Aidan O'Brien

Whistlejacket a Portrait of Calm on a Perfect Day 

DEAUVILLE, France -- While nothing will ever top Derby day as the day in the racing calendar not to be missed, a close second is Prix Morny day in Deauville. Or in fact any racing day in Deauville.  Those mizzly days of autumn with almost nobody there are special in their own aloof way, but Morny day - or Sumbe Prix Morny day to give it its full title - is one that offers something for everyone, whether purist or holidaymaker, in sharp suits or shorts. Probably no course in...

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Whistlejacket
No Nay Never's Whistlejacket Wins The Prix Morny

He's been a bit hit-and-miss so far in his brief career, but Ballydoyle's Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never--Adventure Seeker {Fr}, by Bering {GB}) was in front where it mattered to master his peers in Sunday's stallion-making G1 Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville. Breaking fast to get the stands' rail, the 27-10 favourite was able to force the pace without the kind of pressure he had endured during last Sunday's G1 Phoenix Stakes. The G2 July Stakes winner kept finding for Ryan Moore to get to the line 3/4 of a...

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Ballydoyle's Grosvenor Square Sensational In The Leger Trial

Stamping his authority on Saturday's G3 Irish St Leger Trial Stakes, Grosvenor Square (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Wadyhatta {GB}, by Cape Cross {Ire}) added serious ballast to Ballydoyle's Doncaster Classic team with a scintillating 20-length romp. Out on his own from the outset, the 1-2 favourite, who had been overhauled in dramatic fashion late on by his top-class stablemate Tower Of London (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G2 Curragh Cup over this 14-furlong trip last month, gave Ryan Moore an armchair ride as he came home on his own with the yawning...

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Heart's Cry's Continuous Back To Winning Ways At The Curragh

Getting back on the winning trail in the G3 Royal Whip Stakes at The Curragh on Saturday, Ballydoyle's G1 St Leger hero Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}--Fluff {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) served notice that he is ready for some serious autumn action with options open. Badly needing his reintroduction when fifth in a strong renewal of Royal Ascot's G2 Hardwicke Stakes in June, the 4-7 favourite shadowed the leader Trustyourinstinct (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) before edging ahead three out and forging a workmanlike half-length success under Ryan Moore in a fast...

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Deauville's Sunday Group 1 Fields Finalised, Mqse De Sevigne and Whistlejacket Declared

Baron Edouard de Rothschild's four-time Group 1 winner Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), who successfully defended her G1 Prix Rothschild title at Deauville last month, will return to the Normandy venue in an attempt to register back-to-back victories in Sunday's G1 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet. She will encounter four rivals after all five overnight contenders stood their ground for the €250,000 10-furlong contest. Opposition includes 'TDN Rising Star' Left Sea (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who was supplemented at a cost of €18,000, and the enigmatic Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill...

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Los Angeles Supplemented To The Great Voltigeur

Irish Classic hero Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) has been supplemented to Wednesday's G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York on Aug. 21. The Coolmore partners' runner and Aidan O'Brien trainee was undefeated in two starts at two, including the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud. First up at three, the bay won the G3 Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown in May, before a solid third to stablemate City Of Troy (Justify) in the G1 Derby at Epsom on June 1. He was last seen prevailing in the G1 Irish Derby on June...

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Into Mischief's $1.8M Keeneland September Graduate Bernard Shaw Breaks Through at Dundalk

Aidan O'Brien trainee Bernard Shaw (Into Mischief--Princess Haya, by Street Cry {Ire}), a $550,000 Keeneland November foal turned $1.8-million Keeneland September yearling, backed up a June 29 debut fourth at the Curragh with a breakthrough score in Thursday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Dundalk.   🤌 Lovely $1.8 million buy Bernard Shaw (Into Mischief) opens his account at the second time of asking in fine style at @DundalkStadium pic.twitter.com/wj4HmLU7O0 — Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 15, 2024 4th-Dundalk, €18,000, Mdn, 8-15, 2yo, 8f (AWT), 1:39.27, st. BERNARD SHAW (c, 2,...

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TDN Rising Star Lake Victoria Makes All in Newmarket's Sweet Solera, 100th Group Winner for Frankel

Aidan O'Brien trainee Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Quiet Reflection {GB}, by Showcasing {GB}) attained 'TDN Rising Star' status with a narrow victory in her June 28 debut tackling seven furlongs at the Curragh and doubled up in style with a pillar-to-post victory in Saturday's G3 JenningsBet Sweet Solera Stakes over the same trip at Newmarket. The Sean Levey-ridden filly broke smartly and was a shade keen on the front end through the early strides of this black-type bow. Settling into a comfortable rhythm by halfway, the 11-8 favourite was held...

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Dubawi's Son Of Tepin A New TDN Rising Star

   Like many Ballydoyle juveniles, Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Tepin, by Bernstein) is very much a work in progress but everybody had a glimpse of what was to come in The Curragh's opener on Saturday as the son of the US legend overcame adversity to win his maiden with comfort. In doing so, the heavily-supported 2-5 favourite was become the stable's latest TDN Rising Star and his sire's 42nd in that category. Showing distinct promise when second on his Leopardstown debut last month, the half-brother to the yard's G3 Stanerra Stakes-winning...

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Kingman's January Impresses In The Churchill

Coming into Friday's Listed Coolmore Stud Churchill Stakes at Tipperary on the back of a third in The Curragh's G2 Airlie Stud Stakes, Ballydoyle's January (Ire) (Kingman {GB}--I Can Fly {GB}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) made her class tell with an impressive four-length success to further enhance the power of Aidan O'Brien's extraordinary swathe of 2-year-old fillies in 2024. Always travelling comfortably tracking the leading pair, the 1-2 favourite was set alight by Ryan Moore passing two out and surged clear of Beckman (Ire) (Beckford {GB}) for a decisive black-type...

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Lord Kanaloa's Daughter Of Magic Wand Impresses At Tipperary, New TDN Rising Star

Building on her debut third at Leopardstown last month, Ballydoyle's Ecstatic (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}--Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) made experience count with an impressive win to become the stable's latest TDN Rising Star in Friday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Tipperary. Positioned on the tail of the leader early by Ryan Moore, the 2-1 second favourite was sent to the front passing two out and powered clear for an emphatic 3 1/4-length success from Lush Lips (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), with Juddmonte's highly-regarded and well-supported 6-5 favourite...

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Churchill's Heavens Gate Makes Class Tell In The Ballyhane

Third in the G2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and G3 Albany Stakes, Ballydoyle's Heavens Gate (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}--Itqaan, by Danzig) had a class edge in Monday's Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes at Naas and duly collected the valuable prize to return to winning ways. Sent straight to the forefront by Ryan Moore, the 4-6 favourite never looked likely to be caught and hit the line strong with 1 1/4 lengths to spare over Fiery Lucy (GB) (Without Parole {GB}). "She's a straightforward lovely filly who Ryan has always said could get...

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