Aidan O'Brien

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...

Turning the Listed Chesham Stakes into her own Royal Ascot procession on Saturday, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Mecca's Angel {Ire}, by Dark Angel {Ire}) recorded the widest-margin win of the week by some way to enter the 2025 Classic conversation. Content to follow the leaders in the group racing up the centre, the 11-8 favourite who had won a Leopardstown maiden earlier this month was let loose by Ryan Moore two out and surged clear for an emphatic 9 1/2-length success. Pentle Bay (Ire) (New Bay...

You can keep your fashionistas, foodies, royal processions and Group 1 races. Give me the scenes that followed the success of Crystal Black (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes any day of the week instead.  Win, lose or draw, the Wear A Pink Ribbon Syndicate who own Crystal Black came to Ascot for a party. Boy did their rapidly progressive gelding provide them with something to celebrate and the scenes that followed his success for the father and son team of Gerry and Colin Keane will go...

Coolmore's G3 Naas Fillies Sprint victrix Fairy Godmother (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Scintilating {GB}, by Siyouni {Fr}) looked booked for the also-ran slots in Friday's G3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, but unleashed a spectacular burst inside the final furlong to double her pattern-race tally in impressive fashion. The 425,000gns October Book 1 yearling and well-backed 15-8 favourite raced off the pace, nestled in the pack, through halfway in this straight six-furlong dash. Bustled along passing the quarter-mile marker, she made an exaggerated manoeuvre to the stands' side approaching the...

When Aidan O'Brien resurrected City Of Troy (Justify) to win the Derby, he was rightly hailed as a genius. Sadly, it didn't take long for that piece of brilliance to be overshadowed by an expose-style documentary carried out by Ireland's national broadcaster [RTE] which concentrated on horses being sent to slaughter.  Admittedly, the documentary featured mostly non-thoroughbreds but the build-up and reaction to the programme has dominated the mainstream coverage of this sport in recent times. Not O'Brien's moment of magic that arguably should have been celebrated more than it...

ASCOT, UK -- It takes a good one to overcome adversity, and there can be no argument brooked when it comes to the talent of Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). It is writ large in form figures which predominantly feature the figure 1. But those bare statistics frame a year-long gap in which the horse was missing in action, with those around him fearing the worst as he battled to overcome an infection in a hind joint which nearly claimed his life.  "I saw him all the way through it and...

While copper has its origins in his moniker, Ballydoyle's star stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) was all gold after adding to his 2022 triumph in a thrilling renewal of Thursday's G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, becoming the first to regain his crown in the 2 1/2-mile contest since Kayf Tara (GB) (Sadler's Wells) did so at the turn of the century. His one-length victory provided Aidan O'Brien with a record-extending ninth edition, while Ryan Moore, now on four, remains some way shy of Lester Piggott's...

Securing the outright record of Royal Ascot winners, Ryan Moore was at his determined best to win a war of attrition on Ballydoyle's Port Fairy (Ire) (Australia {GB}--Fabulae {Ire}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the G2 Ribblesdale Stakes. Not seen since finishing runner-up in the Listed Cheshire Oaks last month, the product of the Whisperview breeding operation was the pick of Moore of the stable pair and was prominently-placed from the outset. Temporarily swamped two out by the smooth-travelling Lava Stream (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), the 12-1 shot stayed...

Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot will see a field of 14 sprinters line up in an open-looking renewal which includes last year's surprise winner Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Jamie Spencer, who partnered that Charles Hills-trained 80-1 shot 12 months ago, will instead be on Fitri Hay's other runner Mitbaahy (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) from the same stable following his success in The Curragh's G2 Greenlands Stakes last month. Peter Harris's G2 1895 Duke of York Stakes winner Mill Stream (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) represents the Jane...

There was no shortage of talking points to unpick from Wednesday. From Sands Of Mali bagging a breakthrough winner at the royal meeting to Karl Burke and Wathnan racing enjoying a change of fortune and even Ryan Moore coming out of his shell to defend Auguste Rodin, the action on and off the track did not disappoint.  Sands Of Mali Puts His Name In Lights It proved to be a big day for Ballyhane Stud's Sands Of Mali (Fr), who became the first of the freshman sires to get off...

Franking the form of the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial, Ballydoyle's Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Danedrop {Ire}, by Danehill) relished the extra trip of Wednesday's G2 Queen's Vase to justify Ryan Moore's faith and reward him by bringing up his 80th Royal Ascot. Always content on the front end, Ballydoyle's 7-4 favourite veered left in the straight when in command but found the line 1 1/4 lengths ahead of stablemate Highbury (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), with compatriot Birdman (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}) 3/4 of a length away in third. Aidan O'Brien, who was...

Wednesday saw the draw made for Friday's two group 1 contests at Royal Ascot, with the 10 fillies set to contest the Coronation S. headed by Ballydoyle's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Opera Singer (Justify) and Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's 1,000 Guineas heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Opera Singer, who was returning from a setback when third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, has drawn an outside stall in nine for the mile feature while the Roger Varian-trained Newmarket Classic heroine is in seven. James Doyle takes over from Silvestre De...