Bobby Frankel set a record of 25 Group/Grade 1 wins in a season in 2003 and this weekend could see Aidan O'Brien close in on that record haul. O'Brien trained his 20th top level flat winner in 2015 when Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won the G1 Dubai Dewhurst S. at Newmarket last week and with four Group 1s up for grabs at Ascot on Saturday not to mention the Caulfield Cup in Australia and the Canadian International at Woodbine on Sunday, the Ballydoyle trainer could theoretically even break the record. The biggest problem O'Brien seems to have is splitting up his runners such is the arsenal at his disposal. Some races are more straightforward than others. Sir Isaac Newton (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) are his only representatives for their Australian and Canadian challenge on Saturday and Sunday respectively. It's a bit more complicated with the fillies. O'Brien has the Galileo daughters Minding (Ire), Alice Springs (Ire), Found (Ire) and Seventh Heaven (Ire) all slated for action at Ascot on Saturday. Maximizing each filly's chance while also giving the team its best chance of Group 1 success is a tricky balancing act, made somewhat easier when they all share the same ownership. “The lads are going to talk about it, probably on Wednesday, and will decide what to do then. Found has two options and Minding has three. It looks like the ground is going to be nice and we'll see what they decide,” reported the trainer. Alice Springs has had a busy season running eight times so far and O'Brien's skill as a trainer is clear when the 3-year-old's last two runs have been career bests. “It's possible Alice Springs could go to the Breeders' Cup, but a lot is going to depend on where Minding is going to go,” added O'Brien. With six runs under belt this season compared to eight for both Found and Alice Springs, Minding is relatively fresh and she appears to be the key horse among the quartet. “Whenever we know what way the lads are going to go with Minding then the others will slot into different other places,” summed up the master of Ballydoyle.
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