Aidan O'Brien

LEXINGTON, KY--Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) scored the first of two victories for the Coolmore team, Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore Friday, charging home to a decisive score in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Favored at 2-1, Meditate bounded away from the stalls to establish position, settling in the three path near the back of the pack as 18-1 shot Spirit Gal (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) carved out an opening quarter in :23.19 and a half in :47.60. Meditate crept up a bit on the outside to sit...

While the warmth and light was bestowed on Keeneland on Friday, the cool and dark backdrop of Dundalk played host to a red-hot prospect as Beginnings (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) stormed to TDN Rising Star status. Ballydoyle's daughter of their celebrated 1000 Guineas and Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) had stepped forward markedly from her debut when fourth behind the subsequent Listed Star Appeal S. winner and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf protagonist Spirit Gal (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) over near six furlongs at Naas Sept. 15 and...

For the third time in the last four years and fourth time overall, Colin Keane will be named the Irish Champion Flat Jockey when the Irish Flat season ends at Naas on Sunday. Keane's title comes after battling with rival Billy Lee for the majority of the season. Keane sits on 90 winners, with Lee second, while the 2020/21 runner-up Shane Foley is third. Wayne Lordan, Ben Coen and Seamie Heffernan are next on the list heading into the weekend. Keane was aboard Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) when he won...

LEXINGTON, KY - DL689 wasn't the only flight taking off shortly after 6:00 a.m. in Lexington on a brisk Wednesday morning. Just as that Atlanta-bound, Delta aircraft loudly announced its presence across the way at Blue Grass Airport--you really couldn't have scripted it any better--unbeaten superstar Flightline (Tapit) was one of the first horses to train as the Keeneland main track opened for business beneath the lights. Under a snug hold and plenty eager to do more, the 3-5 GI Breeders' Cup Classic morning-line favorite was every bit as advertised,...

What you want to hear from a major owner-breeder like Trevor Stewart, the man who has set up a mini-empire off the back of buying wondermare Cassandra Go back in 1997, is that there is a nuanced approach to breeding and, with the right blend of skill and hard work, you too can make this game pay. The trouble is, Stewart does not believe that is the case. Not only does he put buying top-class racemare-turned-blue hen Cassandra Go down to good luck, but he also points to fortune favouring...

Tuesday marked the first day the seven-strong Aidan O'Brien string got a taste of the Keeneland track ahead of the two-day Breeders' Cup on Nov. 4-5. Leading the Coolmore partners septet after their quarantine period was Group 1 winner Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and G3 Derby Trial S. hero Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who both line up in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf and will leave from stalls four and three, respectively. Second in the 2021 Turf to Godolphin and Charlie Appleby's Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at Del...

Tim Cohen did not come halfway around the world to walk away from the Tattersalls table when the stakes get higher and the American-based agent did not blink in securing I'm A Gambler for 850,000gns on behalf of Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal on day two of the Autumn Horses In Training Sale.  I'm A Gambler (Ire) (No Nay Never), a typical Charlie and Mark Johnston-trained runner who has gone from strength to strength this season and was last seen winning a Listed event at Redcar, will continue his...

Waterville (Ire), the main attraction on day one of the Autumn horses-in-training sale at Tattersalls, did not disappoint by topping the session at 410,000gns to join Chris Waller in Australia.  Guy Mulcaster, who also bought the 84-rated Postwick (GB) (Postponed {Ire}) from Barton Sales for 130,000gns to join Waller, secured Coolmore's Irish Cesarewitch winner.  Described by his trainer Aidan O'Brien at the beginning of the season as a lively each-way contender for the Derby, Waterville [lot 275] never made it to Epsom but went some way to justifying that high...

Former world champion 3-year-old Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) (Danehill--Offshore Boom {GB}, by Be My Guest) has died from heart failure at Castlehyde Stud in Ireland at the age of 23. The son of Danehill was bred by the late Joe Crowley with his daughter Annemarie and son-in-law Aidan O'Brien. He was sent into training with the latter at Ballydoyle as a juvenile in 2001, later racing for the partnership of Sir Alex Ferguson and Susan Magnier. Rock Of Gibraltar's sensational racing career, which saw him land seven consecutive Group 1...

Graduates Knights Order (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}) and Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {BRZ}) have amassed four wins at the highest level in Australia between themselves while Hong Kong Harry (Ire) (Es Que Love {Ire}) paid another compliment to the Autumn Horses in Training Sale at Newmarket by winning a Group 2 in America just last month. That may go some way to explaining why buyers were braving the elements on a day made for ducks on the eve of this sale at Park Paddocks on Sunday.  The 85,000gns that Boomer...

Coolmore and Westerberg's 'TDN Rising Star' and G2 Golden Fleece S. victor Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}--Rhododendron {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) allayed any and all concerns that his ability may be blunted by the heavy going and powered through the mud at Doncaster to register a record-breaking 11th renewal for Aidan O'Brien in Saturday's G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy. The trainer admitted a late scratching might be on the cards if conditions were not suitable for the July 2 Naas maiden winner, but was pleasantly surprised by the state of...

Aidan O'Brien has trimmed his overnight entry of eight down to two for Saturday's £200,000 G1 Vertem Futurity at Doncaster, Europe's final juvenile Group 1 contest of the season. TDN Rising Star and G2 Golden Fleece S. victor Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is the mount of Ryan Moore and has been allocated stall six for the one-mile test. He is set to be joined by Navan maiden winner Salt Lake City (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who will depart from the eight box. The home defence is spearheaded by John...