He cost 2.4million guineas as a yearling and is one of the most eye-catching horses you would ever see, so of course we’re going to do a story when he wins a G2!
Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore combined to win the Group II Minstrel Stakes (7f) at the Curragh with expensive Frankel stallion Diego Velazquez.
A Group II winner at two and three, Diego Velazquez had his first run back this year at Royal Ascot when unplaced behind Docklands in the Group I Queen Anne Stakes, but there were excuses that day as Aidan O’Brien later revealed.
Dropped back in trip and class for this assignment, Diego Velazquez got back into the winning groove to score by a neck as favourite taking his overall record to five wins from 10 starts.
“He is a lovely horse, a mile is probably his trip. We were preparing him for Ascot and we had him in the stalls at Leopardstown and he got upset and needed to be withdrawn. That messed up his Ascot plan and then over there I didn't have the confidence to tell Ryan to ride him as forward I would have liked because he hadn't had any run,” said Aidan O’Brien.
“Then in the race they walked for the first half of the race so it was a non-event really. It was just a day at the races, so we knew he would come forward a lot from then to today.”
Diego Velazquez will get the chance to add a G1 to his CV later in the year.
“As a physical specimen he is a tank. He has unbelievable power throughout his body. We will go back up to a mile with him now,” O’Brien added.
“We needed to get back on the road again after what happened at Ascot and Leopardstown. He would be possible for the Sussex (G1) and the Jaques le Marois (G1) all those types of races.”
Diego Velazquez was purchased by MV Magnier and White Birch Farm for 2.4million guineas from the Croom House Stud draft at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Yearling Sale where he was the second highest priced horse of the sale.
He is a three-quarter brother to Group I winner Broome and Group II winner Point Lonsdale (who are both by Galileo stallion Australia) and is the third stakes-winner from top producing Acclamation stakes-winner Sweepstake, who has left seven winners from 11 to race.
