Aidan O'Brien

Tabor, Magnier and Smith's Sovereign (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), winless since a blowout score in the 2019 G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, makes his first start on these shores in Saturday's GI Man O' War S. at Belmont Park. Second to dual Cartier Horse of the Year Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth for Aidan O'Brien at Ascot last July, the 5-year-old enters off a close third in the Bahrain International Trophy Nov. 20. The rail-drawn, 8-5 morning-line favorite kicks off his campaign...

Like Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) on Thursday, Ballydoyle's Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) also got his campaign off to a flyer on Chester's "Roodee" 24 hours later with a smooth success in the G2 Melodi Media Huxley S. Settled last of the four who tackled the extended 10-furlong contest, last year's G3 Royal Whip S. winner, G1 Cox Plate runner-up and G1 Irish Champion S. third swept around the outside to take over a furlong out en route to a three-length defeat of Sangarius (GB) (Kingman {GB}). "He is a very...

G1 Cazoo Derby favourite High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) could be re-routed to next Thursday's G2 Dante S. at York after unsatisfactory blood work ruled him out of Saturday's Listed Derby Trial S. at Lingfield. "His blood count didn't come back proper--his SAA [Serum Amyloid A] was very high and that is usually an indication of inflammation or infection somewhere, but we couldn't find either anywhere in his body," O'Brien told Sky Sports Racing. "He scoped perfect this morning. Maybe it was just one of those things, but we'll do...

Chester hosts just the one black-type event on Friday, with the G2 Melodi Media Huxley S. over an extended 10 furlongs acting as the first port of call in 2021 for Ballydoyle's Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Surprising a few judges when third at 66-1 and in front of Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Irish Champion S. in September, the bay went on to show that was no fluke when runner-up to Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in Moonee Valley's G1 Cox Plate on...

First time over further than a mile-and-a-half facing a serious rival in Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) meant that Thursday's G3 Ormonde S. at Chester represented a tough ask for Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), but in the end his class told as the Ballydoyle stalwart opened his 5-year-old campaign on the right note. Enjoying a perfect trip on the rail nestled behind the leading duo early, the 13-8 favourite was angled out by Ryan Moore to come around Trueshan on the home bend and began to assert from the furlong pole...

Ballydoyle missed out with an unusually low-key representation at the Chester May meeting on Wednesday, but one of their big guns is rolled out on Thursday as Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) is relaunched in the G3 Ormonde S. Tackling the extended 13-furlong trip which is the furthest he has gone so far in his career, the 2019 G1 Juddmonte International and G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero looks to put a disappointing end to his 2020 season behind him. Tailing off following his third placing in the G1 Eclipse at...

Undefeated group winner High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), favoured for the June 5 G1 Cazoo Derby, will miss an intended start in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial on May 8, trainer Aidan O'Brien revealed. Owned by a Coolmore partnership with Westerberg, the G2 Beresford S. winner's bloodwork was off as of Wednesday evening. "High Definition won't be going to Lingfield on Saturday--his bloods just weren't 100% this evening," said O'Brien. I'm not sure where he might run. We'll just have to wait and see how things go over the coming...

Providing Aidan O'Brien with a 12th renewal of The Curragh's G2 Coolmore Sottsass Irish EBF Mooresbridge S. on Monday, Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) continued his own success story with a third black-type win in 2021. Having taken the Listed Devoy S. at Naas Mar. 28 and the Apr. 17 G3 Alleged S. over this track and 10-furlong trip, the 4-9 favourite was forwardly placed in second by Ryan Moore and ridden to take command approaching the last two furlongs. Pressed by Helvic Dream (Ire) (Power {GB}) from there, he kept...

The Curragh is all action on Monday, with the G2 Coolmore Sottsass Irish EBF Mooresbridge S. the key component of a fascinating card. Aidan O'Brien has opted to wait longer to unleash Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and instead puts forward the reinvigorated Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who looks to be in a good place this year with wins on soft ground in the Listed Devoy S. at Naas Mar. 28 and on a much slicker surface in the Apr. 17 G3 Alleged S. over this 10-furlong trip. Beaten around half...

In a renewal of Newmarket's G1 Qipco 1000 Guineas which polarised the dreamers and the cynics, experience ultimately told on Sunday with Frankie Dettori the chief benefactor as he steered Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) to glory. Whereas Ballydoyle's Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) had created all the electricity in the build-up to a Classic which lost some key cast members along the way, it was the stable's hard-working journeywoman who nestled under the radar and emerged clear-best to uphold the prime formlines of 2020. Successful in the G3 Coolmore...

   Saturday's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas hosts the customary heavyweights of the previous year's scene, with the likes of Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), Wembley (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Van Gogh (American Pharoah), One Ruler (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) all bringing Group 1 form to the table, but in the year that racing lost Sheikh Hamdan could there be a sense of destiny in the inclusion of the unproven 'TDN Rising Star' Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})? As far as visual impressions go, there...

Another Caravaggio, another TDN Rising Star as the highly impressive Contarelli Chapel (Ire) made her mark in a smart-looking field gathered for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over near six furlongs at Naas on Monday. A half-sister to last year's G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Nassau S. heroine Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the January-foaled grey who races for Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor and Smith was marginally in front from the break and completely comfortable setting the pace under a motionless Ryan Moore. It was passing the...