Aidan O'Brien

Aidan O'Brien trainee Ballet Slippers (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the first foal produced by multiple Group 1-winning distaffer Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), shed maiden status at the third attempt in Friday's Wesco Anixter EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes at Ascot. She had previously encountered the 'TDN Rising Star' displays of Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Falling Snow (Ire) (Justify) in outings at the Curragh in July and August and, without anything of that calibre in opposition, justified 1-4 favouritism with a one-length defeat of Music Piece (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the...

Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O'Brien earned his 50th win (33.3%) by a juvenile this year with the tally of Monumental (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) at Gowran Park on Tuesday, according to Sporting Life. It was his 31st individual 2-year-old to secure at least one victory since the start of the season. His closest pursuer is trainer Karl Burke (41 wins, 21.5%). In previous years, O'Brien accrued 26 (2023), 40 (2022) and 21 (2021) juvenile wins. His individual winners' count during that same three-year period was 28 (2023), 24 (2022), and 18 (2021)....

City Of Troy (Justify), a winner of the G1 Derby, G1 Eclipse Stakes, and G1 International Stakes this spring and summer, is still on target for a Sept. 20 Southwell gallop, trainer Aidan O'Brien revealed during the Irish Champions Festival media event at Ballydoyle on Monday. The colt is aiming for a start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 2. O'Brien said, "He can go a mile, probably with four or five other horses and we'll go a good, strong pace and see what will...

Camelot (GB)'s Los Angeles (Ire) is likely to contest the G1 Irish Champion Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend alongside Aidan O'Brien stablemates August Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Luxemborg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), O'Brien revealed on Monday. The master of Ballydoyle also outlined plans for other runners from his stable for the mid-September meeting. Five-for-six in his young career, with a third in the G1 Derby followed by victories in the G1 Irish Derby and G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes in June and August, respectively, Los Angeles faces a tough ask...

Black Forza (Complexity), the 5-2 morning-line favorite for Sunday's $1 million National Thoroughbred League Juvenile Sprint Stakes at Kentucky Downs, had some new visitors Saturday morning at the barn area at Kentucky Downs. Jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle and owner Eleanora Kennedy were there to fetch a look at the colt, who has won two of his first three starts - the first two in Ireland and the third, the G2 Markel Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. Lauren Faulkner, assistant to trainer Michael O'Callaghan, has been with Black Forza since he got...

It was a familiar story at The Curragh on Saturday as Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore dominated the card's juvenile races with Ides Of March (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}--Nickname, by Scat Daddy) bringing up an afternoon treble for connections in the G3 Heider Family Stables Round Tower Stakes. Impressive over this six-furlong trip and track last month, the son of the GI Frizette Stakes heroine was able to ease to the front after the early stages and power clear from two out with impressive sectionals en route to a 3...

At present, there seems to be no limit to the collective achievements of Aidan O'Brien's 2-year-olds and in particular the fillies in that category and it was the Niarchos colour-bearer Dreamy (Ire) (American Pharoah--Tapestry {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) who provided further strength in depth in Saturday's G3 Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes at The Curragh. Off the mark on debut at the Goodwood Festival last month, the daughter of the G1 Yorkshire Oaks heroine was placed behind the leading pair early by Ryan Moore. Cajoled to the front a furlong...

Odds of 2-11 in The Curragh's opening maiden on Saturday said it all about the regard in which Acapulco Bay (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Je Ne Regretterien {GB}, by Galileo {Ire}) is held at Ballydoyle and the blueblood duly delivered while appearing to do the bare minimum to make it TDN Rising Star number 43 for his illustrious sire. Such an eye-catcher when closing from behind to be second to the stable's fellow TDN Rising Star Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) over seven furlongs here three weeks ago, the relative of Magic Wand...

City Of Troy (Justify) will head to Southwell for a racecourse gallop on September 20 as part of his build-up to the Breeders' Cup Classic. Winner of the Derby and Eclipse, City Of Troy stamped his authority at York last week when making all for victory in the Juddmonte International, smashing Sea The Stars's course-record time in the process. Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners have made no secret of their Classic ambitions, with City Of Troy appearing a perfect candidate for the headline event at Del Mar. The Ballydoyle...

For the last several years, Kentucky Downs has been the track that had almost everything. Big fields, huge purses and a betting handle that increases exponentially every year. But one thing has largely been missing--European shippers. Despite an all-turf meet, the purses and the fact that Kentucky Downs is much like a European turf course, the meet hadn't really registered with European horsemen. That has changed. According to Martin Panza, the co-director of racing at Kentucky Downs, which kicks off its annual seven-day meet Thursday, as many as 16 European-based...

There are seven basic plots in fiction - and around the same number in sport. One is the removal of doubt. In language that no actual person ever used, Fleet Street newspapers used to love a win that "silenced the knockers." Racing is not short of those narratives but is unique in attaching them to animals who can't give press conferences, offer excuses, or just say they had an off day. Hence the debate is free to rage around whether a horse such as City Of Troy is as good...

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. Sunday's Observations features the half-sister to an American multiple Grade I winner.  13.57 Naas, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, f, 5f 205yT DRAMATIC (Medaglia D'Oro) was a $1.5-million purchase by Coolmore at the 2022 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale and becomes the latest Aidan O'Brien juvenile to come out to play....