'We didn't want to rush him back' - Little Big Bear to miss rest of the season

Superstar juvenile Little Big Bear will not run again this season in order to give him time to fully recover from a foot injury, his trainer Aidan O'Brien has said.

O'Brien was considering a return in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on October 8, but told the Racing Post on Tuesday that he did not want to rush back the brilliant Phoenix Stakes winner.

Little Big Bear kicked a wall before his Curragh romp and the clip of his shoe went into his hind foot, an incident that made his stunning seven-length success all the more remarkable after being passed fit to race.

The injury ruled the son of No Nay Never out of the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend, and on Tuesday Ireland's highest-rated juvenile colt was not among the entries for the Dewhurst.

O'Brien said: "Everything is fine and we just wanted to leave him for this year.

"He's perfect, there's not a bother on him, we just didn't want to be rushing him back. We had to give him plenty of time to get over it. We felt hurrying him for the Dewhurst wasn't the right thing to do.

"Everything is perfect with him and we felt giving him more time was the right option."

Bookmakers reacted by easing Little Big Bear out to a top-priced 6-1 (from 9-2) for the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket next spring.

His star juvenile may have been missing, but O'Brien was not short of success in the two-year-old department on Irish Champions Weekend, as Auguste Rodin ran out a smart winner of the Group 2 KPMG Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.

Auguste Rodin and Ryan Moore land the KPMG Juvenile StakesCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Aesop's Fables filled the role as Ballydoyle's leading candidate in Sunday's National Stakes, but he could only manage fourth, three lengths behind son Joseph's Al Riffa.

O'Brien said: "We were delighted with Auguste Rodin. It was a polished performance and the Dewhurst is a possibility.

"The ground may have gotten the better of Aesop's Fables. We maybe could've been a bit more patient with him, but he seems to have come out of it well and we'll see how he is over the next few days."

Little Big Bear's absence was not felt for long at the Curragh on Sunday, as another potential superstar emerged in the form of Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Tahiyra.

A half-sister to Breeders’ Cup winner Tarnawa, the Dermot Weld-trained filly showed considerable promise with a comfortable maiden success at Galway in July, and she built on that when producing an outstanding performance to run out a two-and-a-quarter-length scorer from Meditate.

Tahiyra and Chris Hayes win the Moyglare Stud StakesCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

That success saw her cut to 4-1 favourite for next season's 1,000 Guineas, and jockey Chris Hayes is excited about what she can do.

Hayes said: "Now that the dust has settled you can appreciate it. It was phenomenal really what she did. The ease in which she has done it and the manner in which she put a high-quality filly like Meditate to the sword, she just brushed her aside. It was brilliant.

"Without a shadow of a doubt she's the best juvenile I've ever ridden. I've often thought we've had good two-year-olds, but you go to the races and get put in your place, that's why there wasn't much talk of her from my side anyways. I was hopeful she was going to show us what she does at home."

Weld said post race that it would be the spring before we see the daughter of Siyouni again, and Hayes says it'll make the next few months easier to get through knowing that she'll be waiting to go.

He added: "If she can do that at two, and the Aga Khan pedigrees only get better as they get older, it'll keep you warm during the winter anyway.

"I presume she'll be trained as a Guineas filly. You'd be hoping she'll fill into that frame. She's not overly big, but neither was Tarnawa, so if she grows a little bit and fills out, she's very exciting."

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