Joseph O'Brien

Leading industry players have their say on the eagerly-anticipated BBAG Yearling Sale If you are looking for a Classic contender, the BBAG Yearling Sale in Baden-Baden cannot be missed. Horses like Lazy Griff and Tamfana are just a couple of recent examples of what can be sourced here and, judging by the amount of international buyers that have made the trip for this year's edition, which kicks off on Friday, competition for the next big-name graduate will be fierce.  From leading trainer Joseph O'Brien to Liberty Racing founder Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten,...

Stepping up off a debut sixth behind Composing to win at Leopardstown last month, Philip Antonacci's Queen Of Hawaii (Kingman) continued the progression to take Saturday's G3 Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes at The Curragh. Sent off the 100-30 second favourite for the mile contest, registered as the Flame of Tara, the Joseph O'Brien-trained €250,000 Goffs Orby Book 1 purchase swamped Moments Of Joy (Justify) approaching the final furlong en route to a 2 1/4-length success. "She was very well bought by Philip Antonacci at Goffs and won her maiden...

G2 Great Voltigeur runner-up Carmers (Wootton Bassett) is one of 15 horses remaining in the G1 St Leger at Doncaster next month at the latest entry stage. Trained by Paddy Twomey, he represents Fiona Carmichael. A winner at Ballinrobe at first asking in May, Carmers added the Listed Yeats Stakes to his haul at Navan later that month before claiming Royal Ascot glory in the G2 Queen's Vase in June. The Great Voltigeur was his first defeat. "We were very happy with him at York last week, finishing second in...

All eyes were on Flushing Meadows (Wootton Bassett) in Thursday's G3 Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes, but it was John Oxley's North Coast (Starman) who proved clear best in Leopardstown's seven-furlong staging post. Runner-up to another Ballydoyle colt in Daytona in the Listed Pat Smullen Stakes earlier this month, the Joseph O'Brien-trained 3-1 favourite led at every step under Dylan Browne McMonagle and readily saw off the 30-100 favourite to win by six lengths. "We felt we'd make the favourite work for it and he was aggressive and strong at...

Isaac Souede and Simon Munir's Green Sense (Starman) faded out of contention when 13th of 17 in Royal Ascot's G3 Albany Stakes last month, but bounced back in style to defeat her male peers and secure a breakthrough success in Sunday's G2 Goffs Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly. "She's a really good filly, she is very easy to ride and she won well," said winning rider Maxime Guyon. "My instructions were to follow and then use her turn of foot. We were unsure how she would handle the track as...

Leopardstown's opening mile maiden on Thursday has produced some important fillies of late and Kingman's Queen Of Hawaii could belong among them after taking the latest renewal with authority. Whether she will follow in the steps of the last three winners Opera Singer, Swelter and Caroline Street remains to be seen, but there was a lot to like about the way Philip Antonacci's half-sister to the dual Group-placed Up And Under (Lope De Vega) went about her business. "She had a lovely run the first day in a strong maiden...

Some of the earliest clues for next year's Triumph Hurdle may well have been on show at Arqana on Wednesday when the highly-touted Zekret (Fr) was purchased on behalf of a leading Irish owner to continue his career with Joseph O'Brien. The Zarak colt boasted smart form in France for trainer Andre Fabre on behalf of Al Shaqab Racing and was last seen running respectably - only beaten a little over three lengths - in a Group 3 contest at ParisLongchamp over 1m3f.  It was agent Alex Elliott, working alongside...

Leading bloodstock agent Mark McStay has labelled the ITM Barrier Trials as one of the most important innovations on the Irish racing scene for a number of years but implored more trainers to get behind the initiative ahead of the return of the concept at Naas on Monday.  This year marks the fifth running of the ITM Barrier Trials, with trainers like Joseph O'Brien, Gordon Elliott, Gavin Cromwell, Jessica Harrington, Henry de Bromhead and Donnacha O'Brien heavily represented across a 10-trial card that features races over six and seven furlongs...

Al Shaqab Racing and Trevor Stewart's 2-year-old colt Andab (Saxon Warrior), a full-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road, made a winning debut in Monday's Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden over six furlong at the Curragh. Let go at odds of 8-1, he pulled clear in the closing stages to register an impressive 4 3/4-length success.   👀 Andab (Saxon Warrior) is a brother to @BreedersCup Juvenile winner Victoria Road and makes a very likeable start in the @AlShaqabRacing silks for the @JosephOBrien2 team @curraghrace |...

Relishing a mix of an easy lead and aggressive home-straight tactics in Navan's G3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes, Wemightakedlongway (Ire) (Australia {GB}) led at every step to dominate this Classic trial. Fifth taking on the colts in Leopardstown's G3 Ballysax Stakes over this 10-furlong trip earlier this month, the 15-2 shot who races for E S Racing and Joseph O'Brien was able to saunter along for Dylan Browne McMonagle before being the pedal was pushed to the floor three out. Giving generously from there, she was ultimately too...

In the age of stride length and cadence, stopwatches and sectionals, top speeds, biometrics and all of the other measurement tools out there to judge a racehorse on, one could be forgiven for thinking that all bases are covered at the breeze-up sales.  However, handler Willie Browne, bloodstock agent Ross Doyle and trainer Joseph O'Brien, three titans of the bloodstock industry, say they don't care if you utilise data until your eyes bleed--there will always be good horses that will escape through the net. That is good news for the...

The wait is almost over. With less than a month until the Flat season proper gets underway, what better time to draw up a list of under the radar runners, beginning with Brian Sheerin's nominations from Ireland. From potential Classic contenders to well-handicapped sprinters rated 76, our man in Ireland has put forward 10 horses who will hopefully prove profitable to follow this season. Giselle (Ire) Frankel (GB) filly out of Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) Form: 213 Trainer: Aidan O'Brien Giselle could be one of the most exciting...