Aidan O'Brien's stellar Curragh maiden record hints at big things for Minerva and Composing
Aidan O'Brien's remarkable record in the seven-furlong fillies' maiden at the Curragh today bodes well for the prospects of his contenders this year, Minerva and Composing.
O'Brien typically uses this maiden as a stepping stone for his best juvenile filly, and, in the last ten years, he has won the race with subsequent Group 1 winners Alice Springs, Happily, Ylang Ylang and Lake Victoria.
Defeat in this race has not proved a barrier for future top-level success, though, and Love, Snowfall and Tuesday all went on to win in classic company.
In total, a remarkable ten future Group 1 winners from Ballydoyle have contested this race in the last ten editions.
Timeform senior journalist John Ingles said: "Year after year, Aidan O’Brien runs his best filly in the race or, at the very least, one with Group 1-winning potential.
"That doesn’t necessarily mean he wins the race every year – but he has done for the last three seasons – or that the filly in question makes her debut in the race, but there's usually a future Group 1 winner for Ballydoyle in the contest."
On this year's contenders, Ingles added: "Minerva, the mount of Ryan Moore, certainly looks a likely candidate on paper to keep up the Group 1 record of her stable’s runners in this maiden. She’s a daughter of Frankel, also the sire of Lake Victoria and Ylang Ylang; she’s also out of a Showcasing mare, like Lake Victoria, and cost the same amount as Ylang Ylang as a yearling, 1.5m guineas.
"O’Brien had six fillies entered earlier in the week, with Composing, a daughter of Wootton Bassett and the mount of Wayne Lordan, being the one chosen to accompany Minerva. She too was held back by inexperience on her debut, which came over six furlongs at the Curragh last month but was well backed and shaped as though she’ll be suited by the extra furlong here after plugging on for fifth behind Balantina who has since finished third in last week’s Albany Stakes."
