Aidan O’Brien hints Seamus Heffernan in line to ride 2000 Guineas favourite Gustav Klimt
With Ryan Moore committed to riding Mendelssohn in the Kentucky Derby, Seamus Heffernan is in pole position to be in the saddle on Qipco 2000 Guineas ante-post favourite Gustav Klimt.
SEAMUS HEFFERNAN is in pole position to ride Qipco 2000 Guineas favourite Gustav Klimt at Newmarket on Saturday.
Aidan O'Brien has been forced to shuffle his pack of jockeys with stable number one Ryan Moore committed to riding Mendelssohn in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on the same day.
Although plans are subject to change, the genius Ballydoyle trainer has strongly hinted Heffernan could take the ride on last month's Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial winner, with O'Brien's son Donnacha in line to ride Racing Post Trophy winner Saxon Warrior.
Plans are yet to be made for the stable's two other possible runners, U S Navy Flag and Murillo.
"At the moment it looks like Seamus might ride Gustav, and that Donnacha will ride Saxon Warrior," said O'Brien.
"That's what we are thinking at the moment, but all those things can change."
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O'Brien was pleased to get Gustav Klimt started again after the son of Galileo had been off the track since July due to a minor setback.
"We were anxious to get a run into him as he had not run since Newmarket in the middle of the summer," said O'Brien.
"We would have liked to have run him in the Dewhurst to find out a little bit more about him, so were a little bit in the dark. We think and hope he's in good form."
O'Brien reports Saxon Warrior to have done incredibly well over the winter.
"We've probably never had a horse to change so much over winter as he has - he's turned into a monster of a horse - big, powerful and strong," he said.
However, O'Brien has warned US Navy Flag might not run in what is the opening leg of the Qipco British Champions Series if the ground was unsuitable.
"US Navy Flag is a very solid horse and improved with racing," said O'Brien.
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"He'd love really nice ground, fast ground and he could be an exciting horse this year.
"If it's going to get too slow he might not run, we might wait."
It has also been confirmed today that Adam Kirby will ride Coventry Stakes winner Rajasinghe, while Jamie Spencer will partner the William Haggas-trained Headway.
for the Qipc0 2000 Guineas.