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Aidan O'Brien may be forced to retire ‘superstar' millionaire horse as he's hit by crushing triple whammy of injuries

Aidan O'Brien may be forced to retire ‘superstar' millionaire horse as he's hit by crushing triple whammy of injuries

Scottish Sun4 days ago
She still had so much more to give
QUEEN VIC Aidan O'Brien may be forced to retire 'superstar' millionaire horse as he's hit by crushing triple whammy of injuries
A 'SUPERSTAR' Aidan O'Brien horse may have run her final race - as the iconic trainer handles a crushing triple whammy of injuries.
Lake Victoria, who has won more than £1million, has lost just once in her short career, when sixth in the 1,000 Guineas last May.
1
Awesome Aidan O'Brien filly Lake Victoria may be forced to retire after picking up an injury
Credit: Getty
She roared back to life with a simple victory in the Irish 1,000 later that month but hasn't been seen since.
O'Brien said in an interview with Sun Racing's Matt Chapman on ITV that she could be 'retired altogether'.
That cruel blow comes at the same time huge doubts have surfaced over Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin.
O'Brien has never hid his admiration for his Marble Hill Stakes winner Albert Einstein, saying he is 'as fast a horse as we have ever seen'.
But the two-year-old colt was forced to miss Royal Ascot when favourite for the Coventry.
Charles Darwin kept the Ballydoyle flag flying with victory in the Norfolk and is currently 9-4 favourite for the Nunthorpe at York's Ebor Festival next month.
But O'Brien said he too recently suffered a setback and may not be seen again until next season.
O'Brien said: "Lake Victoria is not back in exercise. She's doing well physically but she's not back in work yet.
"She might be left alone until next year or retired altogether.
"Those are the decisions that will be made as the weeks go by.
"Albert Einstein, we probably won't see again this year.
"Because he was so special - from the time we first started working him he was always head and shoulders above everything else.
"Everyone was aware of that and I know the way the lads think, usually, they won't want to take any chances whatsoever with him."
While in a separate interview with Racing TV, O'Brien said of Charles Darwin: "He has to come back. He had a little setback as well.
"We've had to ease off after hurting his foot.
"He's a big horse and those type of horses, after having two or three runs, they're educated for next year.
"If you come back and run them, fine, but if you don't, after those two or three runs, it's no problem really."
O'Brien still has a squad of monsters to unleash over the coming weeks.
Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel is all set for a blockbuster rematch with Calandagan in Saturday's King George at Ascot.
Illinois is being prepared for next week's Goodwood Cup - where he could be joined by awesome Bahrain Trophy winner Scandinavia.
Henri Matisse is set to take on Field Of Gold in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
Whirl will clash with See The Fire in the Nassau at the same festival.
While, looking ahead to York next month, breathtaking Coral-Eclipse winner Delacroix is set for round two with Ombudsman in the Juddmonte.
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Celtic transfer latest as Brendan Rodgers calls for board ambition, new striker necessity and interest in Maeda grows
Celtic transfer latest as Brendan Rodgers calls for board ambition, new striker necessity and interest in Maeda grows

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Celtic transfer latest as Brendan Rodgers calls for board ambition, new striker necessity and interest in Maeda grows

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Ribot, Grundy, Shergar, Enable – the King George has them all
Ribot, Grundy, Shergar, Enable – the King George has them all

Leader Live

time33 minutes ago

  • Leader Live

Ribot, Grundy, Shergar, Enable – the King George has them all

RIBOT (1956) Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest Flat racers of the post-war era, the unbeaten Italian champion made his one and only trip to Britain for the 1956 King George. The dual Arc winner used the Gran Premio di Milano as his prep race for the King George, which was set to be his hardest race to date. The going was sticky, and the 2-5 favourite looked uneasy at one stage, with jockey Enrico Camici urging him to go with the leaders. The pacemaker, Todrai, did his job and led Ribot into the straight but it was only in the last furlong that the champion showed his real worth. Some argued that the win was unimpressive; the horse's record, though, speaks for itself: 16 runs, 16 wins. NIJINSKY (1970) Vincent O'Brien's Triple Crown winner was another easy winner of this great race. The son of Northern Dancer had already captured the 2000 Guineas, the Derby and the Irish Derby, and started at odds of 40-85 at Ascot. 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Kalpana seeking to join Juddmonte luminaries on King George roll of honour
Kalpana seeking to join Juddmonte luminaries on King George roll of honour

Glasgow Times

timean hour ago

  • Glasgow Times

Kalpana seeking to join Juddmonte luminaries on King George roll of honour

Andrew Balding's charge rounded off her three-year-old campaign with Group One success over the course and distance on Champions Day and has not done much wrong in two starts since, finishing third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and then second in the Pretty Polly Stakes in Ireland. Back on home soil, Kalpana is the only filly in a field of five, with Oisin Murphy deputising in the saddle for the suspended Colin Keane. Kalpana (right) chases home Whirl in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh (Brian Lawless/PA) Barry Mahon, racing manager for owner-breeders Juddmonte, said: 'We're all set for Saturday, I think we were hoping for a bit more rain than has actually fallen, but it is what it is and I'm sure it'll be nice ground on the day. 'It's a top-class renewal, as you would expect for such a good race, but we're looking forward to partaking in it.' Juddmonte's Bluestocking found only Goliath too strong in last year's King George before going on to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in the colours of the late Khalid Abdullah, who also claimed Ascot's midsummer highlight with Dancing Brave and superstar mare Enable, the latter on three occasions. Both of those equine greats also landed Europe's premier middle-distance contest, Enable doing so in successive years in 2017 and 2018, and a potential trip to Paris in early October has already been pencilled in for Kalpana ahead of what connections admit is a stern test this weekend. 'Rebel's Romance is such a legend of a horse and Calandagan and Jan Brueghel are obviously very, very talented,' Mahon added. 'We think going back up to a mile and a half will suit our filly and Andrew said she worked well on Wednesday morning and he's very happy with her, so we're hopeful that her first two runs have set her up nicely for this.' The top two in the market are Jan Brueghel and Calandagan, who renew rivalry after finishing first and second in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in early June. While Calandagan has since broken his top-level duck in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Jan Brueghel has been kept fresh by Aidan O'Brien and is interestingly fitted with cheekpieces for the first time as he bids to provide his trainer with a fifth King George success. Jan Brueghel (right) denies Calandagan in the Coronation Cup at Epsom (Adam Davy/PA) O'Brien, who also saddles the rank outsider and probable pacemaker Continuous, said: 'Jan Brueghel is good, everything has gone well since the last day. 'It will be an interesting race and the ground looks like it's going to be nice. 'Continuous rolls along usually and he'll go forward, but if someone else wants to go on (and make the running), he'll be happy too.' Francis Henri-Graffard's Calandagan has already shown his liking for Ascot, dominating his rivals in the King Edward VII Stakes at the Royal meeting last summer before finishing a close second to Anmaat in October's Champion Stakes. Calandagan ➡️ @Ascot ❓ He got his Group 1 on Sunday and he could return to the UK for the King George later this month! — British Champions Day (@Champions_Day) July 2, 2025 Buoyed by his long-awaited first Group One success on home soil four weeks ago, connections are excited to be heading back to Berkshire. Nemone Routh, racing manager for owners the Aga Khan Studs in France, said: 'The horse is in very good form, he took his win at Saint-Cloud very well. I spoke with Mickael Barzalona who rode him in his last piece of work and he's very happy with him. 'It's a small field, but he has to take on Jan Brueghel again and obviously Rebel's Romance was impressive last time out. 'He doesn't have much ground to make up on Jan Brueghel and although they were calling the ground good to soft at Epsom, we felt it was riding softer that day. He handles softer ground so we can't use that as an excuse, but I just think maybe his acceleration is a a bit more decisive on firmer ground. 'When it becomes a heavy-duty slugging match I'm not sure that's really his game, but when he can use his acceleration on good, fast ground I think that's when he's at his best.' William Buick celebrates winning the Hardwicke Stakes aboard Rebel's Romance (David Davies/PA) The small but select field is completed by Rebel's Romance, who has won seven Group Ones on foreign soil and bids to break his top-level duck at home following his course-and-distance success in last month's Hardwicke Stakes. Speaking on the Godolphin website, trainer Charlie Appleby said: 'Rebel's Romance goes into this in great order. There was plenty of strength in depth in this contest 12 months ago, when he ran a good race (finished third), and it looks a similarly strong renewal this time around. 'He is taking on younger opposition again but, wherever he finishes, the others will know that they have had a race.'

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