Aidan O'Brien

Charlie Appleby says Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) will line out in Friday's $1m Bahrain International Trophy with a favourite's chance but admitted that stall 12 could make things tricky for the dual Group 1 winner as Godolphin ready a five-strong team for the Group 2 contest. Last seen winning the G1 Canadian International in October, Nations Pride will be joined by stablemate Highland Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), with William Buick opting to ride the former in his bid to win the race for a first time. Appleby said, "Nations...

Aidan O'Brien's St Leger winner Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) will miss the Japan Cup next weekend due to stiffness. His scheduled run at Tokyo racecourse on November 26 had garnered plenty of interest amongst the locals. Not only was he due to take on the brilliant Equinox, currently rated as the best horse in the world, but Continuous is a son of the popular Japanese stallion Heart's Cry. Heart's Cry was a quality performer in Japan and beat Deep Impact, the sire of O'Brien's dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin,...

It may be November but Aidan O'Brien has already whet the appetite for next season by announcing that dual Derby and Breeders' Cup winner Auguste Rodin will stay in training as a four-year-old. Auguste Rodin capped off a brilliant campaign with a sensational success in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita under an inspired Ryan Moore just over a week ago.  It was viewed by many as the perfect swansong by the coveted son of Deep Impact but, when Auguste Rodin did not feature on the list of stallion...

Announced as a season-ending target long before such announcements are typically made, the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf proved fertile ground for the Coolmore partners' Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who enjoyed what turned out to be a dream trip beneath Ryan Moore, got through when the real running commenced at the head of the lane and charged to the wire to defeat top U.S. hope Up to the Mark (Not This Time). It was a sixth victory in the mile-and-a-half second-richest race on the card for trainer Aidan...

All five of the 'Future Stars Friday' winners at Santa Anita appeared to emerge from the efforts unscathed, with connections looking forward to their Classics campaigns in 2024. The very domination of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) will likely have put the colt at the head of the class for champion 2-year-old honors, and the Repole Stable homebred looked good Saturday morning. "We were extremely happy with the way Fierceness ran," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "The race kind of unfolded the...

ARCADIA, USA -- A clean sweep for Europe in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. How about that to start the Breeders' Cup? And then for the closing act, a one-two for Aidan O'Brien in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf after the drama of the early-morning scratching of race favourite River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). For the curtain up, Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), named to honour a fallen friend, paid the best possible tribute to the late Paul Evans in giving his British owners Paul and...

Courtesy of years in the sport of horse racing, Team Coolmore is as well versed as anyone with many of racing's highs and lows. Hitting one of those lulls when GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf morning-line favorite River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was a vet scratch earlier Friday, the team--in concert with Al Shaqab Racing--ended Day 1 of the World Championships with a rousing coup, taking the final Breeders' Cup race of the day with Unquestionable (Fr), a colt by Coolmore stallion Wootton Bassett {GB}). Coolmore completed the Exacta...

ARCADIA, CA - The imposing Bill Mott-trained duo of Just F Y I (Justify) (Juvenile Fillies) and champion Elite Power (Curlin) (Sprint) immediately caught the eye as the curtain was lifted at Santa Anita with a spectacular sunrise beneath the San Gabriel mountains on Breeders' Cup eve. Japanese superstar Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the Mile, began her marathon training session, while the horse to catch in the Dirt equivalent 'Rising Star' Zozos (Munnings) left the pony raring to go. John Gosden, represented by potential race...

ARCADIA, USA -- In case you're wondering, Aidan O'Brien had scrambled eggs for breakfast. That was just after he had watched his squad of ten take a stronger turn around Santa Anita's dirt track and before he had a chance to consider a second course at the lavish buffet by politely stepping outside to answer questions from a few annoying hacks, this one included. Ryan Moore has been aboard Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint contender Cherry Blossom (Ire) (No Nay Never) these last two mornings. "Is that a...

Colin Keane retains the title of Irish Champion Jockey, his fourth in succession and fifth overall, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Thursday. Joining Keane on the podium will be Aidan O'Brien and Sue Magnier, who also retain their titles of trainer and owner, respectively, while Jamie Powell is favoured to earn the Irish Champion Apprentice title. Keane earned his championship by riding to an unassailable lead in late August. He celebrated group wins aboard Zarinsk (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) on three occasions. In addition, he also rode Group 3 winners for...

ARCADIA, USA--Against the most stunning backdrop in world racing, just as the pre-dawn sky started to pinken with promise, a metaphorical dark cloud was cast across Santa Anita racetrack. Practical Move (Practical Joke), a leading contender for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack on his way back in from exercise in front of onlookers on the apron. The screens arrived eventually, but not soon enough to remind those present of the occasionally desperate nature of the sport we love, and how such a...

ARCADIA, CA -- After firing a five-furlong warning shot at Santa Anita Monday morning, Zedan Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) was installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite while drawing post 12 at the Rood & Riddle Post-Position Draw for Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The Bob Baffert-trained GI Pacific Classic hero and $2.3-million OBS April breezer will face 12 rivals in the $6-million centerpiece, including fellow sophomore and the rail-drawn GI Belmont S. and GI Travers S. hero Arcangelo (Arrogate), GI Whitney S. winner White Abarrio (Race...