Aidan O'Brien

Royal Ascot's week-long Ryan Moore-Frankie Dettori battle was underway in some style early on Tuesday, with the former prevailing in a thrilling tussle on the 4-1 favourite Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Queen Anne S., a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland in November. Sent straight to the fore, last year's G1 St James's Palace S. and G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp hero was passed and apparently beaten by Terebellum (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) as Frankie took charge 1...

It's Royal Ascot once again, but not as we know it. No crowds, no fashion, no Queen. It is a case of "Royal Ascot At Home" for virtually everybody this year, even for the main players whose money makes it all possible. That said, at least there is still Frankie, Aidan O'Brien, Wesley Ward, Sir Michael Stoute and Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and all the other working equine and human cast and crew that make this week so special. One of Britain's most brilliant racehorses of recent years, Battaash...

First Love, now Peaceful. In another alarming week in world events, we could all use a little of both, but they are of course the two latest Classic winners for their peerless sire Galileo (Ire). When winning the Moyglare Stud S. last September, Love (Ire), now also the 1000 Guineas winner, sparked a Group 1 double on Irish Champions Weekend which was completed by the Irish St Leger winner Search For A Song (Ire). By November, Galileo had drawn level with Danehill's record on 84 individual Group 1 winners thanks...

The Curragh's Saturday card was run on real Galileo (Ire) ground and so it was with a degree of predictability that his sole representative in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas Peaceful (Ire) relished the fast going to bring up a second fillies' Classic in less than a week for Ballydoyle. It proved a momentous renewal for Michael Tabor, who saw the first three home carry his silks, for the supersire who was surpassing Danehill with a record 85th group 1 winner, and also for the O'Brien family with Aidan,...

Jessie Harrington has begun the season with a flourish and all the stars could be aligned for Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) to provide a first Classic success in Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh. The Niarchos family's homebred has stronger claims at this stage of her career than the 2018 heroine Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), having won the six-furlong G2 Airlie Stud S. here in June and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp in October before finishing fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf....

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 debut of the top lot from last year's Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale. 4.05 Curragh, Mdn, €17,500, 2yo, c/g, 5fT ADMIRAL NELSON (FR) (Kingman {GB}), a son of the stakes-winning Shamandar (Fr) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), topped the sheets when knocked down for £440,000 at...

The field for Saturday evening's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas has been set and 15 fillies are due postward for the €250,000 Classic. The Niarchos family's homebred G1 Prix Marcel Boussac victress and ante-post favourite Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) will depart from gate 13 while her Jessica Harrington stablemate and G3 Oh So Sharp S. runner-up Valeria Messalina (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) has drawn stall four. Aidan O'Brien saddles just two for this year's renewal with G1 Moyglare Stud S. third So Wonderful (War Front) due to exit the...

The G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas, slated for June 13, has drawn 20 fillies at this entry stage, The Curragh announced on Tuesday. Aidan O'Brien, who won the race in 2019, saddles Monday's winner Elfin Queen (American Pharoah), the SP 'TDN Rising Star' Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Salsa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and G1 Moyglare Stud S. third So Wonderful (War Front). His sons have five entries between them-Joseph O'Brien sends out MGSP A New Dawn (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), Brook on Fifth (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}), Gin Blossom (Ire) (Make Believe...

Aidan O'Brien was truly cleaning up on Tuesday's Leopardstown card and the yard's rude health was further demonstrated with Love Locket (Ire) (No Nay Never) making it four wins from the first four races in the seven-furlong G3 Leopardstown Fillies Trial S. Last seen finishing a highly creditable second in a nursery over this trip at Naas in November, the 5-1 shot was soon disputing the lead under Seamie Heffernan with the rail advantage. Making a race-winning assertive move two out, the bay was still going strong at the line...

Prior to Leopardstown's G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, Aidan O'Brien had already saddled the winner of the fillies' maiden and the first four home in colts' equivalent and so it was hardly a shock that his trio dominated the finish to Tuesday's blue riband pointer. What was surprising was that it was Michael Tabor's Cormorant (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) who held sway over the 11-8 favourite Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Iberia (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with the grey blown by a fair wind on a day for the front-runners. Left...

It already feels like the main part of the European season is more than just a week old and the unrelenting catch-up moves to Leopardstown on Tuesday where the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial takes centre stage. Aidan O'Brien has won 12 of these and saddles half of the field with Seamus Heffernan on the Laurie Macri colourbearer Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Impressive at the end of a mile maiden staged on soft-to-heavy ground on the opening day of the Irish flat turf season at Naas Mar. 23, the...

Irish racing returned with a bang as Susan Magnier's More Beautiful (War Front), a half-sister to MG1SW sire Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact), powered into the ranks of TDN Rising Stars with an impressive 3 1/2-length debut victory in Monday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over five furlongs at Naas. The 11-4 favourite made a fast getaway and was in the vanguard throughout. Cruising into an outright lead passing the quarter-mile marker, she quickened in style approaching the final furlong and lengthened clear under mild coaxing in the closing...