Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O'Brien earned his 50th win (33.3%) by a juvenile this year with the tally of Monumental (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) at Gowran Park on Tuesday, according to Sporting Life. It was his 31st individual 2-year-old to secure at least one victory since the start of the season. His closest pursuer is trainer Karl Burke (41 wins, 21.5%).
In previous years, O'Brien accrued 26 (2023), 40 (2022) and 21 (2021) juvenile wins. His individual winners' count during that same three-year period was 28 (2023), 24 (2022), and 18 (2021).
Top of the Coolmore partners' pecking order and in the overall Timefore 2-year-old standings is the undefeated multiple group winner Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) at 116p. O'Brien's 'TDN Rising Star' and G3 Acomb Stakes hero The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) sits second in the ratings with a mark of 115p. He is currently the winter favourite for both the G1 2000 Guineas and the G1 Derby. Besides Juddmonte's Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) in third for Ger Lyons at 113p, the next trio of runners are all tied at Timeform 112p and all trained by the master of Rosegreen–two-time Group 3 scorer Fairy Godmother (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), dual Group 2 winner Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), and G1 Prix Morny hero Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never).
Only three Ballydoyle inmates managed a ranking above 110 in 2023, the same number as in 2022. In 2021, just one juvenile trained by O'Brien met that criteria.
In 2022, O'Brien trained subsequent Coolmore sire Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) to a rank of 126p and he was crowned champion juvenile, an honour that went to stablemate City Of Troy (Justify) last year at a mark of 119p.
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