Auguste Rodin: Epsom or the Curragh for European return

Auguste Rodin and Luxembourg are likely to be split up for their next outings, with both having a similar programme that will take in either the Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs or Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.

Although - like City Of Troy this year - Auguste Rodin was disappointing 12 months ago in the 2000 Guineas, the Deep Impact colt bounced back to win the Derby, Irish Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Turf. Sandwiched in between was another blip, this time in the King George at Ascot, where he ran no sort of race.

The decision to keep him in training at four was roundly applauded, but he failed to fire in the Sheema Classic at the Dubai World Cup meeting in March.

“At the moment he’s doing super and it’s between the Coronation at Epsom and the Tattersalls Gold Cup. Him and Luxembourg are on that programme and we’ll split them up,” O’Brien said.

“We’re happy with him, we’ve made changes and adjusted a few things and we think that run in Dubai will be gone.

“When a horse runs like that it’s usually the trainer’s fault, I would have made a wrong decision somewhere or given the wrong instructions. I said to Ryan (Moore) to take his time on him in Dubai.

“Ryan took his time, there was no pace, William (Buick, on Rebel’s Romance) got sat in second and he controlled the race and before you knew it those in the second pack were cut off and the rest is history.”

O’Brien is adamant the runs where Auguste Rodin has come unstuck is not down to the travelling.

“It’s not the travel, he’s won at the Breeders’ Cup, you can say things like an air-conditioned box. The thing about him is he is the most alert in the box. All of them are on camera and just the slightest thing disturbs him,” he said.

“Ultimately we made the wrong decision tactically because it was his first run back, there was no pace, we had Point Lonsdale to make the running but William Buick got in a position to control it. Ryan senses halfway through a race if he can’t win so he gave him an easy time. He knows he’s valuable. That’s my opinion, anyway.”