Westerberg

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...

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 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...

This particular October weekend is so important when it comes to next year's Classics and Aidan O'Brien has simply dominated it in 2025 with Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) bringing up a Sunday Group 1 double at Saint-Cloud and a third overall following the previous day's action at Doncaster. Sent off the 7-10 favourite for the 10-furlong Criterium de Saint-Cloud, the impressive Zetland winner travelled easily for Christophe Soumillon tracking the early pace and when sent on inside the two opened up to score with authority by two lengths from the Donnacha...

Westerberg and Coolmore's Sugar Island (Dubawi) was a well-beaten ninth of 10 in this month's G1 Fillies' Mile and bounced back in style to make all for an impressive success in Tuesday's one-mile G3 Staffordstown Stud Stakes, formerly known as the Silken Glider Stakes, at the Curragh. The win extended Aidan O'Brien's record haul in the contest to 13. "She's a big, galloping filly who stays very well and Wayne [Lordan] gave her a lovely ride," commented Ballydoyle's Chris Armstrong. "She had a very good run at Doncaster in a...

Leopardstown's Saturday card belonged to Aidan O'Brien and Jack Cleary and their winning sequence included a bright prospect for the 2025 Classics in Christmas Day (Camelot) in the nine-furlong G3 Mongey Communications Eyrefield Stakes. Coming off a maiden win at Gowran Park last month, the 13-2 shot was delivered from the pack to deny A Boy Named Susie (Starspangledbanner) on the line and prevail by a short head. "He's progressed from run to run and he took great confidence from the win the last day," Ballydoyle's representative Chris Armstrong explained....

It didn't take long for Ballydoyle to register a winner on Qipco British Champions Day as Mission Central (No Nay Never) came good in the second act of the afternoon at Ascot. Following an eight-length Curragh maiden win with success in the Round Tower, he was sent to the Flying Childers at Doncaster but failed to get into the five-furlong contest dominated by Revival Power. This was much more in his comfort zone and he was always travelling notably strongly tracking the pace before being launched by Christophe Soumillon inside...