Auguste Rodin (horse)

Last updated

Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin Breeders Cup Turf.jpg
Auguste Rodin being led in the paddock before the 2023 Breeders Cup Turf
Sire Deep Impact
Grandsire Sunday Silence
Dam Rhododendron
Damsire Galileo
SexColt
Foaled26 January 2020 [1]
CountryIreland
Colour Bay
Breeder Coolmore Stud
Owner Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier & Westerberg
Trainer Aidan O'Brien
Record11: 7-1-0
Earnings US$4,958,538 [2]
Major wins
Juvenile Stakes
Vertem Futurity Trophy (2022)
Epsom Derby (2023)
Irish Derby (2023)
Irish Champion Stakes (2023
Breeders' Cup Turf (2023)
Timeform rating: 129
Last updated on 4 April 2024

Auguste Rodin (foaled 26 January 2020) is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. A very well-bred horse, he was one of the best juveniles of his generation in Europe in 2022 when he won three of his four races, including the Vertem Futurity Trophy. In the following year he won the Epsom Derby, Irish Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders' Cup Turf.

Contents

Background

Auguste Rodin is a bay colt, with a white blaze and a white sock on his left hind leg, bred in Ireland by the Coolmore Stud. He raced in the ownership of the Coolmore partners Michael Tabor, Sue Magnier and Derrick Smith in association with Georg von Opel's Westerberg organisation. The colt was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle.

He is from the thirteenth crop of foals sired by Japanese Triple Crown champion Deep Impact, who was the Japanese Horse of the Year in 2005 and 2006. [3] Auguste Rodin is the first foal produced by Rhododendron, an excellent mare whose wins included the Fillies' Mile, Prix de l'Opéra and Lockinge Stakes. Rhododendron's dam Halfway to Heaven was one of the best European fillies of her generation, winning the Irish 1,000 Guineas, Nassau Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes in 2008. [4] and was a descendant of the Kentucky Oaks winner Native S. [5]

Racing career

2022: two-year-old season

Auguste Rodin began his track career in a seven-furlong maiden race at the Curragh on 1 June when he started the 4/6 favourite but finished second to Crypto Force, beaten two and a half lengths. A month later the colt started odds-on favourite for a similar event at Naas Racecourse. Ridden by Seamie Heffernan he disputed the lead from the start, opened up a clear advantage inside the final furlong and won "comfortably" by two lengths from Shadowed. [6] The colt was then stepped up in class for the Group 2 Juvenile Stakes over one mile on soft ground at Leopardstown Racecourse on 10 September when he was ridden by Ryan Moore and started 11/10 favourite in a six-runner field. After tracking the leaders he took the lead a furlong out and despite hanging to the right in the closing stages he stayed on well to win by one and a half lengths from Caroline Street. [7] After the race Aidan O'Brien commented "He's always showed a lot and has a beautiful physique, a lovely nature... He was a little idle when he got to the front, but we're delighted with him. He's always gone through his work very impressively. He has plenty of class and quality, and probably will sharpen up a lot from today. We thought he could be the type of horse to do both the Guineas and the Derby". [8]

For his final run of the season Auguste Rodin was sent to England to contest the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy over one mile on heavy ground at Doncaster Racecourse on 22 October. With Moore again in the saddle he went off the 9/4 favourite with the best fancied of his seven opponents being Epictetus and Holloway Boy. At the start of the race he was switched right by Moore to race up the stands side of the straight course. He was restrained by Moore in the early stages before taking the lead approaching the final furlong and drawing away to win "readily" by three and a half lengths. [9] O'Brien revealed that he had considered withdrawing the horse owing to the heavy going and explained that the early move to the rail had been planned to ensure that the colt was racing on fresher ground. Bookmakers responded by making Auguste Rodin 5/1 for the 2000 Guineas and 4/1 favourite for the Epsom Derby. [10]

In the official two-year-old ratings for 2022, Auguste Rodin was rated the equal fourth-best juvenile of the season in Europe, behind Little Big Bear, Blackbeard and Chaldean. [11]

2023: three-year-old season

In the early part of 2023 there was speculation that Auguste Rodin become the first horse since Nijinsky to complete the Triple Crown by winning the 2000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger. [12] Aidan O'Brien said "the Triple Crown is a very hard thing to do, but sometime it would be great to do it. He is by Deep Impact, who stayed well, he’s out of a Galileo mare and we are looking forward to it. It is a difficult type of horse to find, because they have to have a lot of class and they have to have pace enough to run in the Guineas. It’s pure class and class gives them stamina and gives them speed. We just thought that, at the moment, he fits into that bracket really well." [13]

On 6 May Auguste Rodin began his second season in the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket on soft ground and started the 13/8 favourite in a fourteen-runner field. He was slightly hampered early in the race and never looked likely to win at any stage, coming home twelfth, more than twenty lengths behind the winner Chaldean. [14] O'Brien felt that having to fly the horse to England a day earlier than planned owing to security measures surrounding the Coronation of King Charles III) had badly affected his chances. He commented "the whole thing was a bit of a non-event really. The travelling over is what it is". [15]

The 244th running of the Derby took place over one and a half miles on good to firm ground at Epsom Racecourse on 3 June and Auguste Rodin started the 9/2 second favourite behind the Chester Vase winner Arrest. The other twelve contenders included Military Order (Lingfield Derby Trial), The Foxes (Dante Stakes), White Birch (Ballysax Stakes), Sprewell (Derby Trial Stakes), San Antonio (Dee Stakes) and Dubai Mile (Criterium de Saint-Cloud). Ridden by Moore, Auguste Rodin settled in mid-division as his stablemates San Antonio and Adelaide River took turns at setting the pace before beginning to make good progress approaching the last quarter mile. The 66/1 outsider King of Steel gained the advantage two furlongs out and briefly went clear of the field but Auguste Rodin maintained his run, caught the leader 100 yards from the finish and won by three quarters of a length. [16] Aidan O'Brien commented "all the hype of expectations were there straightaway from before he was born. He was measured, measured, measured all the way, and he was ticking the top of the measurements all the way... I remember Ryan sitting on him in the February as a two-year-old, and saying, ‘This is very special’. And then the bar is even higher... I'd say he'd have international options. This horse is going to love travelling and he's a pure mile-and-a-quarter, mile-and-a-half horse." [17]

Auguste Rodin made his next start in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on 29 July, in a field that featured horses such as Emily Upjohn, Hukum, King of Steel, Pyledriver and Westover. After running in midfield for most of the race, he dropped out into the back of the field and was eased home last as the 9/4 favorite, beaten by more than 100 lengths by winner Hukum. [18] After the race, his trainer stated that "There are no excuses. Whatever happened, the power ran out and it ran out early. (...) There is obviously a reason and we’ll find it." [19]

Statistics

DateDistanceRaceGrade/
Group		TrackOddsFieldFinishWinning
Time		Winning
(Losing)
Margin		JockeyRef
2022 – two-year-old season
1 Jun 2022Maiden The Curragh 921:29.11 Ryan Moore [20]
2 Jul 2022Maiden Naas 1311:31.53 Seamie Heffernan [21]
10 Sep 2022 Champions Juvenile Stakes Leopardstown 511:45.25 Ryan Moore [22]
22 Oct 2022 Vertem Futurity Trophy Doncaster 811:44:76 Ryan Moore [23]
2023 – three-year-old season
6 May 2023 2000 Guineas Newmarket 14121:41.64 Ryan Moore [24]
3 Jun 2023 Epsom Derby Epsom Downs 1412:33.88 Ryan Moore [25]
2 Jul 2023 Irish Derby The Curragh 912:33.24 Ryan Moore [26]
29 Jul 2023 King George VI and
Queen Elizabeth Stakes 		Ascot 10102:33.95 Ryan Moore [27]
9 Sep 2023 Irish Champion Stakes Leopardstown 812:02.68 Ryan Moore [28]
4 Nov 2023 Breeders' Cup Turf Santa Anita 1112:24.30 Ryan Moore [29]
2024 – four-year-old season
Mar 30, 2024 Dubai Sheema Classic Meydan (UAE)12122:26.72 Ryan Moore [30]

Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Auguste Rodin was the post-time favorite.

  1. ↑ Distance for the event was approximately 1+1⁄2 miles
  2. ↑ Auguste Rodin final odds with British Bookmakers were 11/8 favourite since gambling is prohibited in the United Arab Emirates

Pedigree

Pedigree of Auguste Rodin (IRE), bay colt 2020 [1]
Sire
Deep Impact (JPN)
2002		 Sunday Silence (USA)
1986		 Halo Hail to Reason
Cosmah
Wishing Well Understanding
Mountain Flower
Wind in Her Hair (IRE)
1991		 Alzao (USA) Lyphard
Lady Rebecca (GB)
Burghclere (GB) Busted
Highclere
Dam
Rhododendron (IRE)
2009		 Galileo (IRE)
1998		 Sadler's Wells (USA) Northern Dancer (CAN)
Fairy Bridge
Urban Sea (USA) Miswaki
Allegretta (GB)
Halfway to Heaven (IRE)
2005		 Pivotal (GB) Polar Falcon (USA)
Fearless Revival
Cassandra Go Indian Ridge
Rahaam (USA) (Family: 3-d) [5]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Auguste Rodin pedigree". Equineline.
  2. ↑ "Profile of Auguste Rodin". Equibase. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  3. ↑ "Deep Impact - Stud Record". Racing Post.
  4. ↑ "Cassandra Go race record". Racing Post. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – Brown Bess – Family 3-d". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden result". Racing Post. 2 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes result". Racing Post. 10 September 2022.
  8. ↑ Mark Boylan (10 September 2022). "'He's always showed a lot' - Auguste Rodin heads Derby market after Group 2 win". Racing Post.
  9. ↑ "Vertem Futurity Trophy result". Racing Post. 22 October 2022.
  10. ↑ David Carr (22 October 2022). "Auguste Rodin Streaks to Easy Vertem Futurity Score". The Bloodhorse.
  11. ↑ "2022 European 2yo Classification" (PDF). British Horseracing Authority. 17 January 2023.
  12. ↑ "O'Brien's leading classic hope Auguste Rodin 16-1 for Triple Crown glory". The Irish Times. 27 March 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "O'Brien dreaming of Triple Crown bid with Auguste Rodin". Racing TV. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  14. ↑ "2000 Guineas result". Racing Post. 6 May 2023.
  15. ↑ "O'Brien: "The whole thing was a non-event for Auguste Rodin"". Thoroughbred News. 7 May 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  16. ↑ "Epsom Derby result". Racing Post. 3 June 2023.
  17. ↑ Wood, Greg (3 June 2023). "Aidan O'Brien works his magic again with Auguste Rodin to win ninth Derby" . Retrieved 6 June 2023– via The Guardian.
  18. ↑ "King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes result". Sky Sports. 27 July 2023.
  19. ↑ Wood, Greg (27 July 2023). "Hukum on top in final heave of King George to keep Westover at bay" . Retrieved 27 July 2023– via The Guardian.
  20. ↑ "Ryans Cleaning Waste And Recycling Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden". 1 June 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  21. ↑ "Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden". 2 July 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  22. ↑ "KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes (Group 2)". Racing Post. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  23. ↑ "Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes (Group 1) (No Geldings)". Racing Post. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  24. ↑ "Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Colts)". Racing Post. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  25. ↑ "Betfred Derby (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (No Geldings)". Racing Post. 3 June 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  26. ↑ "Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Group 1) (No Geldings)". Racing Post. 2 July 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  27. ↑ "King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series)". Racing Post. 29 July 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  28. ↑ "Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (Group 1)". Racing Post. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  29. ↑ "Longines Breeders' Cup Turf Grade 1 – (Race 8)". Equibase. 4 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  30. ↑ "Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (Group 1)". Racing Post. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
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