Aidan O'Brien

   When a horse like Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) comes along, the challenge is to find a new narrative as big-race win follows big-race win. There is no up-and-down to colour the story, no bouncing back from adversity, no heroic turnaround from setback. It is a clear case of superiority winning out each time, as it feels to watch Man City's relentless march through football's major tournaments on the other side of the Pennines. Sometimes, the truth is the horse does the talking and it is clear that we are...

Making light work of Saturday's G2 Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish EBF Futurity S. at The Curragh, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Minding {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) continued the golden spell of the yard's 2-year-olds in 2023. Backed into 2-9 favouritism, the son of the brilliant 1000 Guineas and Oaks heroine who had opened his account in style over this course and seven-furlong distance last month tracked the ultimately-disappointing Spanish Flame (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}) until taking command 2 1/2 out under Ryan Moore. Chased to...

Aidan O'Brien confirmed TDN Rising Star River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) remains on track for Sunday's G1 Prix Morny at Deauville despite missing a piece of work two weeks ago. Campaigned by Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg and Brant, the juvenile was last seen winning the June 20 G1 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot. "The plan is to run River Tiber [this weekend]," O'Brien told Sky Sports Racing. "He had a setback a couple of weeks ago so there will be a cloud over him when we do run him...

Some water has passed under the bridge since we last had the privilege of seeing Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}), but all that has really happened has been the strengthening of his aura and it is with great anticipation that Deauville welcomes him back from his mini-break in Tuesday's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano. While the clock suggested at the time that Gousserie Racing and Ecuries Serge Stempniak's representative had produced something special in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, subsequent events have proven that his performance in that 10 1/2-furlong...

Jockey Frankie Dettori expects Shadwell's G1 Prince of Wales's S. winner Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) to offer a significant challenge to Westerberg, Brant and Coolmore's four-time Group 1 winner Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) when the pair meet up in next week's G1 Juddmonte International at York, the rider told Nick Luck on the presenter's Daily Podcast Monday. Dettori is deputising for regular jockey Jim Crowley, who will be sidelined while suspended for his winning ride aboard Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G1 King George VI & Queen...

Saturday's Bord Na Mona Recycling Irish EBF Maiden at the Curragh has been a springboard to success in the G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. for Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who annexed two of the last three editions. This year's renewal witnessed the emergence of another potential candidate after Aidan O'Brien trainee Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) romped to 'TDN Rising Stardom' in the seven-furlong contest. He had already caused a stir at Newmarket last October, when knocked down for 2.4-million guineas at...

Almost a year to the day since his electrifying G1 Phoenix S. victory, last year's European Champion Two-Year-Old Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) has been retired due to injury. After disappointing in the G1 2000 Guineas, the 'TDN Rising Star' made light work of the opposition in the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock before running second to Shaquille (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. However, after trailing home behind Shaquille in the G1 July Cup at Newmarket, it emerged on Wednesday...

You've heard for a while that Saturday's edition of the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. is a special one. "Race for the ages" has been bandied about and for good reason given the accumulation of top-class mile-and-a-half horses set for the Ascot joust. What had for so long been starved of a meaningful intergenerational clash and threatened to become a bygone curio has suddenly been dusted off and revived due largely to the presence of the Derby winner. Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is no...

Leopardstown's usually-informative G3 Japan Racing Association Tyros S. looked a touch on the disappointing side even before the loss of two key players in Mountain Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Islandsinthestream (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and so what the form of the four-runner affair amounts to will have to be seen in time. What it did provide was a remarkable 16th success in the race for Aidan O'Brien as the stable's understudy to Mountain Bear, Henry Adams (Ire) (No Nay Never), showed a game attitude to make all under...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Shambolic {Ire}, by Shamardal), who made all for a 'TDN Rising Star' rosette with an impressive 2 3/4-length debut tally tackling seven furlongs at the Curragh in her only prior start, maintained her perfect record with a carbon-copy performance in Thursday's G3 Jockey Club Of Turkey Silver Flash S. at Leopardstown. The prohibitively priced 1-4 favourite was slick from the inside gate and seized an early two length advantage in this black-type bow. Untroubled through halfway, she was shaken up with 1 1/2...

No horse has ever improved at Ballydoyle quite to the extent that Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) has this season, according to Aidan O'Brien, who provided an upbeat bulletin on the colt ahead of the G1 Qatar Sussex S. at Goodwood.  Paddington has swept all before him this season. Having begun his campaign in handicaps, he landed the Irish 1,000 Guineas, the St James's Palace S. and more recently the Coral-Eclipse S, proving that he is equally as adept over a mile than he is over 10 furlongs.  The plan is...

Donnacha O'Brien says that he is under no illusions about the task facing Mysteries (Ire) (No Nay Never) in Thursday's Silver Flash S. at Leopardstown where she will come up against the ante-post 1,000 Guineas favourite Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}).  Trained by his father Aidan O'Brien, Ylang Ylang made a big impression on debut at the Curragh last month and sky-rocketed to the head of the betting for next year's Classics as a result.  While Donnacha views his Curragh maiden winner Mysteries in good regard, he says Ylang Ylang...