So You Think to race with blinkers on in the Breeders’ Cup Classic
It has been decided by So You Think’s trainer, Aidan O’Brien, that he will use blinkers for the horse on 5th November at the Breeders’ Cup Classic as according to him the Australian horse has grown a little lazy and inattentive while racing lately.
His performance in the last three races has been quite sluggish and even the Irish Champion Stakes Group 1 that he won on 3rd September at Leopardstown was by putting ‘just enough’ effort in the end.
The five-year-old colt of High Chaparral has raced seven times during the season, winning at four occasions. The European Breeders Fund Mooresbridge Stakes Group 3 on 2nd May at Curragh which was followed by winning the Tattersalls Gold Cup Group
1 in the same month on 22nd at the Curragh again.
On 2nd July it was the Coral Eclipse Group 1 that he won at Sandown and right after that he won at Leopardstown. He won these four races in two different pairs, a third win after either could have made a hat trick possible.
Previously, when So You Think raced with blinkers on was the 2009 Cox Plate for his former trainer, Bart Cummings. The $5 million race on 5th November would be his first time racing with blinkers on ever since joining Aidan O’Brien. The trainer
told about the blinkers:
"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”.
According to the connections, So You Think has got lazy and has not even been able to lose a single kilo which means that he has become way too relaxed and this is impacting his performance. Being so lethargic on the track also demands additional effort
from the jockey so as to keep his ride alert and set at pace during the race.
When using blinkers, have been effective from the performance point of view for So You Think then this really is not the chance to forgo the opportunity and bring the beneficial factor in use. So You Think will be the only European contender for the Breeders’
Cup Classic on 5th November.
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