Donnacha O’Brien confident Happy Pharoah can shine in Irish Cesarewitch

Donnacha O’Brien is confident Happy Pharoah can leave connections smiling when he tackles the Friends Of The Curragh Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh on Sunday.

The son of American Pharoah may have took four outings to get off the mark but has progressed at a rate of knots since, winning three of his last four, with the only defeat in that period coming when upped to Listed level to finish second in the Vinnie Roe Stakes.

“He’s been a very progressive horse this year and the further we’ve gone up in trip with him the better he seems to be performing,” said O’Brien.

“It’s a great pot and it looked like he was unlikely to get in until the winner’s penalty from Leopardstown got him in so we think we might just have him in there at the right level.

“He will have to improve again, but he’s an unexposed three-year-old with not much weight on his back and he seems to be going the right way so I hope he goes there with a big chance.”

All of Happy Pharoah’s success has come at Leopardstown, but his handler is confident he can prove just as adept among a big field in competitive fare in Kildare, as he looks ahead to even bigger assignments next term.

O’Brien continued: “He’s a very big, tall horse and he’s taken a while to fill out into his frame. He’s one of those horses who could turn out to be a really smart stayer next year.

“The Cesarewitch is such a tough race against experienced handicappers in such a big field but he’s such a big, strong colt who should be able to hold his own in a big field and I’d be hoping he will turn into a stakes horse in time.”

Donnacha’s brother Joseph O’Brien saddles seven in opposition to Happy Pharoah, including Aeronautic who was third to the colt in the Irish capital last time. Others from the Owning hill handler include Ascot Stakes runner-up Nurburgring, Clonmel winner Shoda and the hat-trick seeking Small Fry.

There is also plenty of big names from the jumps fraternity amongst the full field of 30 with Henry de Bromhead’s Royal Ascot winner and Ebor second Ascending aiming to continue his brilliant season, while Willie Mullins saddles six.

Gavin Cromwell’s Cheltenham Festival runner-up Sixandahalf is only 4lb higher than when third in this last season, with Emmet Mullins’ Filey Bay arriving after a commanding win at Galway in the summer.