Aidan O'Brien

Aptly-named Aidan O'Brien trainee Thoughts of June (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) finished behind Above The Curve (American Pharoah) tackling one mile at Leopardstown in her juvenile season closer last October and again when that reopposing rival attained TDN Rising Star status over the same course and distance last month. Sent postward at odds of 7-1 for Wednesday's Listed Weatherbys Bloodstock Pro Cheshire Oaks at Chester, she gained some measure of revenge to shed maiden status in game fashion. Thoughts of June was quickly into stride and led passing the judge first...

In the year of Appleby vs O'Brien, Chester's Roodeye is an apt setting for the latest gladiatorial encounter between racing's two superpowers with the G3 Boodles Chester Vase seeing another stand-off between Moulton Paddocks and Rosegreen. While the extended 12-furlong Derby trial is small potatoes in comparison with the epic clashes in the Classics and Royal Ascot, how Godolphin's exciting New London (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) deals with Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will either continue or change the current conversation. The former, who hails from the family of Masked Marvel (GB)...

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) will head straight to Epsom following his third-place finish in Saturday's 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.  The winner of last season's G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster is currently favourite for the Cazoo Derby on June 4. "The two colts [from the 2000 Guineas] cantered this morning and seem fine. Luxembourg just clipped heels after going 50 yards and he did well to finish where he did," said O'Brien at the Curragh on Monday. "I think he will go straight to Epsom, that was...

Charlie Appleby will have to be sharp-eyed on Saturday after the draw for Newmarket's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas saw his high-class pair Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) on opposite sides of the track. William Buick's mount, the G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. and G1 Dewhurst S.-winning unbeaten champion juvenile Native Trail, was handed 15 of 15 while his G3 Autumn S.-winning stablemate is in one. Their handler was unconcerned about the draw on Thursday. "With the stalls in the centre of the track, being drawn 15...

Undefeated Tenebrism (Caravaggio) is the 11-4 early choice among 16 confirmations for Sunday's Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket. Long-time ante-post favourite Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was ruled out of the fillies' Classic Sunday. Trained by Aidan O'Brien, the G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine will attempt to give the trainer his sixth win in the race in seven years. O'Brien may also be represented by maiden winners Toy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Included among Irish-breds who are also possible to run Sunday are Group 3 winner Homeless...

Monday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Naas was under the co-sponsorship of Coolmore's No Nay Never in 2017 and 2018, when Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Fairyland (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) launched their Group 1-laden careers by earning 'TDN Rising Star' status in the six-furlong contest, and this term's renewal went the way of Coolmore and Westerberg's Deneuve (Ire), a daughter of No Nay Never, who emulated those illustrious distaffers by digging deep for a debut success and a 'TDN Rising Star' of her own. The 13-8 favourite...

Navan's Saturday card belonged to Ballydoyle and Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was a key component of the stable's five-timer when taking the Listed Vintage Crop S. Entering this G1 Gold Cup pointer something of an unknown quantity, having been absent since being withdrawn from Royal Ascot's G2 Queen's Vase in June when getting upset in the stalls, he had previously been successful in a 10-furlong Cork conditions race in April and fourth in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial in May. Returning with a vengeance to inflict a heavy defeat on...

Fourth behind Discoveries (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in The Curragh's G1 Moyglare Stud S. and sixth to Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket either side of a win in the former venue's G3 Weld Park S. at two, Concert Hall (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) returned to add her name to the list of Oaks aspirants with a hard-fought success in Saturday's Listed Salsabil S. at Navan. Settled behind the leading duo early, the daughter of the G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Was muscled her way through a gap...

Saturday's Listed Committed S. at Navan was as intriguing a Commonwealth Cup pointer as can be found at this stage of the season and full credit has to be handed to the race-hardened New York City (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) for making his presence felt despite being passed over by Ryan Moore. Unable to win in five starts at two but tried in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket and beaten under five lengths when ninth in that September feature, the full-brother to the G2 Duke of York S.-winning...

Aidan O'Brien's juvenile band is approaching full swing and the trainer's latest representative to hit the track, Coolmore and Westerberg's Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never), earned 'TDN Rising Star' status with a taking debut display in Saturday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Navan. The 5 3/4-furlong dash was annexed last year by subsequent G3 Marble Hill S. runner-up, G2 Coventry S. fourth and G2 Railway S. third Masseto (GB) (Territories}) and Royal Ascot options abound for the half-brother to that meeting's Listed Windsor Castle S. hero Washington DC...

The betting for the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas suggests that Godolphin has a very strong hand for Europe's early Classics, with Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) a solid favourite and Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) a clear second pick. However, such strength in depth brings its own complications. The European calendar boasts three principal Guineas races (chronologically, in Great Britain, France and Ireland) and the obvious aspiration when one has the two most likely candidates is to win all three.  It is a tough, albeit not impossible, assignment for one horse alone,...

Aidan O'Brien has outlined plans for some of his Classic hopes for the 2022 season and indicated that the dual group winners Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) will head to Newmarket for the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas on Apr. 30. Luxembourg will bid to emulate his treble Classic-winning sire by claiming the Newmarket feature on his seasonal debut after winning the G1 Vertem Futurity at Doncaster at two. "Point Lonsdale worked in the same group as Luxembourg on Saturday and that was the first time...