It was very much mission accomplished for Auguste Rodin, who was given the perfect ride by Ryan Moore to bring his season to a brilliant climax in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita.
Aidan O’Brien had long had this race in mind for his dual Derby hero, a plan firmed up after his thrilling victory in the Irish Champion Stakes, which cemented his place in his trainer’s affections.
There has been the odd hiccup in Auguste Rodin’s journey to stardom, but he has always bounced back from his setbacks in style and thrived in his first taste of international competition.
As when tasting Derby success at Epsom, the son of Deep Impact was ridden with patience by Moore, who rounding the turn for home found a golden passage up the rail and wasted little time in snatching the opportunity.
The Coolmore number one soon sent his mount for home and he surged clear of top American turf challenger Up To The Mark to give O’Brien a record-extending seventh success in a race Europeans continue to dominate.
Paying tribute to Moore’s ride, O’Brien said: “He had incredible confidence in him. He was drawn handy and he thought he might be handier, but when he was not, Ryan knew. What an incredible ride.
“The race wasn’t working out for us like we hoped. But Ryan knew at the top of the bend where he wanted to go.
“You can see the pace that he has, he was able to quicken when he wanted him to and it was a brilliant ride. He doesn’t do much when he gets there and that was a little worry because Ryan sent him down the inside and he ended up getting there early.
“He’s a super horse and during the week the way he was cantering on the dirt I was wondering have we done the right thing, should we have had him in the other race (Breeders’ Cup Classic). He was cruising on the dirt, most other horses don’t handle it when they are not used to it really, but he was incredible really.
“We’ve always felt he has a beautiful action and that he’s a kind of dream horse.
“His dam (Rhododendron) was one of the best Galileo mares ever, and he’s the absolute double of his grandsire (Sunday Silence). His pedigree brings the best of Japan and Europe together.”
Reflecting further on Moore at his very best, O’Brien said: “Ryan doesn’t waste any energy in being anything other than what he is. He’s familiar with all the top tracks and the top races.
“He says he can’t be getting better, but he’s 40 and I’ve told him you peak at 45.”
Moore said: “I got squeezed out and horses were getting in each other’s way. I didn’t like where I was, but once he got there he did it very easily. Considering how the race went against him in the early stages, it was a really big performance.
“Going up the rail was Plan F, my horse was getting a bad trip and the reason he won is because he’s so good.
“He’s now won two Derbys, an Irish Champion and come here and beaten proper horses. He had things go against him today, but he overcame them. He’s shown himself to be a good Derby winner and a real top-drawer horse.”
Raising the possibility of Auguste Rodin staying in training as a four-year-old, Coolmore’s MV Magnier said: “We’ve been thinking about it for a while, there’s a lot of things we could do with this horse. We could stand him in America, we could stand him in Europe and there’s definitely a strong possibility we will keep him in training next year.
“How fun would that (Classic) be?”