Luxembourg heading straight to Derby and Westover excites Hornby

Ante-post Cazoo Derby favourite Luxembourg was given a clean bill of health by Aidan O’Brien on Monday following his fine effort in the 2000 Guineas.

The Camelot colt went into the Newmarket Classic unbeaten following a juvenile campaign that culminated in victory in the Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.

And while he had to settle for third place on the Rowley Mile, the general view was he had only enhanced his claims for the premier Classic. Stablemate Point Lonsdale did not fare quite as well, finishing in 10th place under Frankie Dettori.

Speaking at the Curragh, O’Brien said to Racing TV: “The two colts (from the 2000 Guineas) cantered this morning and seem fine. Luxembourg just clipped heels after going 50 yards and he did well to finish where he did.

“I think he will go straight to Epsom, that was always the plan.

“Point Lonsdale might not have been as ready as I thought, and we might give him a little bit more time to see where he is going to go. He was always going to stay further.”

O’Brien had another Classic third on Sunday, with Dettori-ridden Oaks favourite Tuesday running well in the 1000 Guineas. Stablemate Tenebrism was eighth as the 11-4 market leader on her first try at a mile, although the Ballydoyle handler feels that was not her true running.

“Tuesday may run in the Guineas at the Curragh and then go for the Oaks,” he said. “Ryan (Moore) said that Tenebrism just got sandwiched for the first four furlongs and never got to relax.

“It was a bit of a non event and we didn’t learn too much about her. She didn’t finish and maybe the reason was she was using too much gas or maybe she didn’t stay. We’ll probably have to run her again to find out.”

Meanwhile, Rob Hornby is excited at the prospect of linking up with Westover in the Cazoo Derby following his victory in the bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown.

The son of Frankel overcame signs of greenness to hold off David Simcock’s fast-finishing Cash, with handler Ralph Beckett stating recently the strapping three-year-old will now head straight for the Epsom Classic, for which he is a best price of 25-1.

Hornby has been aboard Westover for three of his four racecourse appearances and is confident there is still plenty of improvement to be seen from the Juddmonte-owned colt.

He said: “He’s very exciting. We always thought a lot of him as a two-year-old and he did very well to win first time out being such a big horse.

“We always thought he’d improve a great deal and be a better three-year-old and to go and do that on his first run of the year, when we hadn’t really asked to many questions at home, was really good.

“There was always going to be a great deal of improvement from the run and to go and be able to win and put in a performance like that was really taking.”

Beckett provided Hornby with his first Group One win when he partnered Scope to land the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp in October and Westover could continue a blossoming partnership between the trainer and jockey at Epsom, with the pair going within a neck of victory in the 1000 Guineas through Prosperous Voyage.

“For myself it is really exciting and it’s great for the whole yard, there’s a real buzz about the place. The horses are running really well and hopefully it bodes well for an exciting season,” continued Hornby.

“The link up with Ralph has been really fruitful for the past three years now and I’ve always been attached with Andrew Balding since my apprenticeship. Obviously there has become a few more opportunities there this year with Oisin’s (Murphy) absence, so it will be nice to grab as many of those opportunities while I can and keep pushing forwards.”