun Trueshan ready to fire in the Gold Cup, should there be sufficient cut in the ground.
With the current spell of hot weather expected to break down over the next few days, the Barbury Castle handler is “hopeful” the three-time Ascot Long Distance Cup winner can bounce back from a seven-length Sagaro defeat by Coltrane, who heads next Thursday’s showpiece event over two and a half miles.
The dual Group One winner Trueshan will be hoping to make it third time lucky in the race after being declared a non-runner in the last two renewals on account of unsuitable ground.
“We will have to hope for a few thunderstorms,” said King. “He needs to get his toe in, as we all know. It is an open Gold Cup and we’ll keep an eye on the weather and see what happens.”
King spoke to Tom Stanley about Trueshan after Paradias won for him at Sandown on Friday
Tritonic will try two and a half miles for the first time on the Flat when he lines up in the Ascot Stakes.
Runner-up in the 10-furlong Golden Gates in 2020, he subsequently won a juvenile hurdle and a Grade Three handicap hurdle at the Berkshire track.
He has only been out of the frame in once in four runs at Ascot, when fourth, beaten just over seven lengths by Quickthorn, in the heavy-ground Duke of Edinburgh in 2021.
King said: “Three will run at the meeting for us anyway.
“Tritonic will run in the Ascot Stakes. Whether he wants that trip I don’t know, but we thought we’d go that route and learn. If he ran there, you’d have to try to train him for a Cesarewitch or something.”
There is plenty of confidence behind eight-year-old Raymond Tusk, who would also appreciate some easy ground when he lines up in the Copper Horse Handicap, the final race on Tuesday’s card.
King said: “He ran in it last year. He was only beaten four lengths, finishing seventh.
“The old boy is in really good form. Obviously, we’d like a drop of rain for him, but it was fast last year and I hope he will run a really nice race again.”
HMS President had a string of runner-up efforts in decent handicaps last year for Eve Johnson Houghton.
Now with King, the HP Racing colours were carried to success on his second start for King, when taking a valuable handicap at Newmarket, having finished runner-up in the Rosebery at Kempton on his stable debut and seasonal bow.
“He’s shown he has been pretty consistent last year and is trip versatile,” said King. “It was nice to see him get his head in front at Newmarket.
“We have a small team, but we’re looking forward to the meeting, as always.”