Aidan O'Brien

2nd-Curragh, €16,500, Mdn, 8-20, 2yo, 7fT, 1:24.70, gd. CONTINUOUS (JPN) (c, 2, Heart's Cry {Jpn}--Fluff {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) broke well and led after the initial strides of this first go. Rowed along with three furlongs remaining, the 10-3 pick came under sterner urging inside the final quarter mile and was driven out in the closing stages to hold King Of Scotia (Ire) (Kessaar {Ire}) by an ultimately snug 1 1/2 lengths, becoming the first winner in Ireland for his sire (by Sunday Silence). "Ryan [Moore] was very happy with...

Racing for the third time in The Curragh's Coolmore Arizona Irish EBF Maiden over a mile on Saturday, Ballydoyle's Hiawatha (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) delivered in style under Ryan Moore. Always happy on the front end, the full-brother to Luxembourg (Ire) who was runner-up at Killarney July 11 and at Galway July 30 justified 5-4 favouritism by 3 1/2 lengths from Fleetfoot (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Turned over by Jim Bolger's Serious Challenge (Ire) (Fracas {Ire}) over an extended mile at the Galway festival last time, the full-brother to last year's G1...

It may not have been the wide-margin success prohibitive odds of 2-9 might have implied beforehand, but Westerberg and Coolmore's G1 Futurity Trophy hero and G1 2000 Guineas third Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}--Attire {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) was on the comeback trail from his storied muscular woes in Saturday's G3 Fitzdares Royal Whip S. at the Curragh and not only proved his wellbeing, but much, much more with an impressively game performance in the card's 10-furlong feature. The day's star attraction was allowed find his own rhythm and stalked...

Not even favourite for Saturday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S., it is no wild statement that TDN Rising Star Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) could be the best juvenile Aidan O'Brien has had though his hands after a display of power to scintillate the Curragh faithful. Always in his comfort zone on the front under Ryan Moore as chief rival Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) blew the start, the June 15 Listed Windsor Castle S. and July 16 G3 Anglesey S. winner was shaken up by Ryan Moore to put...

One thousand winners and counting. Joseph O'Brien passed yet another important milestone in his training career on Saturday when Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) became his 1,000th winner in the opening seven-furlong maiden at the Curragh. And what style it was achieved in. Al Riffa, who emerged as a major eye-catcher when staying on for second in a Curragh maiden last month, showed the benefit of that initial outing to confirm himself a potential top-notcher in the making. It was just over six years ago when O'Brien enjoyed a...

Aidan O'Brien will rely solely on Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) in his bid to win a record-extending 17th G1 Phoenix S. at the Curragh this afternoon after stablemate Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never) was ruled out of the Saturday showpiece due to to allergies. Last successful with Sioux Nation in 2017, O'Brien has won the Phoenix S. with George Washington, Holy Roman Emperor and Mastercraftsman in the past, and Little Big Bear is a 7-4 chance to follow in the hoofprints of those illustrious former Ballydoyle-trained stars....

   One of racing's biggest supporters, Peter Brant's colours can be spotted not only in his home country of America, but in Britain, Ireland and France.     The renowned owner-breeder, who spent over 20 years away from racing before returning with a bang in 2016, has quickly re-established his operation and in 2020 he reached the pinnacle when Sottsass carried his familiar double green silks to victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.    With a full-brother to Sottsass catalogued for the August Yearling Sale at Arqana, Brant makes...

The Coolmore partners' Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a one-time G1 Cazoo Derby favourite until meeting with a setback in the spring, will reappear in the G3 Royal Whip S., according to trainer Aidan O'Brien. Held at the Curragh on Aug. 13, the 10-furlong event will be the starting point for the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy S. and G2 Beresford S. hero. If all goes well in the Royal Whip, a start in the Sept. 10 G1 Irish Champion S. is also possible for the 3-year-old colt later in the season....

Coolmore, Westerberg & Brant's G2 Prix Robert Papin second The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Anna Law {Ire}, by Lawman {Fr}), a 750,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 full-brother to Battaash (Ire), rebounded off that Chantilly defeat to secure a first stakes success in Tuesday's G3 Darley Prix de Cabourg at Deauville. The February-foaled grey had earlier backed up two early-season wins with a seventh in Royal Ascot's June 16 G2 Norfolk S. before hitting the board in June's Listed Tipperary S. in his last-but-one start. Missing a beat at the kick,...

The elite-level contests are done, track records have tumbled and Goodwood's five-day bonanza concludes with the G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry S. taking centre stage at the Sussex venue on Saturday. The £300,000 14-furlong distaffers' test has fallen to favourites in six of the last nine editions and this year's market is headed by Sunderland Holding's G2 Lancashire Oaks runner-up Sea La Rosa (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Coolmore and Westerberg's G1 Irish Oaks fourth Emily Dickinson (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). The former's stamina is not in question, according to William...

In Tuesday's TDN, we ran part I of Diana Pikulski's interview with Robert (Bob) Duncan (click here to read). This two-part piece is the first in a series called Equine Ethics, which examines ways in which racing can exist in the most ethical way possible. RD: My next ah-ha moment occurred with horse trainer Pat Parelli. After my visit with Monty, I started exploring the internet for more horse related info. The name that kept popping up was Pat Parelli of Parelli Natural Horsemanship. I was then lucky enough to...

Tuesday's G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup was every bit as engaging from start to finish as it had promised to be, with ultimately Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) winning out ahead of Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in a pulsating finale. Sent forward by Ryan Moore from the break to provide his two big rivals with their target racing in third overall, Ballydoyle's June 16 G1 Gold Cup hero was the first to commit up the straight with his initial task seeing off last year's title-holder Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire})...