New Favourite For 2,000 Guineas As O'Brien Reveals The Lion In Winter A Doubt

Aidan O'Brien has revealed that long-time 2,000 Guineas favourite The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is unlikely to make the Newmarket Classic on May 3 and nominated Expanded (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Twain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) as being the most likely Ballydoyle-trained representatives for the race instead.

The news, which was delivered at the annual Ballydoyle press morning, saw Expanded usurp The Lion In Winter as the new 2,000 Guineas favourite at odds of 6-1 while Twain has also shortened into 9-1.

“The Lion In Winter took a little bit of time to come right so he's a little bit behind the others,” O'Brien said. “We took him to the Curragh last weekend and he went well–the work was easy what he did. Whether he'll make it in time for the Guineas or not I'm not sure. We'll know in the next week or so but if he doesn't he might be trained for something like the Dante [at York] and go straight to the Derby. There has to be a doubt about the Guineas but he's very well–he's just carrying plenty of condition so he might not make it.”

Expanded went down by only a neck behind the European Champion Two-Year-Old Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in the Dewhurst while Twain notched a Group 1 success on his second start at two when running out an authoritative winner of the Criterium International.

“What Twain and Expanded did last year was quite unusual,” said O'Brien. “They both came out late, then a few days later were back out in Group 1s. They were massive runs from both of them, really. Twain won in France and Expanded just got beat in the Dewhurst.

“Poor Expanded got a bit of a raw deal, as he was going in the Dewhurst for experience as a second string behind The Lion In Winter but then The Lion In Winter didn't run and he got put in the front line, so that was massive.

“I'm very happy with Twain. Physically, he's done very well. Good ground will be fine for him. Ryan [Moore] said he rode very green in the Group 1 and still won very nicely, so we're thinking he could start in the Guineas.

“Twain has the pedigree and the physique. What he did last year–we were only giving him a run at Leopardstown to get him out and get a look but he won easily in bad ground.

“In France, it was the first time he'd followed horses but he won well again in bad ground and I think he's a nice-ground horse. As he has a strong Galileo (Ire) pedigree, I was probably not trying to focus on him too early.

“If we were dividing them up, Expanded could go to the Curragh for the Tetrarch Stakes on the way to the Irish Guineas and Twain could go to the English Guineas. That's the way we're thinking; all those things can change, but at the moment that is what could happen.”

Expanded: the new favourite for the 2,000 Guineas | Brian Sheerin

Meanwhile, O'Brien's leading filly from last year, Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who won Group 1 races over six and seven furlongs as well as over a mile, is also not certain to be ready in time for the 1,000 Guineas.

“She's good and she had a long break–longer than the others because her year went very long,” said O'Brien. “She was at the Curragh last weekend as well on an easy piece of work. I'm not sure if she'll make the Guineas but we're training her for it. If she didn't make it she would go for the Athasi Stakes the day after at the Curragh if she didn't come in time. Knowing her, she probably will come in time because she's that type of filly. I'm very happy with her and we think she's done very well.

“We're thinking of going straight to the 1,000 Guineas with Fairy Godmother (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). There are a whole lot of them ready to run and, those who haven't won a Group 3, we will give them preference over the ones who have [in a trial]. Fairy Godmother will go there [the 1,000 Guineas]. And something else will as well.”

Australian sprinter Storm Boy (Aus) is also reported to have settled into life at Ballydoyle well by his trainer. A winner at Group 2 level Down Under for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, the son of Justify is being prepared for an audacious tilt at the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“He's very quick,” O'Brien commented. “The plan will be to go to Ascot and have a run before it, maybe at the Curragh in the Greenlands Stakes. “Before he came, I wasn't sure whether he'd want six, seven or a mile, but there's no doubt he's a sprinter. He's fast. He's big and powerful. You'd be very happy with everything he's doing.”

Speaking about his two-year-old squad for the season ahead, O'Brien concluded, “They haven't been named yet. There's a St Mark's Basilica (Fr) out of Step Sequence (GB) (Nayef), a No Nay Never out of Muirin (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}) [full-brother to Blackbeard] and a Wootton Bassett out of Yet (War Front). But we'll know more in a couple of weeks.”