English Woman's Journal - O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend

Kyprios coasted to a second Prix du Cadran success -- on the first day of the meeting that climaxes with Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe -- just a month after winning the Irish St Leger.

Add a second Ascot Gold Cup in June and it is a remarkable comeback from a horse that suffered a life threatening injury last year.

The 1-5 favourite's success was just one in an extraordinary day for O'Brien, who trained four winners including Grateful in the other Group One Prix de Royallieu.

"It is crazy, it is unthinkable," said O'Brien of his quadruple success whilst Grateful's jockey Christophe Soumillon labelled the unassuming Irishman as "the greatest trainer in the world".

But for O'Brien it was Kyprios who was the star of the show.

Little wonder that having eclipsed other stable stars such as four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats and the Alex Ferguson-owned Rock of Gibraltar -- who both won seven Group One contests -- O'Brien eulogised about Kyprios.

“He's an incredible horse, the horse of a lifetime really," said O'Brien, who bids for a third Arc with a two-pronged attack of Los Angeles and Continuous.

"Yeah, we knew that we never had a horse to win eight Group 1s before.

"What can I say? He's just so unusual. And I promise you, he's lucky to be here. We didn't think he would be, but he's great."

- 'On his knees' -

In such fine fettle Kyprios might have another date on his dance card before the season is out said O'Brien.

"If everything is well with him we might have a look at going back to Ascot (for the British Champions Long Distance Cup in a fortnight)," he said.

"Then we will give him the winter off and go back for the Gold Cup next year with his two prep runs before it again."

O'Brien, who turns 55 on October 16, said Kyprios was a rare bird in that he is a horse for all courses and distances.

Indeed O'Brien had toyed at one point in running him in the Arc.

"He is very unique," he said.

"When you have a horse like that, the class that he has and gets the trips that he gets, it's very unusual.

"His mind hasn't just developed, he's always had that.

"From the time he was a two-year-old, that's the way he was.

"I remember we ran him in the listed race in Newmarket as a two-year-old and he just went asleep in the race."

O'Brien, who brought himself up short in his endearing habit of thanking everybody by saying "I started naming everyone", said he had resisted the Arc option because he might give too much in a losing cause.

"He would probably try so hard, like he would go down on his knees for you," said O'Brien.

"That's the way he is. And it might be the wrong thing.

"Hopefully, we'll have him for next year for the Gold Cup.

"We just have to be very respectful of him all the time, really.

"He's a superstar."

M.Stevenson--EWJ