Aidan O'Brien

What you want to hear from a major owner-breeder like Trevor Stewart, the man who has set up a mini-empire off the back of buying wondermare Cassandra Go back in 1997, is that there is a nuanced approach to breeding and, with the right blend of skill and hard work, you too can make this game pay. The trouble is, Stewart does not believe that is the case. Not only does he put buying top-class racemare-turned-blue hen Cassandra Go down to good luck, but he also points to fortune favouring...

Tuesday marked the first day the seven-strong Aidan O'Brien string got a taste of the Keeneland track ahead of the two-day Breeders' Cup on Nov. 4-5. Leading the Coolmore partners septet after their quarantine period was Group 1 winner Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and G3 Derby Trial S. hero Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who both line up in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf and will leave from stalls four and three, respectively. Second in the 2021 Turf to Godolphin and Charlie Appleby's Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at Del...

Tim Cohen did not come halfway around the world to walk away from the Tattersalls table when the stakes get higher and the American-based agent did not blink in securing I'm A Gambler for 850,000gns on behalf of Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal on day two of the Autumn Horses In Training Sale.  I'm A Gambler (Ire) (No Nay Never), a typical Charlie and Mark Johnston-trained runner who has gone from strength to strength this season and was last seen winning a Listed event at Redcar, will continue his...

Waterville (Ire), the main attraction on day one of the Autumn horses-in-training sale at Tattersalls, did not disappoint by topping the session at 410,000gns to join Chris Waller in Australia.  Guy Mulcaster, who also bought the 84-rated Postwick (GB) (Postponed {Ire}) from Barton Sales for 130,000gns to join Waller, secured Coolmore's Irish Cesarewitch winner.  Described by his trainer Aidan O'Brien at the beginning of the season as a lively each-way contender for the Derby, Waterville [lot 275] never made it to Epsom but went some way to justifying that high...

Former world champion 3-year-old Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) (Danehill--Offshore Boom {GB}, by Be My Guest) has died from heart failure at Castlehyde Stud in Ireland at the age of 23. The son of Danehill was bred by the late Joe Crowley with his daughter Annemarie and son-in-law Aidan O'Brien. He was sent into training with the latter at Ballydoyle as a juvenile in 2001, later racing for the partnership of Sir Alex Ferguson and Susan Magnier. Rock Of Gibraltar's sensational racing career, which saw him land seven consecutive Group 1...

Graduates Knights Order (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}) and Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {BRZ}) have amassed four wins at the highest level in Australia between themselves while Hong Kong Harry (Ire) (Es Que Love {Ire}) paid another compliment to the Autumn Horses in Training Sale at Newmarket by winning a Group 2 in America just last month. That may go some way to explaining why buyers were braving the elements on a day made for ducks on the eve of this sale at Park Paddocks on Sunday.  The 85,000gns that Boomer...

Coolmore and Westerberg's 'TDN Rising Star' and G2 Golden Fleece S. victor Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}--Rhododendron {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) allayed any and all concerns that his ability may be blunted by the heavy going and powered through the mud at Doncaster to register a record-breaking 11th renewal for Aidan O'Brien in Saturday's G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy. The trainer admitted a late scratching might be on the cards if conditions were not suitable for the July 2 Naas maiden winner, but was pleasantly surprised by the state of...

Aidan O'Brien has trimmed his overnight entry of eight down to two for Saturday's £200,000 G1 Vertem Futurity at Doncaster, Europe's final juvenile Group 1 contest of the season. TDN Rising Star and G2 Golden Fleece S. victor Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is the mount of Ryan Moore and has been allocated stall six for the one-mile test. He is set to be joined by Navan maiden winner Salt Lake City (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who will depart from the eight box. The home defence is spearheaded by John...

Stepping up after suffering a defeat at the hands of the dynamic filly Spirit Gal (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the Listed Star Appeal S. at Dundalk Sept. 30, Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road) mastered his rivals in Saturday's G3 Killavullan S. at Leopardstown to add another string to Ballydoyle's remarkable juvenile bow. Never far from the pace set by Bold Discovery (Bolt D'Oro), the 5-2 favourite took over from that rival approaching the furlong pole and stayed on strongly for a 2 3/4-length success from stablemate Sierra Blanca (Ire) (No...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}--Modern Eagle {Ger}, by Montjeu {Ire}) failed to land a telling blow over seven furlongs at Ascot in his Sept. 2 debut last time, but made light work of Thursday's Bill Hanlon Memorial Irish EBF Maiden over the same distance at the Curragh to earn a 'TDN Rising Star' with a taking five-length breakthrough at the Co. Kildare venue. Having already made a splash as the joint-second highest-priced lot when realising €420,000 at last year's Arqana October sale, the 16-5 favourite broke smartly and...

In a year of years for Newmarket, Sir Michael Stoute has enjoyed a fair chunk of the town's success and heads to Saturday's feature G1 Darley Dewhurst S. with as exciting a 2-year-old as he has possessed in some time. Juddmonte's 'TDN Rising Star' Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}) enjoyed the perfect Rowley Mile warm-up when taking the G3 Tattersalls S. over this seven-furlong trip Sept. 22 and the descendant of the 1980 Champion S. heroine Cairn Rouge (Ire) surely has significant days ahead of him. Described as "immature and babyish"...

TDN Rising Star Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) will be forced to miss Saturday's G1 Darley Dewhurst S. at Newmarket after trainer Roger Varian revealed that the G2 Mill Reef S. winner has scoped dirty. Having been supplemented for the seven-furlong feature on Monday, KHK Racing's emerging luminary will now wait until 2023 to test his Classic credentials. "This is of course very frustrating and disappointing and I am very sorry for owners KHK Racing and everyone connected with the horse," Varian posted on Twitter on Thursday. "He will be put...