By Sean Cronin
Aidan O'Brien has targetted the Curragh's G3 GAIN Marble Hill Stakes as a tried-and-trusted stepping stone to next month's G2 Coventry Stakes and put forward his strongest contender, TDN Rising Star Albert Einstein (Wootton Bassett), who overcame traffic problems with a set of impressive gears in the six-furlong contest.
The January-foaled Coolmore homebred went postward as the prohibitively priced 4-11 favourite and raced a shade keenly in a handy fifth through the early stages. Tanking forward into third passing halfway, he was forced to switch around the unyielding leading duo approaching the final furlong and went through an impressive set of gears in the closing stages to win going away, by 3/4-of-a-length and the same, from Power Blue (Space Blues) and the hitherto undefeated Andab (Saxon Warrior).
“He's very quick and we always thought he was really good, but since his first run he's got so quick,” revealed O'Brien. “Ryan [Moore] felt they were only hacking and I don't think you could go fast enough in front of him. Ryan taught him a lot, he waited and got him to relax the best he could and when he came out he said he took a minute to engage. He's a very fast horse, he's been very special in everything he's done and he's a very big horse. Ryan rode him in the spring, he started learning very quickly and he's very exciting. The plan was to come here and go to the Coventry and, hopefully, we'll be able to keep him going the right way. If everything goes well, I think that's what the lads will do. They'll decide all those things the week before [Royal] Ascot.”
Moore added, “He is obviously a very talented horse. He is a very strong colt with a big engine and he's a fast horse. Hopefully he'll learn a bit from today. It was nice to get a lead and teach him and let him think about it a bit more. I was happy with everything he did.”
Still unbeaten 💪
Home-bred Albert Einstein (Wootton Bassett) gains Group Three success in the @GAINEquine Marble Hill Stakes for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore 💥@coolmorestud | @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/Yh8Ve9SLFR
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 25, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Albert Einstein, who becomes the 42nd pattern-race winner for his sire, is the first foal produced by G2 Balanchine Stakes second Yet (War Front), herself a half-sister to G3 Ballylinch Stud 2000 Guineas Trial third Carracci (Quality Road) out of the dual Group 3-placed Butterflies (Galileo). Butterflies is one of eight stakes performers produced by dual Grade II and multiple Grade III-winning matriarch Mariah's Storm (Rahy), headed by multiple Group 1-winning sire Giant's Causeway (Storm Cat). Descendants of Mariah's Storm also include elite-level winners Gleneagles (Galileo), Happily (Galileo), Marvellous (Galileo), Joan Of Arc (Galileo), Decorated Knight (Galileo) and Above The Curve (American Pharoah). Yet was bred to Justify last year.
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
GAIN MARBLE HILL STAKES-G3, €60,000, Curragh, 5-25, 2yo, 6fT, 1:11.08, gd.
1–ALBERT EINSTEIN (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Yet (GSP-Ire), by War Front
2nd Dam: Butterflies (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
3rd Dam: Mariah's Storm, by Rahy
TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €36,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $53,072. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Power Blue (Ire), 131, c, 2, Space Blues (Ire)–Visions (Ire), by Worthadd (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€30,000 Wlg '23 GOFNOF; £44,000 Ylg '24 GOFFUK). O-LNA Racing Syndicate; B-Finanza Locale Consulting (IRE); T-Adrian Murray. €12,000.
3–Andab (Ire), 131, c, 2, Saxon Warrior (Jpn)–Tickled Pink (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (290,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT). O-Al Shaqab Racing & Trevor C Stewart; B-Trevor C Stewart (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €6,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3/4, 7HF. Odds: 0.36, 11.00, 3.00.
Also Ran: First Approach (Ire), She's Too Kool (Ire), Miami Destination (Ire). Scratched: Stonezilian (Ire).
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