Ballydoyle

The subject of a major gamble prior to Saturday's G3 Night Of Thunder Zetland Stakes at Newmarket, Ballydoyle's Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) went through the 10-furlong test smoothly to stake his 2026 Derby claims. Delivered from the pack by Christophe Soumillon to lead passing the two pole, the 6-4 favourite was coaxed clear of stablemate Endorsement (Wootton Bassett) to score by 1 1/2 lengths, with Godolphin's €850,000 BBAG September topper Del Maro (Camelot) a further length away in third. "He looked amazing in the paddock and went to the start so...

Coolmore's G3 Prestige Stakes and G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine Precise (Starspangledbanner) added to her impressive palmares with a stunning performance in Friday's G1 bet365 Fillies' Mile, dominating the latter stages to register a 22nd Group 1 success of the season, and a record seventh renewal, for Aidan O'Brien. "She impressed me when she won at the Curragh and I knew she had a good turn of foot," commented Christophe Soumillon. "She was a little bit nervous in the stalls and that's why she missed the jump. I was hoping...

Race two on Arc day saw a quickfire double for Ballydoyle and Christophe Soumillon, with Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett) making all to dominate the G1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, a Breeders' Cup "Win And You're In" for the Juvenile Turf. Up to this seven-furlong trip for the first time to cause a minor upset in Doncaster's G2 Champagne Stakes last month, the 4-1 shot was again placed straight on the front and despite veering off a true line in the run to the line was always in control. Aidan O'Brien,...

ParisLongchamp's Arc card got underway in style as Ballydoyle's Diamond Necklace swooped to provide St Mark's Basilica with his first Group 1 winner in the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac. Sent off the favourite for the first of the fixture's six Breeders' Cup "Win And You're In" races, the Listed Ingabelle Stakes winner who is a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, was always comfortable and when asked to mow down the Wertheimers' unbeaten Green Spirit (Kingman) did so without any need for the whip. "She's amazing," commented a smitten Christophe...

In the week that Wootton Bassett was lost, one of his many TDN Rising Stars Dorset demonstrated the void that he will leave for the industry in Saturday's Goffs Million. Fourth in the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes earlier this month, the 17-2 shot had some of the best form in the line-up and was sent to the front by apprentice Jack Cleary before halfway. Staying on stoutly in the closing stages, the grey relative of Winter secured the prize by 1 1/4 lengths from the Ivan Furtado-trained 28-1 outsider August...

Things may not have worked out for her in the Phoenix Stakes, but Ballydoyle's True Love (No Nay Never) came good at the second attempt at the highest level in Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. Too strong for compatriot Havana Anna (Havana Grey) from 1 1/2 furlongs down, the 2-1 favourite stayed on strongly for Wayne Lordan to prevail by 3/4 of a length, with a length back to Royal Fixation (Palace Pier) in third. "She's a big filly, very fast and like a big...

Following the news earlier in the day of his sire's untimely passing, Aidan O'Brien trainee Straight Up (Wootton Bassett) delivered a poignant win for Flaxman Stables and the Coolmore partners in Tuesday's WTW Willis Irish EBF Maiden at Listowel. Stalking the pace in second for most of the seven-furlong contest, the 9-4 favourite inched ahead approaching the final furlong and drew off late to assert by three lengths from King Of Sparta (Dubawi). "To do that without a prior run was a very good performance and Wayne [Lordan] was delighted...

As it had 12 months ago, The Curragh's G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes went to Ballydoyle but not to their first string as Precise (Starspangledbanner) emulated Lake Victoria to emerge best of the stable trio under Ronan Whelan. Like Bedtime Story last year, the even-money favourite Composing (Wootton Bassett) cut out the running but faded late, leaving it to Precise and Beautify (Wootton Bassett) to fight out the finish with the former the stronger by 3/4 of a length. "I didn't jump as cleanly as I would have liked, but she...

Capping another red-letter day for Coolmore and Team Ballydoyle and a memorable one for Christophe Soumillon, Delacroix (Dubawi) justified favouritism in style in Leopardstown's G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes. He also punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar on November 1. Sent off the well-supported 2-1 market-leader, the Eclipse hero sat a way off the strong pace before delivering a jaw-dropping killer kick between the three and the two as if he had just jumped in. In command before his chief rival Anmaat (Awtaad)...

There was a moment in the closing stages of Doncaster's G1 St Leger on Saturday that summed up the state of affairs at Coolmore in this pivotal era. As Galileo's final Classic runner Stay True loomed to Justify's Scandinavia, the Classic briefly looked in the balance but it was ultimately the son of the operation's heir apparent and not of the departed giant who earned the statement win. At the line, Tom Marquand had secured a neck success for Aidan O'Brien's third in succession and ninth overall in this prize...

Christophe Soumillon was forced into switching mounts, taking up piloting duties aboard Killarney maiden winner Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel) after TDN Rising Star Montreal (Sea The Stars) was scratched, in Saturday's G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes--formerly known as the Golden Fleece Stakes--and the rider continued on a winning roll as the son of Newspaperofrecord (Lope De Vega) stepped forward to claim a career high in the one-mile contest. His tally earned him a spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar at the beginning of November. "He's a...

Coolmore and Westerberg's €1.7-million Arqana August sale topper Diamond Necklace (St Mark's Basilica) backed up a TDN Rising Star performance at the Curragh last month with a first black-type triumph in Saturday's Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes at Leopardstown. "I was quite confident when I saw the attitude she had going down to the start and she was really professional," said winning jockey Christophe Soumillon. "She was a little impatient in the stalls and didn't jump out properly. I had to change plans because she was quite far...