Aidan O'Brien

Coolmore and Westerberg's 'TDN Rising Star' Jan Brueghel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Devoted To You {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) followed up an eighth-length debut tally at the Curragh with a black-type breakthrough back there in June's G3 International Stakes and, penalised three pounds for his narrow success in the latter, dipped into deep reserves to maintain his perfect record with a battling performance in Thursday's G3 John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood. The 4-5 favourite allowed this track's Listed Cocked Hat Stakes victor Meydaan (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) establish a clear...

Like stablemate Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), there is a sense that Ballydoyle's Opera Singer (Justify) is only just beginning to get her season underway as she steps up to a mile and a quarter for the first time in Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood. Reportedly ring-rusty when third in the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas at The Curragh and looking in need of further than a mile when runner-up in Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation Stakes, last year's impressive G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine has the opportunity to truly...

After the withdrawal of leading 3-year-old miler Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Wednesday's G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood has suddenly and drastically changed shape with the race's two main protagonists now fairly equally-rated sons of Dubawi (Ire). If the 3-year-olds hold sway over their three older rivals as the betting suggests in this GI Breeders' Cup Mile qualifier, this will come down to a good old-fashioned Coolmore-Godolphin face-off between Aidan O'Brien's Henry Longfellow (Ire) and Charlie Appleby's Notable Speech (GB). Both TDN Rising Stars with contrasting profiles, they have...

The Galway Festival's seven-furlong fillies' maiden on the Tuesday card has proved a rich font of budding luminaries and Ballydoyle's Bubbling (Ire) (No Nay Never--Lumiere Noire {Fr}, by Dashing Blade {GB}) looked no exception as she became the stable's latest TDN Rising Star. Fourth behind the stable's subsequent G3 Silver Flash Stakes runner-up Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) on debut at Leopardstown earlier this month, the full-sister to the G1 2,000 Guineas runner-up Wichita (Ire) travelled with ease under Wayne Lordan stalking the early pace. Sent forward to take control a...

All the drama involving Ballydoyle's Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) hopefully seems to be firmly in the past as the monster stayer returned to the Sussex Downs for a second G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup, setting a new track record to put the cherry on top. Sent up by Ryan Moore to keep tabs on the cat-and-mouse leading duo from the outset, the 8-13 favourite needed niggling at various stages to close the gap but quickly responded each time and by the time he found himself in...

Coolmore and Westerberg's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation Stakes placegetter Opera Singer (Justify) and supplementary entry Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) are the leading lights left after 10 of 12 overnight nominees stood their ground for Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes. Opera Singer, last term's impressive G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner, is on course to make her first start beyond the one-mile distance while it will be dual Group 1 winner Emily Upjohn's first visit to the Sussex Downs venue. The latter's Team Gosden stablemate Inspiral...

Ballydoyle's miracle horse Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is back at the scene of one of his finest hours on Tuesday as he descends on the Sussex Downs for another tilt at the G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup. Denied a follow-up to his memorable 2022 success over Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) due to last year's potentially catastrophic injury, the Moyglare homebred announced his return from the brink and how with another dynamic display to win a second G1 Gold Cup at the Royal meeting last month. It could be...

Putting an indifferent debut effort at The Curragh firmly behind him, Ballydoyle's Rock Of Cashel (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}--Best In The World {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) made all to take the often-informative seven-furlong maiden on the opening card of the Galway festival and become the stable's latest TDN Rising Star. Only eighth as the 7-4 favourite in the Barronstown Stud Maiden on Irish Derby day, the half-brother to the brilliant Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was quickly away under Wayne Lordan and placed straight on the front end. Harrassed throughout,...

Dual G1 Gold Cup hero Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) remains on target for a second G1 Al Shaqab Goodwwod Cup and heads a field of seven declared for Tuesday's renewal of the £500,000 two-mile marathon. The Aidan O'Brien trainee, who continues on a facsimile of his banner 2022 campaign, is the lone Ballydoyle representative after stablemates Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) were deemed surplus to requirements at the confirmation stage. Ryan Moore has been aboard in all 15 of the six-year-old's prior starts and...

There can be few six-time Group 1 winners that have as weird a profile as Ballydoyle's enigmatic Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), but as Ascot's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes approaches of course all eyes are on him once again. It was in this summer jewel 12 months ago that one of the best Derby winners of recent times was seen floundering even before the home turn before disappearing from view, a scene that would normally represent a fall from grace. But where we are...

She was highly unlikely to be as impressive as at Royal Ascot and while Ballydoyle's Listed Chesham Stakes-winning TDN Rising Star Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Mecca's Angel {Ire}, by Dark Angel {Ire}) wasn't as ruthless in Thursday evening's G3 Jockey Club Of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes, her class duly told in Leopardstown's joint-feature. Settled behind her course-and-distance-winning stablemate Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) by Ryan Moore, the 1-16 favourite was pulled out of her slipstream approaching the furlong pole and sent onwards to a 3 1/2-length success. There was another 1...

Coolmore and Westerberg's dual Derby hero Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) heads a field of nine for Saturday's G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Qipco S. after final declarations were confirmed for Ascot's midsummer showpiece on Thursday morning. Aidan O'Brien trimmed his team from five to three for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf "Win and You're In", sidelining Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), and will also saddle Hans Andersen (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Auguste Rodin, who has hit...