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O'Brien takes blinkered approach

Image: So You Think will wear blinkers on Saturday night

The latest reports from Aidan O'Brien on Ballydoyle's Breeders' Cup team included the surprise news that So You Think would wear blinkers in the Classic.

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Aidan O'Brien is hoping the application of blinkers will make So You Think "more attentive" in Saturday night's Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. The former Aussie superstar takes on Stateside superstar Uncle Mo among others in the bid to give Ballydoyle their first victory in the big race. And O'Brien said of the decision to fit blinkers in Kentucky: "He wore them at home and Joseph felt he was more attentive in them and so did Seamie (Heffernan) when he rode him in work. "For the first time in the Irish Champion we just felt he was a little lazy in front and he wore blinkers in Australia but the tempo of the races over in Europe meant he hadn't had to wear them before." O'Brien also revealed that So You Think didn't lose any weight when finishing a close second behind French star Cirrus Des Aigles in Ascot's Champion Stakes last month.

Dirty Work

And the trainer believes his charge will be at home on the surface on Saturday night, adding: "He worked on dirt in Australia when with Bart (Cummings) and is a big, strong, high-cruising horse who we think will be suited to the race." Many believed Saturday night would be So You Think's swansong before heading off to stud, but O'Brien revealed he's hopeful the horse will remain in training in 2012. "Hopefully he will (stay in training), the lads have suggested he might and we're only just really getting to know him and are still finding things out." The master of Ballydoyle runs both Await The Dawn and St Nicholas Abbey in the Turf and appears to be cautiously optimistic about this talented pair. He said: "Our dream for Await The Dawn was the Classic but after he was so ill after York we've decided to go for this race. It isn't such a severe test and hopefully he'll run well and we can build again.
Improving All The Time
"We think St Nicholas Abbey is improving all the time. He missed his three-year-old season out so we hope it will continue." Middle Park hero Crusade represents O'Brien in the Juvenile on Saturday night, and the trainer believes he has similarities to Johannesburg - a brilliant winner of the race at Belmont in 2001. He said: "His profile is similar to Johannesburg in that's he dirt bred and has plenty of pace. I wouldn't be sure he'd stay a mile in Europe but we said the same about Johannesburg."

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