"Honestly, I feel the blips were my fault," O'Brien said. "The instructions were wrong, and it was time to start getting it right."
The blips in question were a complete no-show in the King George here last year and another in the Sheema Classic in Dubai three months ago, and since this was the sixth Group One win of Auguste Rodin's career and a staggering 400th at the highest level for O'Brien - it could be argued that, for the most part at least, he had been getting it right already.
But the 2023 Derby winner had started to acquire a reputation as an all-or-nothing performer, first or nowhere, and if O'Brien and Ryan Moore have indeed found the key to keeping Auguste Rodin interested then there will surely be more Group One wins on his record when the season draws to a close.
This story is from the June 20, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the June 20, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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