Aidan O'Brien

O'Brien Charts Plans for Classic Hopefuls

Aidan O'Brien outlined plans after several members of his team galloped Saturday, chief among them G1 Futurity Trophy winner Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), undefeated in three starts at two, and MGSW Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who was last seen finishing second in the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National last September. Campaigned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg, the pair are likely to reappear in the Apr. 30 G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. "Luxembourg was in the first lot and everything went very well," said...

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Former Ballydoyle Charge Set For Hong Kong Debut

Call Me Teddy (Uncle Mo), who won the Listed Doncaster S. when trained by Aidan O'Brien as Lipizzaner, is set to make his Hong Kong debut in Saturday's Class 3 Tai Mei Tuk H. over the straight 1000-metres at Sha Tin Racecourse. Bred in Kentucky by the Irish Lights Syndicate, the bay gelding was runner up in a paid of Naas maidens in the spring of 2020 before a low-odds fourth behind The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) and Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) in the G2 Norfolk S....

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Dual Classic Winner Snowfall Dead

Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the record 16-length winner of the G1 Cazoo Oaks last June, has been euthanised after suffering a pelvic injury in her box. "It's very sad news, terrible," said trainer Aidan O'Brien. "The lads were thinking of keeping her in training but they hadn't quite made up their minds. It was very possible. "She had a pelvic injury in her box. Sometimes pelvic injuries go the right way or they can go the wrong way. Unfortunately this one went the wrong way. It's very sad and...

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Contrail Set To Bow Out In Japan Cup

Shinji Maeda's Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn} matched the feat of his late and much-missed sire by sweeping the three legs of the Japanese Triple Crown last season. Sunday afternoon at Toyko Racecourse, the homebred colt will look to add the G1 Longines Japan Cup to his resume in his final career trip to the races, an event won by Deep Impact in his penultimate start in 2006. The two-time Horse of the Year would go on to avenge his only defeat on Japanese soil in that year's G1 Arima...

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Johannesburg: A Trailblazer Twenty Years On

Del Mar, CA--While the bridge between the European turf and the American dirt is one that is rarely crossed nowadays, it has historically been the path to some of the greatest payoffs-at both the parimutuels and in the realms of international ratings and stud value-at the Breeders' Cup World Championships. In 1991, Sheikh Albadou forged the path when backing up a win in the G1 Nunthorpe S. and runner-up efforts in the G1 Sprint Cup and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye into a first victory for a European-trained runners in a...

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Classic Winner Santiago to Stand Under Coolmore NH Banner

Classic winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}--Wadyhatta {GB}, by Cape Cross {Ire}) will stand under the Coolmore National Hunt banner at Castlehyde Stud in 2022. A fee for the G1 Irish Derby hero will be announced later. "Santiago is a Derby winner with a pedigree full of Derby winners and leading sires," said Coolmore's Cathal Murphy. "He's a big, quality individual with a fantastic action, and I'm sure National Hunt breeders will be very impressed when they see him." Purchased for €275,000 in utero at the Arqana July Sale in 2016,...

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Tuesday's Breeders' Cup Report: Cox Classic Duo Bookend Star-Studded Morning

DEL MAR, CA - With no sign of the sun under a dense cloud cover at daybreak, champion Essential Quality (Tapit) set the stage for this weekend's 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships jogging the wrong way along the outer rail on a cool and comfortable Tuesday morning at Del Mar. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner is the second choice on the morning-line at 3-1 for Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic trailing only his Brad Cox-trained stablemate Knicks Go (Paynter) at 5-2. More on the latter gray in a...

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Colin Keane To Be Crowned Irish Champion For Third Time

Colin Keane is set to become champion jockey in Ireland for the third time, following a record-breaking season. With the Irish Flat season set to conclude at Naas on Sunday, Keane is currently on 139 winners for the season. In August he passed the previous record of 126 set in 2013 by Joseph O'Brien. Aidan O'Brien will be crowned champion trainer for the 24th time, while Sue Magnier is the champion owner of 2021.  Dylan Browne McMonagle, a native of County Donegal, is set to be crowned champion apprentice. He...

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Order Of Australia Injured, Retired

Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) will not get the chance to defend his title in next weekend's GI Breeders' Cup Mile after suffering a career-ending injury on Wednesday morning. The 4-year-old, who was a rare longshot winner of a Breeders' Cup race for trainer Aidan O'Brien last year when winning at 73-1 at Keeneland, also won this year's G2 Minstrel S. He was third in the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois and second in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp before finishing last of 12 when returning to...

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Snowfall's Brother Starts At Dundalk

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. Today's Observations features a full-brother to multiple Classic scorer Snowfall (Jpn). 1.05 Nottingham, Mdn, £14,000, 2yo, c/g, 8f 75yT KALAHARI PRINCE (IRE) (New Approach {Ire}) is one of five Godolphin representatives lining up for this "Golden Horn Maiden" won 12 months ago by Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), and one...

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You'resothrilling's Story Continues At The Curragh

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. Today's Observations features the latest progeny out of one of Coolmore's bluest-blooded mares. 12.40 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, f, 7fT TOY (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is the eighth foal out of the remarkable G2 Cherry Hinton S. winner You'resothrilling (Storm Cat), which makes her a full-sister to the G1 English...

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Galileo's Star of India A New Rising Star at Leopardstown

He may have been niggled along earlier than ideal, but Coolmore and Westerberg's hitherto unraced Star of India (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) produced a finishing burst stamped with class and outpointed his rivals in style to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status in Saturday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden over seven furlongs at Leopardstown. The 5-1 chance broke well to track the leaders in fourth and required mild urging to remain in contact rounding the home turn. Making eyecatching headway out wide in the straight, he quickened in some...

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