‘Very special' Albert Einstein has all the answers at the Curragh

South Wales Guardian

26-05-2025

Aidan O'Brien's Wootton Bassett colt struck on debut at Naas earlier in the month and was the 4-11 favourite to continue to boost the sizeable regard in which he is already held.
He was ridden patiently with plenty of cover in the early stages of the Group Three event, a position that left him needing to manoeuvre his way past the leaders to get a clear look at the winning post.
When he did so the victory was never in doubt, prevailing by three-quarters of a length from Power Blue to gain the status of 6-4 favourite for the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot with Coral.
'He's very quick. We always thought he was really good, but since his first run he's got so quick,' said O'Brien.
'Ryan said they felt like they were only hacking, I don't think you could go fast enough in front of him.
'Ryan taught him a lot. He waited and got him to relax the best he could and when he came out he said he took a minute to engage. He's a very fast horse.
'The lads said he was rated an eight as a yearling and that's as high as the rating goes.
'He's been very special in everything he's done. He's 540kg, that's a very big horse and he's only a two-year-old.'
Albert Einstein is naturally a name reserved for a very smart horse and this one impressed connections so much that he was renamed several times before the title was decided.
'I think his name was changed three times. Every time we named him Sue (Magnier) maybe thought the name wasn't good enough for him.
'It's a feeling putting those names on those horses and it's a very difficult thing to do. I wasn't sure what his name was as he was changed so many times.
'We always thought he was very special and that's obviously why Sue called him that. He's very exciting.
'The plan was to come here and go to the Coventry. I was worried today because it's so windy and he is so sharp mentally, but he had to run.
'We were hoping it was going to be a strong run race, which I thought it was, but Ryan said he would have preferred them to go faster.
'If everything goes well I think that's what the lads will do, but obviously they'll decide all those things the week before Ascot.
'He was always very different all the way, everything he has done has been different. All we've ever been trying to do is slow him down.
'The special ones are like that, you are slowing them down and you're not teaching them anything because they know everything. All you're trying to do is get them to relax all the time.
'The real special horses are so natural and so good like that. Hopefully we'll be able to keep him going the right way.'