Aidan O'Brien

Aidan O'Brien trainee Surpass (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}--Blending {GB}, by Medicean {GB}) shaped with promise when getting up late to snag his May 29 debut at Tipperary by a neck and returned to the Limerick Junction venue to attain 'TDN Rising Star' status with a powerful display in Wednesday's Glenvale Stud Race over an extended seven furlongs. The G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes entry, racing under a three-pound penalty, jumped out in second and was the nearest pursuer of the clear leader through halfway. Looming large going ominously well passing...

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Henri Matisse (Ire), a decisive winner of Sunday's G2 Railway Stakes at the Curragh, has been awarded a Timeform rating of 110p, identifying him as the highest-rated two-year-old colt to have raced so far in 2024. By Wootton Bassett (GB) and out of the multiple Group 1 winner Immortal Verse (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), Henri Matisse is now unbeaten in two starts after swooping late to beat The Strikin Viking (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}) by half a length on Sunday, five weeks on from his winning debut...

Reversing Epsom form with Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}--Frequential {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) relished the more straightforward nature of the galloping Curragh track on Sunday to provide Aidan O'Brien with a remarkable 16th G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. Third in the Derby, the 13-8 second favourite was always going to be better suited by this test particularly after all the rain on Saturday and enjoyed the perfect trip under Ryan Moore tracking the stable's two pace-setters. Briefly swamped by the 6-4 market-leader Ambiente Friendly...

Ballydoyle representative Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}--Immortal Verse {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) finished the right side of a short-head verdict tackling six furlongs at the Curragh in May and pounced late over the same course and distance to garner a record-equalling 14th renewal of Sunday's G2 GAIN Railway Stakes for Aidan O'Brien. The victory moved O'Brien alongside legendary former Ballydoyle incumbent Vincent O'Brien on the honours board. The Aug. 10 G1 Phoenix Stakes and Sept. 15 G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes entry was sluggish from the traps and trailed...

Having surrendered to Ballydoyle's City Of Troy (Justify) in the Derby, the Gredleys' Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) has more work to do taking on a crew from that establishment on their home soil in Sunday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh. While the likes of Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Jack Hobbs (GB) (Halling) have come from Epsom to successfully represent Britain in recent years, there is always that bridge to cross coming here. There is also the significant rain that...

Returning to the Curragh venue at which he made a remarkable debut last month, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Jan Brueghel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Devoted To You {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) had to endure his first fight to stretch his unbeaten record in Saturday's G3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai International Stakes. What was left in the tank at the end of the 10-furlong contest after he had mastered the long-time leader Trustyourinstinct (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) by a neck remains to be seen, but the manner in which the 8-13 favourite hit...

Emulating stablemate Matrika (Ire) 12 months ago, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Truly Enchanting (Ire) (No Nay Never--Alluringly, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) made the quick turnaround from Royal Ascot to to provide her sire with back-to-back winners of The Curragh's G2 Airlie Stud Stakes on Saturday. Unable to mix it with the fastest fillies when 13th in the five-furlong G2 Queen Mary Stakes, the descendant of Urban Sea (Miswaki) had the required pace to lay up with fellow Ascot also-ran California Dreamer (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}) from the outset in this longer...

The Curragh's three-day Irish Derby fixture is more often than not the place to discover future Classic contenders at first glance and Friday's Kildare House Hotel Irish EBF Fillies Maiden looks to have played host to two potentially top-class daughters of Frankel (GB) in Lake Victoria (Ire) and Red Letter (GB). In a thrilling finale to the seven-furlong contest between the regally-bred debutantes, it was the former who edged it to earn TDN Rising Star status and make Ballydoyle's cup run over when it comes to exciting 2-year-old fillies. The...

Prominent breeze-up consignor and pre-trainer Ian McCarthy says that having a genuine Derby horse through his hands will be very hard to top and explained how he will be rooting for graduate Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) in Sunday's Irish Derby at the Curragh. McCarthy sold Ambiente Friendly on behalf of the colt's breeders Al Shira'aa Farms for 80,000gns to bloodstock agent Freddy Tylicki at last year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale.  Tylicki's opinion on the horse has since been vindicated 10 times over with Ambiente Friendly carrying the colours of...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a half-brother to Snowfall (Jpn) in a deep field of maidens at the Curragh. 13.15 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT ROCK OF CASHEL (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the pick of Ryan Moore from a Ballydoyle trio in this maiden used by Aidan O'Brien for...

The Gredleys' Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) will have seven peers to contend with in Sunday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh after the confirmations were revealed on Friday morning. The James Fanshawe trainee will renew rivalry with Ballydoyle's Derby third Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), one of four representing Aidan O'Brien alongside The Euphrates (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Euphoric (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Grosvenor Square (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). David Menuisier saddles the 2023 G1 Criterium International winner Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), while the field is...

Irish Derby weekend kicks off at the Curragh on Friday and there are no shortage of potential talking points. From highly-regarded juveniles, intriguingly-bred newcomers, stars of the future and potential banana skins, all of the ingredients are there to make the action on the track absorbing and informative. Here are some things to keep an eye out for.  Twomey Tipped To Begin Derby Weekend With A Bang The opening two-year-old maiden on Friday has the potential to be a cracker and the Paddy Twomey-trained Admiral Churchill (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) is...