Aidan O'Brien

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features the first foal out of a Breeders' Cup winner. 13.30 Curragh, Group 3, €55,000, 2yo, f, 8fT GISELLE (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) returns to the scene of her maiden win earlier in the month, having finished second to stablemate Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) at Leopardstown in...

Saturday's card at Leopardstown offered many clues to the 2025 Classics and it may have saved the best until last as Ballydoyle's Twain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}--Wading {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}) became his sire's 10th TDN Rising Star in the closing seven-furlong maiden. Sent straight to the front by Mark Crehan, the son of the G2 Rockfel Stakes winner stayed on the rail as all others opted to race wide and surrender ground for a better racing surface. Turning for home with a sizeable advantage, the 28-1 shot kept galloping...

The 2-year-old fillies have been a step or two ahead of the colts all season and further evidence that we are dealing either with a substandard crop of colts or above-average crop of fillies was seen at Leopardstown on Saturday when the battle-hardened Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Heartache {GB}, by Kyllachy {GB}) dominated the G3 Killavullan Stakes. Sent off the 11-10 favourite for the seven-furlong contest, Ballydoyle's G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac third was sent straight to the front by Wayne Lordan and powered clear in the...

Coolmore's 2023 Goffs Orby Book 1 sale topper Minnie Hauk (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Multilingual {GB}, by Dansili {GB}), a €1.85-million purchase, followed up a debut second at Cork earlier this month with a breakthrough score in Saturday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over one mile at Leopardstown. 1st-Leopardstown, €18,000, Mdn, 10-19, 2yo, 8fT, 1:47.10, sf. MINNIE HAUK (IRE) (f, 2, Frankel {GB}--Multilingual {GB}, by Dansili {GB}), the Goffs Orby Book 1 sale topper when knocked down for €1.85-million last year who registered a debut second at Cork earlier this month,...

Two weeks on from completing a facsimile of his banner 2022 season by notching a second victory in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix du Cadran, Europe's dominant stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) added lustre to a perfect 2024 campaign with a decisive success in Saturday's G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot. Ballydoyle's star went postward as the 8-11 favourite to gain compensation for a neck defeat in this two-mile contest last year and stalked pacesetting stablemate The Euphrates (GB) (Frankel {GB}) until turning for home....

All season we seem to have been marvelling at 'another brilliant ride by Ryan Moore.' But the man himself chuckles at the idea that this has been a special year for him. "I suppose looking back there've been good days, but you only remember the last day," he says. "We didn't win the Arc - so it doesn't feel satisfying at the moment." As he says it, he really is laughing at how a recent disappointment can obscure the glories. This is life in the super-elite of world sport, where...

Donnacha O'Brien is looking forward to taking on the boys with Porta Fortuna (Ire) when she bids for her fourth top-level victory of the campaign in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar on Saturday, November 2. The daughter of Caravaggio has been on a roll since returning to action this season with a narrow defeat to Elmalka (GB) in the 1,000 Guineas, subsequently reeling off a Group 1 hat-trick in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket and Matron Stakes at Leopardstown. All roads now lead...

Ballydoyle's Bounty (Ire) (No Nay Never--Rosdhu Queen {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) had little to beat in the six-furlong maiden at Naas on Sunday and made no mistake to open his account in style. Runner-up on debut in a Curragh maiden last month, the son of the 2012 G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine was contained on the front end throughout the early stages by Wayne Lordan and went through the race untroubled en route to a bloodless 4 1/2-length success from Iceford (Ire) (Beckford {GB}) as the 2-9 favourite. The...

Making amends for his debut flop, Ballydoyle's 2million gns Tattersalls October Book 1 topper Galveston (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Bizzarria {GB}, by Lemon Drop Kid) led at every step to break his maiden at Naas on Saturday. Sent off at 100-30 for the mile contest, he was sent on by Gavin Ryan and stayed on dourly up the straight to record a half-length success from Local Lad (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}). "He's a big, strong colt and was very good from the gates today to put himself into a good position...

Paying further tribute to his much-missed dam Tepin (Bernstein), Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) showed he had inherited her battling qualities as well as her class to capture the G3 Emirates Autumn Stakes at Newmarket. Runner-up over this mile trip in Leopardstown's G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes last month, the 15-8 favourite travelled with greater zest than on his previous three starts tracking the pace before being committed by Ryan Moore two out. Challenged by the Ralph Beckett-trained Stanhope Gardens (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) from there, the market-leader was...

City Of Troy, arguably the most talked-about horse in training, will retire to Coolmore Stud in Ireland after his date with destiny in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on November 2.  The highest-rated son of Justify, City Of Troy produced one of the most impressive Derby-winning performances in recent times and followed up on his Epsom heroics with victory in the Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International. Aidan O'Brien's star will not race beyond his three-year-old campaign and, in a statement issued by Coolmore on Saturday, the trainer commented, "He's...

Saturday's G1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes favourite The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) has been ruled out of the seven-furlong feature by Aidan O'Brien after suffering a bruised foot. Ryan Moore will now take the ride on the Curragh maiden winner Expanded (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), with Godolphin's G1 Middle Park Stakes winner Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) now favourite with the British bookmakers.