O'Brien keeps faith in JFK and River Aidan O'Brien feels it could be a blessing in disguise John F Kennedy and Ol' Man River have failed to fire so far this season. Although featuring prominently near the head of the ante-post markets for the 2000 Guineas and Derby, the pair have to date been a shadow of the horses they were last season. John F Kennedy finished last in both the Ballysax Stakes and the Dante, while Ol' Man River trailed home a well-beaten last in the 2000 Guineas before finishing a place ahead of his stablemate at York. O'Brien said: "Our Derby horses (Ol' Man River and John F Kennedy) were disappointing and went by the wayside for lots of different reasons and the horses weren't right January, February, March. "It is hard for them to then be right for the trials and then the Derby. For the likes of Giovanni Canaletto, the Derby came too quick, obviously there was something wrong with John F Kennedy and he will have a break now and he might come back. "Ol' Man River, there was something amiss with him, and we have given him a break and he is running here later in the week. "If they don't get it together for the rest of the year they might stay in training next year, which would be a big advantage to us as we haven't had any four-year-olds in training this year. "It is a lot of strain on the three-year-olds when you don't have any four-year-olds. "I wouldn't write them off yet, they just didn't get it together in time for the Derby. I wouldn't say all is lost yet. "I'd love to have them next year and it might be a blessing in disguise for me as I might get to have them at four."
