Aidan O’Brien’s leading three-year-old colt Luxembourg is set to return to the track this weekend in the Group Three Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh ahead of his big target the Irish Champion Stakes.
The three year old son of Derby winner Camelot was a superb juvenile winning all three of his events, rounding off the season by taking the Group One Vertem Futurity Stakes.
Set for the 2000 Guineas and Epsom Derby double this season, he made his seasonal return in the Guineas when finishing a good third behind Coroebus and Native Trail.
🔵 The boys in blue reign in the first British Classic of the season - a first 2000 Guineas for Charlie Appleby as Coroebus powers to glory @NewmarketRace for @the_doyler, leading home a 1-2 for @godolphin
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 30, 2022
🏇 Four races
🥇 Three wins
🏆 QIPCO 2000 Guineas
🏆 Autumn Stakes pic.twitter.com/acdMnepjmB
Suffering a setback he missed the Derby and has not been seen since the Newmarket Classic but is now set to return on Saturday in the Royal Whip Stakes.
“The plan at the moment is the Royal Whip,” said O’Brien.
“We’re just bringing him along gradually, but it has been so far so good.
“The Irish Champion Stakes was always in the back of our minds. We’re obviously taking it just one race at a time, but that was always the race we had an eye on.
“Hopefully it all goes well.”