Derrick Smith

Aidan O'Brien had not won the G2 Queen Mary Stakes until subsequent G1 1000 Guineas heroine True Love (No Nay Never) prevailed last year and the Ballydoyle maestro edged closer to a century of Royal Ascot winners when TDN Rising Star Victorious (Wootton Bassett), who is blind in one eye, produced a telling burst in the closing stages of the five-furlong contest to provide the trainer with a 99th Royal winner. "She's incredible, we knew she was very classy and we've always felt that she'd be very good," O'Brien said....

Aidan O'Brien's pattern-race resume at Royal Ascot had yet to include the G1 King Charles III Stakes and the Ballydoyle maestro completed the set when Ryan Moore produced the gelded three-year-old Mission Central (No Nay Never) fast and late to follow up Great Barrier Reef's Coventry success and secure a quickfire double for his sire in the five-furlong charge. The race is a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland in the autumn. "They went hard, which suited him, and Ryan [Moore] gave him...

Coolmore and Westerberg's Endorsement (Wootton Bassett) attempted to make all and hit the board behind James J Braddock (Zarak) and Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) in last month's G3 Derby Trial at Leopardstown and boosted the hopes of those G1 Derby candidates with a seven-length romp in Thursday's Listed King George V Cup back at the Foxrock venue. "His form is solid, it was nice to see him running well and Ryan [Moore] was very happy with him," commented Aidan O'Brien. "We didn't know how far he'd stay because a mile-and-a-quarter is...

Aidan O'Brien annexed the last three editions of the Curragh's Sky Bet Club Irish EBF Maiden--with Amadeus Mozart, Henri Matisse and Unquestionable--and made it four in a row when Aix La Chapelle (Justify), a son of dual Group 1 winner Immortal Verse (Pivotal), pounced in the closing stages of the seven-furlong contest. "They were horses that we were getting out in case they were [Listed] Chesham horses and we're delighted with him," O'Brien commented. "They went along there and he did well as he was never away [from home] and...

Saint-Cloud's Prix Chapeau Rouge maiden had gone the way of subsequent top-level performers Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns), Alcantor (New Bay) and Arapaho (Lope De Vega) in recent years and Christopher Head trainee Avec Toi (No Nay Never) added his name to an illustrious list with a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, performance in Tuesday's latest renewal of the seven-furlong newcomers' test. Coolmore and Westerberg's Kentucky-bred becomes the 14th Rising Star for his sire. "This is our first two-year-old winner of the year, I think he's a very good colt...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Sun Goddess (Sioux Nation) shaped with a deal of promise at Naas two weeks ago and made a giant leap forward with a visually stunning TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, performance in Sunday's Revamp Conservation And Restoration Irish EBF Fillies Maiden at the Curragh. "She had a lovely run the first day and we got her out [at Naas] in case she was an Ascot filly," the trainer explained. "She ran so well [on debut] and that is why she is back here. She could be...

Coolmore's Scandinavia (Justify) has undertaken Ballydoyle's tried-and-trusted route towards next month's G1 Gold Cup and last term's G1 St Leger and G1 Goodwood Cup hero backed up his win in last month's Listed Vintage Crop Stakes on seasonal return with a workmanlike performance in Friday's G3 Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes at Leopardstown. "This was the perfect race to bridge the gap [to Royal Ascot] and we'll get more serious as we go along," said Aidan O'Brien. "He's a big, relaxed horse and we couldn't be happier really. Ryan [Moore] was...

Coolmore and Westerberg's G3 Park Express Stakes fifth Cameo (Wootton Bassett) benefitted greatly from a jump up in trip and entered G1 Oaks calculations with a powerful display, and a fourth success for Aidan O'Brien, in Saturday's Listed William Hill Oaks Trial at Lingfield. "Today was the first time I've ridden her," said Ryan Moore. "She's a scopey filly, she handled the track well and did everything right. She picked up from a long way out and kept going. She is a filly that will get better as the year...

Ballydoyle has once again passed its annual check-up with Dr Chester and Aidan O'Brien continued his domination of black-type contests at the Roodeye after TDN Rising Star Jan Brueghel (Galileo) increased the trainer's record haul to eight in the extended 13-furlong stamina test. O'Brien and Ryan Moore, when partnering up, have registered 11 consecutive wins at the track and the G1 St Leger and G1 Coronation Cup hero will defend his title in the latter event, skipping the opportunity of utilising his free ticket to next month's GII Belmont Gold...

Monday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden - over a trip 15 yards shy of six furlongs at Naas - has an honour roll featuring multiple Group 1 winners Fairyland (Kodiac) and Alpha Centauri (Mastercraftsman), who earned their Rising Star rosettes here. This year's renewal went the way of Aidan O'Brien trainee Victorious (Wootton Bassett), who became her sire's 19th TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, when displaying an array of gears and posting an impressive 1 3/4-length tally for the Coolmore and Westerberg partnership. "She's a lovely filly, but...

Coolmore's hitherto unraced New Yorker (No Nay Never), who missed his intended debut at the Curragh last week, was let go as the odds-on favourite for Friday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Dundalk, a contest won in recent years by Ballydoyle's Caravaggio and Blackbeard, and did enough under a late drive to secure a 1 1/4-length success in the five-furlong heat. "It was really tough for them, but he handled the preliminaries well and he was good in the race," reflected Ballydoyle's Chris Armstrong. "Today is not ideal, with...

Paladin (Gun Runner), the winner of the GII Remsen Stakes at the Big A Dec. 6, will according to his trainer Chad Brown point to the Feb. 14 running of the GII Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, which is tabbed as a GI Kentucky Derby qualifier offering 50-25-15-10-5 points to the top five finishers. The $1.9-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling purchase, owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter Brant, Brook T. Smith and Summer Wind Equine, broke his maiden on debut in Ozone Park Oct....