Aidan O'Brien

Having surrendered to Ballydoyle's City Of Troy (Justify) in the Derby, the Gredleys' Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) has more work to do taking on a crew from that establishment on their home soil in Sunday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh. While the likes of Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Jack Hobbs (GB) (Halling) have come from Epsom to successfully represent Britain in recent years, there is always that bridge to cross coming here. There is also the significant rain that...

Returning to the Curragh venue at which he made a remarkable debut last month, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Jan Brueghel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Devoted To You {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) had to endure his first fight to stretch his unbeaten record in Saturday's G3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai International Stakes. What was left in the tank at the end of the 10-furlong contest after he had mastered the long-time leader Trustyourinstinct (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) by a neck remains to be seen, but the manner in which the 8-13 favourite hit...

Emulating stablemate Matrika (Ire) 12 months ago, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Truly Enchanting (Ire) (No Nay Never--Alluringly, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) made the quick turnaround from Royal Ascot to to provide her sire with back-to-back winners of The Curragh's G2 Airlie Stud Stakes on Saturday. Unable to mix it with the fastest fillies when 13th in the five-furlong G2 Queen Mary Stakes, the descendant of Urban Sea (Miswaki) had the required pace to lay up with fellow Ascot also-ran California Dreamer (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}) from the outset in this longer...

The Curragh's three-day Irish Derby fixture is more often than not the place to discover future Classic contenders at first glance and Friday's Kildare House Hotel Irish EBF Fillies Maiden looks to have played host to two potentially top-class daughters of Frankel (GB) in Lake Victoria (Ire) and Red Letter (GB). In a thrilling finale to the seven-furlong contest between the regally-bred debutantes, it was the former who edged it to earn TDN Rising Star status and make Ballydoyle's cup run over when it comes to exciting 2-year-old fillies. The...

Prominent breeze-up consignor and pre-trainer Ian McCarthy says that having a genuine Derby horse through his hands will be very hard to top and explained how he will be rooting for graduate Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) in Sunday's Irish Derby at the Curragh. McCarthy sold Ambiente Friendly on behalf of the colt's breeders Al Shira'aa Farms for 80,000gns to bloodstock agent Freddy Tylicki at last year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale.  Tylicki's opinion on the horse has since been vindicated 10 times over with Ambiente Friendly carrying the colours of...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a half-brother to Snowfall (Jpn) in a deep field of maidens at the Curragh. 13.15 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT ROCK OF CASHEL (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the pick of Ryan Moore from a Ballydoyle trio in this maiden used by Aidan O'Brien for...

The Gredleys' Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) will have seven peers to contend with in Sunday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh after the confirmations were revealed on Friday morning. The James Fanshawe trainee will renew rivalry with Ballydoyle's Derby third Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), one of four representing Aidan O'Brien alongside The Euphrates (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Euphoric (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Grosvenor Square (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). David Menuisier saddles the 2023 G1 Criterium International winner Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), while the field is...

Irish Derby weekend kicks off at the Curragh on Friday and there are no shortage of potential talking points. From highly-regarded juveniles, intriguingly-bred newcomers, stars of the future and potential banana skins, all of the ingredients are there to make the action on the track absorbing and informative. Here are some things to keep an eye out for.  Twomey Tipped To Begin Derby Weekend With A Bang The opening two-year-old maiden on Friday has the potential to be a cracker and the Paddy Twomey-trained Admiral Churchill (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) is...

Ten horses remain in contention for Sunday's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, including six trained by Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. Only one other Irish trainer, Ger Lyons, has a colt still engaged in the race, while the three potential travellers from Britain are led by the James Fanshawe-trained Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who was runner-up to City Of Troy in the Derby and has been supplemented for the Irish Classic. "He took Epsom well," said Fanshawe of his charge who will aim to go one better at the Curragh...

Royal Ascot was tremendous in myriad ways. Sun up, crowd up, and a spread of results which drew in some of the world's biggest owners and trainers alongside syndicates and smaller yards. Then on Sunday morning came the news that QIPCO is to significantly reduce its sponsorship of British racing from next year. British Champions Day will still be run in its name, and the company owned by Sheikhs Hamad and Fahad Al Thani will remain as an official partner of Ascot racecourse, but Newmarket's Guineas meeting, Ascot's King George...

Six winners across the week saw Coolmore, Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore sweep the leading owner, trainer and jockey titles at Royal Ascot for a second successive year. O'Brien received a thirteenth leading trainer award at Royal Ascot and increased his lead as the most successful current trainer at the meeting, ending the week on 91 career victories. Moore, crowned leading jockey at the meeting for an eleventh time, surpassed Frankie Dettori as the most successful current jockey at Royal Ascot. His career haul of 85 places him second on...

Isle Of Jura (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) stormed to a memorable Hardwicke victory on Saturday to provide trainer George Scott and rider Callum Shepherd with a breakthrough Royal Ascot success. The win was a timely one for Shepherd, who endured a hammer blow when losing the ride aboard Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who would go on to finish second in the Derby.  Naturally, Shepherd was overcome with emotion after crossing the winning line in front aboard Isle Of Jura, who is owned by Bahrain's Victorious Racing and racked up...