Aidan O'Brien on Auguste Rodin: 'For some reason his power disappeared, it was a very unusual run'

Aidan O'Brien could offer no immediate explanation for Auguste Rodin's "power disappearing" in the King George, but expects something to come to light in the coming days after the colt trailed in last of the ten runners.

Coolmore craved another Galileo, but Auguste Rodin was unable to do what the superstar sire achieved in his Classic campaign as his bid for the Derby-King George double never got going at all from his widest stall.

Despite being rock solid in the market beforehand, going off 9-4 favourite to supplement his Derby victories at Epsom and the Curragh, Ryan Moore was the first to send out distress signals as Auguste Rodin was being shoved along over half-a-mile from home. There was no response whatsoever and Moore was quick to accept defeat, bringing him home in his own time at the back of the pack. 

A baffled O'Brien, who was seeking his fifth victory in the race, said: "I think he's fine but I don’t know what happened there. In the next few days something might come to light. Ryan said he never fired up at all. He was pushing at halfway. It was a very unusual run.

Auguste Rodin is dismounted after his disappointing run in the King GeorgeCredit: Alan Crowhurst

"We were very happy with him before, he was doing everything great. There is obviously something and in the next few days, hopefully something will come to light. Ryan didn’t take any chance when he felt the power disappearing and for some reason the power did disappear."

It is the second time this season Auguste Rodin has run a shocker. He was sent off favourite for the 2,000 Guineas in May but beat only two of the 14 runners, finishing 22 lengths behind Chaldean. 

Soft ground on top of late travel rearrangements were blamed for that display, but the surface was officially described as good to soft at Ascot and was certainly a lot quicker than what he encountered at Newmarket. Auguste Rodin was pushed out to 20-1 (from 6) by Betfair and Paddy Power for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on the first day of October.

As expected, the two Ballydoyle pacesetters Bolshoi Ballet and Point Lonsdale dictated the tempo from the off with stablemate Luxembourg in their slipstream.

The Tattersalls Gold Cup winner got a charmed run up the inside on the home turn and briefly looked as though he would play a big role in the finish, but Seamie Heffernan's mount tired in the closing stages on only his second attempt at the trip and faded into fourth, beaten eight lengths.

Read these next:

'The best race I've ever ridden in' - heroic Hukum and Jim Crowley deny Westover in thrilling King George 

Jim Crowley's confidence and Hukum's brilliance - how the King George was won 

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