Little Big Bear Crowned European Champion Juvenile

Little Big Bear (Ire) has been named Europe's champion juvenile for 2022 and becomes the 12th European champion 2-year-old to have been trained by Aidan O'Brien.

The son of No Nay Never, who was bred by Camas Park Stud and Summerhill, achieved his top rating of 124 for his seven-length rout in the G1 Keeenland Phoenix S. at the Curragh. The victory was the culmination of four straight wins in five starts, including the Listed Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot and the G3 Anglesey S.

“We always thought from day one he was very good and we were very surprised the first day that he got beat, but with 2-year-olds that can happen,” said O'Brien, who noted that the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas is the aim for Little Big Bear.

“He always showed plenty of speed, but when he stepped up to six furlongs he did really improve and I remember Ryan saying he'd get seven on his ear after the Phoenix S.

“He's by No Nay Never, who is a big influence on speed, but there's a good chance that a mile could be within his compass this year. We're looking forward to seeing what he can do.”

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) handicapper Mark Bird added of the champion juvenile, “His dominant performances in taking the G3 Anglesey S. and the G1 Phoenix S. propelled him clear of his rivals in the race to be Europe's top 2-year-old from an early stage of the season and whetted the appetite for what promises to be an exciting 3-year-old career.”

Three of the top five colts in the ratings were trained at Ballydoyle by O'Brien. Blackbeard (Ire), another son of No Nay Never who won the G1 Darley Prix Morny and G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S., was ranked five points below his stablemate and equal with Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in joint-second on 119. The latter, trained by Andrew Balding for Juddmonte and bred by Whitsbury Manor Stud, was the highest-rated juvenile trained in Britain. Blackbeard retired to Coolmore Stud at the end of last season and was the subject of plenty of interest during last weekend's Irish Stallion Trail.

Juddmonte's racing manager Barry Mahon confirmed that Frankie Dettori, who has announced that he will retire at the end of this season, will keep the ride on G1 Darley Dewhurst S. winner Chaldean.

“I spoke with Andrew last week about it and he was of the same mind that Frankie seemed to click well with the horse and in their two starts they built up a good rapport, so we definitely wouldn't look to be changing anything there unless Frankie has a commitment anywhere else,” Mahon said.

“Frankie has been a phenomenal jockey for so many years. He's been phenomenal for the sport and is loved and adored all around the world.

“We're very much looking forward to the next 12 months. Hopefully we'll be able to retain his services plenty as we've a few nice horses with the Gosdens and elsewhere, and Frankie is always top of our list when he's available.”

Along with Chaldean, the Juddmonte operation also has homebred and 113-rated Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}) as a potential Guineas contender this year.

“In an ideal world I suppose we would like to keep them apart, with possibly one running in the English Guineas and the other going to France or Ireland,” Mahon added.

“But there's a lot of work to be done yet and if something had a little setback along the way it would be nice to have a replacement to fill in for the English 2000 Guineas. I think we'll aim for both of them to head towards Newmarket for the time being and get a bit closer and sit down with the Abdullah family and see what they'd like to do.”

Ballydoyle's leading Derby hope, Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), was assessed with a ranking of 118 for his victory in the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy, a mark which puts him level with the G2 Qatar Richmond S. winner and Dewhurst runner-up Royal Scotsman (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and the leading 2-year-old filly of 2022, the Aga Khan's Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}).

O'Brien added, “We think Auguste Rodin is a very good horse. We were nearly not running him in the Vertem Futurity as he's a lovely, big, slick horse and we were worried about the ground.

“He's a very good mover with a good mind, we always thought he'd be a better horse at three and we think he'll get middle distances, so the plan with him is he'll probably start in the Guineas and see where we go from there.”

Of the exciting Tahiyra, Bird added, “She set off impressively in the illustrious hoofprints of her half-sister and Breeders' Cup heroine Tarnawa, when winning at Group 1 level on just her second start.”

Tahiyra is the first European champion 2-year-old filly for her trainer Dermot Weld and the latest for her owner-breeder the Aga Khan following the great Zarkava (Fr) in 2007.

Adding to O'Brien's impressive roll call of 2-year-olds in 2022 was the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road (Ire), a breakthrough winner at the highest level for his young sire Saxon Warrior (Jpn), who also made the top 10 on a mark of 115. His stablemate and fellow Breeders' Cup winner Meditate (Ire), yet another top juvenile by No Nay Never, was awarded 114.

“It was only when we stepped Victoria Road up in trip that we started to get the best out of him,” O'Brien commented. “He could be a French Guineas or French Derby-type horse.”

Charlie Appleby and Godolphin were responsible for two of the leading colts, with the G2 Gimcrack S. winner Noble Style (GB) (Kingman {GB}) awarded 117 and Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who was beaten a nose by Victoria Road in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, on 115.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Commissioning (GB) (Kingman {GB}), owned and bred by Isa Salman and Abdulla Al Khalifa, was the second-highest-ranked filly in Europe on a mark of 115. Unbeaten in her three starts last year, including the G1 Fillies' Mile and G2 Rockfel S., she was rated highest of all juvenile fillies trained in Britain.