Ballydoyle 2 Year Olds - 2008

On my sheet it has him in training with O'Brien, Gal.

There's a few others I have listed as with O'Brien as well that you havn't flagged up, but they all seem to be American bought so they may not be in training (though mine did come from a Ballydoyle lad).

Do you have a list of Lyons 2yo's btw? Is there a colt by R of Gib out of Alluring Park listed and if so is it named?
 
That one out of Alluring Park is named alright...Initiation. Will double check its trainer (and the Ballydoyle one) and will get back to you.
 
A couple more fillies (courtesy of Steve Taplin's excellent 2 year olds book):

Pride - Lion Heart x Coffee Springs
Skating - Danetime x Dalal

According to the book, Initiation is with Ger Lyons. A quote from the trainer states he needs time and won't be out until June or July.
 
Westphalia looks like being a nice 2yo, looks like he will be better with give in the ground.
 
Intense Focus looked like a miniature adult in the parade ring yesterday, all in proportion and very fit. You would fit two of him in Mastercraftsmans's frame, though, and he looks to be an early type.

Alhaban had the rail to help but stuck on really well and is obviously very decent.

Mastercraftsman did not look nearly as tuned for this as Intense Focus and should beat him more easily if they meet again.
 
If Ven or others are about....what do you make of Rip Van Winkle's pedigree? By Galileo out of a Stravinsky mare.
 
Galileo's influence for top class middle distance ability, and further, is well known.

RVW is the first foal of his dam, a black type performer who stayed a mile, as did her dam. The broodmare sire, Stravinsky, a typical well-muscled modern stamp of sprinter, was a very fast horse indeed, equally proficient at 5 or 6f. Not bred to be a pure sprinter, he's shown himself capable of siring top class animals over 10 and 12f, provided there is stamina transmitted by the mare.

RVW is inbred 3X4X5 to Northern Dancer and 4X4 to Special. These doublings-up probably don't tell us anything useful about the colt's likely distance requirements.

I'd expect him to get 10f no problem, with 12f not being out of the question.
 
Thanks very much for that Ven, pretty much what I thought. Stravinsky was fast but was bred to get a mile really and given Galileo's influence there could be every chance of him getting 12 furlongs.
 
Hail Caesar, Black Bear Island, Masterofthehorse, Indian Ocean...do not remember Ballydoyle getting these time of horses (to name but 4) out so early. All look Derby type horses if they are going to be anything at all. Usually they get those type of horses out in the late Autumn.
 
Thanks again Venusian - really good info about RVW pedigree. Amazing that we already have a broodmare by Stravinsky, does not seem that long ago he was blazing his way up a course!

I am nuts about RVW but will just have to see how he gets on now.
 
O'BRIEN 2/5 TO HAVE TOP JUVENILE

Aidan O'Brien is as short as 2/5 with Hills to train the International classified top-rated two-year-old for 2008.
With a huge chunk of the season still remaining, the Ballydoyle maestro has already stamped his authority on next year's Classic markets with some sparkling performances by his two-year-olds.
Mastercraftsman and Rip Van Winkle have shown their potential with recent high-profile wins, and the likes of Black Bear Island, Masterofthehorse and Hail Caesar are also being highly touted.
Hills spokeswoman Kate Miller said: "Not content with dominating the 2008 Flat season, Aidan is already setting his sights on 2009 glory with what appears to be an extraordinary batch of two-year-olds.
"Mouthwateringly bred, and already proving themselves at the highest level as juveniles, Aidan looks ready to set next year's Classics on fire with a incredible stable of stars."
______________________________________________________________________________________
While clearly decent sorts, I would be surprised if Black Bear Island or Masterofthehorse were genuine Derby contenders, considering they have run twice already by early August. Of those that have ran the likes of Freemantle would interest me much more, but still imagine there are others to come. Would not go near the 20s quoted for the Derby about the other two.
 
Hills spokeswoman Kate Miller said: "Not content with dominating the 2008 Flat season, Aidan is already setting his sights on 2009 glory with what appears to be an extraordinary batch of two-year-olds.
"Mouthwateringly bred, and already proving themselves at the highest level as juveniles, Aidan looks ready to set next year's Classics on fire with a incredible stable of stars."
Click to expand...

Hype.
 
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