Aidan O'Brien

Multiple Classic and Breeders' Cup-winning rider Seamie Heffernan thinks taking prize-money off winning jockeys found guilty of careless riding is the best way to avoid controversial climaxes to races. Heffernan was speaking shortly after Paul Hanagan was handed a 10-day ban for careless riding after winning the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot aboard 50-1 outsider The Ridler (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}). https://twitter.com/theTDN/status/1537434261824733186 Hanagan, who was recently demoted as Richard Fahey's stable jockey, allowed The Ridler, trained by his former boss, to drift across the track, hampering a number of...

From State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) silencing his doubters once again to Irad Ortiz's week going from bad to worse, there was plenty to digest from day two at Royal Ascot. Brian Sheerin fleshed out the main talking points from another thrilling day's action.  Eldar Eldarov Owner Is Living The Dream  HH Shaikh Khalid, owner of Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), told ITV Racing that his dream in racing is to find a horse good enough to stand as a stallion. Eldar Eldarov could well be up to fulfilling...

The subject of a momentous gamble in Wednesday's Listed Windsor Castle S., Ballydoyle's Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never--Adventure Seeker {Fr}, by Bering {GB}) duly delivered to maintain the 100% record of the TDN Rising Stars in Royal Ascot's two-year-old contests. Hammered into 6-5 favouritism to get Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore off the mark for the week, the impressive Naas maiden winner raced near the pace far side before being sent forward with hands and heels passing halfway. In the end, the imposing bay had to fight to...

And breathe. As starting dishes go, few have been tastier than what Ascot served up on day one of the royal meeting, with promise of more to come later in the week. From bargain buy Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) bolting up in the G2 Coventry S. to Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) disappointing in the G1 King's Stand S., there were a huge amount of talking points to emerge from day one. Brian Sheerin examined the big takeouts from a pulsating day's action.   Bradsell the Best Result Imaginable  You would...

He didn't crack the code to the Irish Lottery, have his colours carried by the record-breaking Grabel (GB) (Bold Owl {GB}), invest eye-watering sums in the stock market and battle with the bookmakers on an almost daily basis by being short of an opinion or two.  Now, Paddy Kehoe is preparing to back his latest theory that his pride and joy Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) can land the G1 Ascot Gold Cup on Thursday and, if correct, the 75-year-old businessman and renowned racehorse owner will net himself a...

Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}), the long-time ante-post favourite for the G1 Ascot Gold Cup, has taken a walk in the betting for the Thursday showpiece after connections said he was unlikely to run at the royal meeting due to unsuitably quick ground.  A general 5-2 favourite for the race on Sunday morning, Trueshan could be backed at odds as big as 15-2 after the 6-year-old's trainer Alan King revealed that the quick ground was likely to scupper plans of running in the Gold Cup.  The ground at Ascot was described...

Ahmad Al Shaikh's Hoo Ya Mal (GB) (Territories {Ire}) has been supplemented for £15,000 to the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot next Friday. Trained by Andrew Balding , the colt was second last out in the G1 Cazoo Derby In Memory Of Lester Piggott on June 4. Off the mark at second asking at York in August, he was second in Doncaster's Listed Flying Scotsman S. a month later and was shelved. He resumed from winter quarters with a third in the G3 Craven S. behind subsequent...

What an excellent weekend of European Classics, which featured a sprinkling of some intriguing "what ifs" to flavor what's to come in the months ahead. On Friday, Aidan O'Brien won his 41st British Classic--yes, you read correctly--when Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Lillie Langtry {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) short-headed the unlucky John Gosden-trained Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) after an exhilarating face-off in the waning stages of the G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom. It was a familiar affair in more ways than one. The fillies are by champion half-brothers,...

It was a pretty quiet racing week here, so this installment of snippets is a little European-centric. We hope you find it interesting. The Mind Boggles... Tuesday's win in the G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom gave Aidan O'Brien a record 41st British Classic winner, including 10 wins in the Oaks. Tuesday was also the 94th Group 1 winner for her sire, Galileo and the second Oaks heroine and third Classic winner for her dam, Lillie Langtry (following Minding and Empress Josephine). Coolmore/Ballydoyle's stats never cease to amaze. Pletch Being Pletch......

Saturday's G1 Cazoo Derby is no ordinary Derby, being placed squarely in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and bearing the title "In Memory of Lester Piggott", so the onus is on the latest collection of elite middle-distance colts to rise to the occasion. Famed for his ability to pick and choose in his heyday, the question is what would the Longfellow have opted for in this line-up? Few would say anything other than the edition's pop idol Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), whose Dante win had all the purists pricking up...

EPSOM, UK--Just when we thought there was nothing new to say in praise of Aidan O'Brien, up he jumps to break a 159-year-old record for the number of British Classic winners by a trainer. It took the previous record-holder John Scott 36 years to amass his 40, and O'Brien has reached his tally of 41 in just 23. After an opening brace in 1998, when King Of Kings (Ire) won the 2000 Guineas and Shahtoush (Ire) gave the trainer the first of his 10 Oaks victories, the Ballydoyle maestro had...

Choosing her own third birthday to bring Aidan O'Brien a record 41st British Classic, Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Lillie Langtry {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) inched out TDN Rising Star Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in a thriller for Friday's G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom. Third in the 1000 Guineas and runner-up in the Irish equivalent, the homebred who was a 13-2 shot to emulate her full-sister Minding (Ire) arrived from rear to grab the lead inside the final two furlongs and had her nose in front on the line...