Aidan O'Brien

We've all seen that video; it was in the month of March when Aidan O'Brien opened the gates at Ballydoyle to the Irish press and, tasked with naming his best 2-year-old by Brendan O'Rourke, the champion trainer did not hold back in his praise for Little Big Bear (Ire). After nominating Little Big Bear as being top of the class, O'Brien also advised O'Rourke, a renowned Irish racing commentator, to double his stake from a fiver to a tenner on the colt winning his maiden on debut at the Curragh...

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. Wednesday's Observations features a son of G3 Albany S. heroine Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}). 13.55 Gowran, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT With Ryan Moore engaged elsewhere, Wayne Lordan gets the call aboard Aidan O'Brien trainee SUBZERO (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}), who is the first of two foals out of...

The GI Runhappy Travers S. is one of the summer's most highly anticipated events and for the past several years it has been the centerpiece of a Super Saturday card at Saratoga that serves as a Breeders' Cup preview. The Travers is one of five star-studded Grade Is on the 14-race card, which also includes the GII Ballston Spa S. for turf fillies. Intriguing storylines abound in this year's eight-horse renewal of the summer centerpiece for sophomore colts, which is topped by GII Jim Dandy S. winner Epicenter (Not This...

Ballydoyle's Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), whose most recent trip across the Atlantic resulted in a strong runner-up effort behind Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf, faces nine others--including defending champion Gufo (Declaration of War)--in Saturday's GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Invitational S. at Saratoga. The 12-furlong event earns the winner a fees-paid berth into this year's Turf at Keeneland Nov. 5. The 6-year-old entire comes into the Sword Dancer a relatively fresh animal, as he will be making just his fourth start of the...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never--Muirin {Ire}, by Born To Sea {Ire}), who was collared in the dying strides of June's G2 Railway S. at the Curragh, outpointed reopposing stablemate The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in last month's G2 Darley Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly and enhanced a banner weekend for his all-conquering sire (by Scat Daddy) with a career high in Sunday's G1 Darley Prix Morny - Finale des Darley Series at Deauville. In so doing, he provided O'Brien with a fourth winner of the six-furlong...

Following the frantic Saturday, a sense of serenity returns to the European racing scene on Sunday with Deauville hosting the leading action including the G1 Darley Prix Morny and G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet. In the latter contest, France says bienvenue to the Australian wonder Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) who makes her eagerly anticipated Northern Hemisphere debut under Frankie Dettori for the Francis-Henri Graffard stable. Her astounding 11 Group 1 wins in her former country make her a figure of worldwide renown, but a 12th in Europe would truly...

Delivering Saxon Warrior (Jpn) with a breakthrough first black-type winner at Deauville on Saturday, Victoria Road (Ire) took the Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage at a mile to also crown a memorable afternoon for Aidan O'Brien who had enjoyed a clean sweep of the 2-year-old contests at The Curragh. Always prominent under Ioritz Mendizabal, the 4-1 shot who had broken his maiden at the fifth attempt 10 days previously over seven furlongs at Gowran Park worked his way to the front inside the last 100 metres and mastered...

Having come from behind on Aesop's Fables (Ire) in the Futurity half an hour earlier, Ryan Moore was ripping it up from the front on Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) as the Belle of Ballydoyle brought up a notable pattern-race double for her sire and a 13th renewal of the G2 Alpha Centauri Debutante S. Out of action since her success in the June 17 G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot, the 8-13 favourite had no qualms with being placed on the front end and raced with ears pricked as...

Ryan Moore is in a rare dimension at present and his domination of The Curragh's Saturday card showcased his renowned fine judgment as well as his excellent tactical awareness. Open to a plethora of choice from the Ballydoyle ranks on the fixture, Coolmore's longstanding number one picked right every time with the selection of Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) for the G2 Galileo Irish EBF Futurity S. his finest act of sagacity. Faced with two of the yard's 'TDN Rising Stars', he opted for the imposing  half-brother to Washington...

2nd-Curragh, €16,500, Mdn, 8-20, 2yo, 7fT, 1:24.70, gd. CONTINUOUS (JPN) (c, 2, Heart's Cry {Jpn}--Fluff {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) broke well and led after the initial strides of this first go. Rowed along with three furlongs remaining, the 10-3 pick came under sterner urging inside the final quarter mile and was driven out in the closing stages to hold King Of Scotia (Ire) (Kessaar {Ire}) by an ultimately snug 1 1/2 lengths, becoming the first winner in Ireland for his sire (by Sunday Silence). "Ryan [Moore] was very happy with...

Racing for the third time in The Curragh's Coolmore Arizona Irish EBF Maiden over a mile on Saturday, Ballydoyle's Hiawatha (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) delivered in style under Ryan Moore. Always happy on the front end, the full-brother to Luxembourg (Ire) who was runner-up at Killarney July 11 and at Galway July 30 justified 5-4 favouritism by 3 1/2 lengths from Fleetfoot (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Turned over by Jim Bolger's Serious Challenge (Ire) (Fracas {Ire}) over an extended mile at the Galway festival last time, the full-brother to last year's G1...

It may not have been the wide-margin success prohibitive odds of 2-9 might have implied beforehand, but Westerberg and Coolmore's G1 Futurity Trophy hero and G1 2000 Guineas third Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}--Attire {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) was on the comeback trail from his storied muscular woes in Saturday's G3 Fitzdares Royal Whip S. at the Curragh and not only proved his wellbeing, but much, much more with an impressively game performance in the card's 10-furlong feature. The day's star attraction was allowed find his own rhythm and stalked...