Joseph O’Brien planning lucrative Australian raid with team headed by Baron Samedi

As Joseph O’Brien’s Cheltenham team takes shape the trainer’s flat focus is already stretching to Australia with a likely five-strong raid planned on Sydney’s lucrative upcoming autumn schedule.

The stalwart stayer Baron Samedi is set to lead the handful of O’Brien raiders down under and they will ultimately be targeted at the prestigious ‘Championships’ series at Royal Randwick at the start of April.

O’Brien has memorably made his mark on Australian racing through a pair of Melbourne Cup victories through Rekindling (2017) and Twilight Payment in 2020.

He has also struck in the country’s top all-aged conditions event, the Cox Plate, through State Of Rest in 2021.

Gerry Thornley: Danger of mental scarring for Leinster following latest gut-wrenching final defeat

---

Grayson Murray’s sad passing casts a pall over the PGA Tour

---

Michael Murphy: Convoy pictures frame Donegal’s growing belief in the message

---

Owen Doyle: Extra-time yellow card for James Lowe was a huge call – and a harsh one

---

As well as Baron Samedi, whose ultimate target is the $2 million Sydney Cup, O’Brien is sending Cleveland, the Irish Leger Trial winner Raise You, as well Temple Of Artemis, and the Concorde Stakes winner Statement.

The latter could appear in the $600,000 Group One Coolmore Classic in just over a fortnight. The Tancred Stakes on March 25th is a possible first-option for Cleveland who was runner-up in the Ballyroan Stakes last season.

O’Brien’s leading contenders for Cheltenham are topped by Home By The Lee in the Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle and Banbridge in the Turners Chase.

He struck at Grade Two level in Kempton on Saturday when Nusret landed the Adonis Hurdle although it is not certain the horse will line up in either the Triumph or the Boodles at Cheltenham.

“Daryl [Jacob] thinks he is better going right-handed but there aren’t many options right-handed before Punchestown. He will have the option of going to Cheltenham and there will be options at Aintree as well.

“We will see how he comes out of it and sit down and work out where to go. I suppose the Boodles is an option but we will see how he comes out of it and what the guys [owners] want to do,” O’Brien reported.

Nusret’s victory appeared to underline likely Irish dominance for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham having finished well behind the ante-post favourite Lossiemouth earlier this season.

Comfort Zone is more likely to be O’Brien’s Triumph contender and the trainer added: “We were hopeful he [Nusret] would run like that as that is why we went there.

“We had a form line through Scriptwriter [who was beaten by Comfort Zone at Cheltenham] and we thought he was the one to beat, but we thought our horse would at least be competitive with him.”