Donnacha O'Brien

The turn of the year seems like a long time ago but the recollection of goals set, targets to reach or plans made still live fresh in the memory even if a worldwide pandemic may have put paid to some of them. For 20-year-old apprentice jockey Gavin Ryan, though, the course is firmly set. His big aim for the year was to ride out his five-pound claim by the Galway Festival, which he achieved, and now his trajectory is pointing toward the Irish Champion Apprentice title. Ryan has an easy...

A foursome of wild cards have been added to the Tattersalls August Online Sale. Bidding opens on Aug. 12 at midday BST and ends on Aug. 14 at midday BST. Ger Lyons's Glenburnie Stables offers Curragh maiden winner and 90-rated Coill Avon (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), who is out of the G3 Lodge Park Express S. winner Czabo (GB) (Sixties Icon {GB}). Donnacho O'Brien sends Limerick maiden winner Great House (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who won on his second start going 1 1/2 miles on June 29. Completing the wild cards are...

Donnacha O'Brien's instant momentum showed no sign of stopping on Thursday as the sole Galileo (Ire) in the G3 Frank Conroy Silver Flash S. line-up Shale (Ire) flew the flag for the newest of the family's prodigies at Leopardstown. Having won a mile maiden on slow ground at Gowran Park July 8, the daughter of the runaway G1 1000 Guineas heroine Homecoming Queen (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) was positioned in a clear second early by under up-and-coming riding star Gavin Ryan. Sent past the weakening race animator Finest (Ire)...

Jessie Harrington is keen to put some of her most promising juveniles to the test in an intriguing card at Leopardstown on Thursday which features the G3 Japan Racing Association Tyros S. and G3 Frank Conroy Silver Flash S. In the former, which has played host to the likes of Teofilo (Ire), New Approach (Ire), Rip Van Winkle (Ire) and Churchill (Ire) in recent times, she saddles Alpha Racing 2020's impressive July 1 nine-length course-and-distance maiden winner Cadillac (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), while Robert Scarborough and Susan Magnier's Oodnadatta...

Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), fresh from a thrilling victory in Chantilly's G1 Prix de Diane earlier this month, doubled up in battling fashion and continued to lead the way for the freshman stable of Donnacha O'Brien with a second Group 1 success in Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau S. at Goodwood. Accepting a tow from Aidan O'Brien trainee and G1 Mackinnon S. victress Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) into the straight, the 11-4 chance inched closer to launch her challenge at the quarter-mile marker and was driven out once...

Trainers Aidan and Donnacha O'Brien have been fined €2,500 each and prohibited from attending race meetings in Ireland for two weeks for failing to enter The Curragh through the health screening area at a meeting last month. The pair were found to have breached coronavirus health screening protocols at the County Kildare course on June 12, which was G1 Irish 2000 Guineas day during the week racing resumed in Ireland. The matter was heard by the referrals panel of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board on Monday. A tweet from the...

G1 Prix de Diane winner Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) could surface next in the G1 Nassau S. at Glorious Goodwood on July 30, said trainer Donnacha O'Brien. "Fancy Blue has come out of her race well," said O'Brien of his first Classic winner. "We're still not a hundred per cent sure where she will go next, but the Nassau at Goodwood is a strong possibility at the minute." The Coolmore partners' Fancy Blue was winning for the third time from four starts in the Prix de Diane, her...

Before we go any further, let's just make one thing clear: for all the excitement of Saturday and the fact that the Oaks and the Derby were even able to take place this year, let's not lose our heads and start to think that they should in future take place on the same day in July. They should not. This is an extraordinary year for one big reason beyond our control and it should remain just that. Right, where were we? Ah, Epsom. I'll go to my grave failing to...

Aidan O'Brien has yet to win the G1 Prix de Diane Longines and son Donnacha has the jump on him in his first season training after Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) battled to glory in Sunday's Chantilly Classic. Runner-up but the major eye-catcher in the June 13 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh, Michael Tabor's second-string behind the winner of that Classic Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was always close to the pace set by the G1 Coronation S. heroine Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}). Gaining the...

The field for Saturday evening's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas has been set and 15 fillies are due postward for the €250,000 Classic. The Niarchos family's homebred G1 Prix Marcel Boussac victress and ante-post favourite Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) will depart from gate 13 while her Jessica Harrington stablemate and G3 Oh So Sharp S. runner-up Valeria Messalina (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) has drawn stall four. Aidan O'Brien saddles just two for this year's renewal with G1 Moyglare Stud S. third So Wonderful (War Front) due to exit the...

The G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas, slated for June 13, has drawn 20 fillies at this entry stage, The Curragh announced on Tuesday. Aidan O'Brien, who won the race in 2019, saddles Monday's winner Elfin Queen (American Pharoah), the SP 'TDN Rising Star' Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Salsa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and G1 Moyglare Stud S. third So Wonderful (War Front). His sons have five entries between them-Joseph O'Brien sends out MGSP A New Dawn (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), Brook on Fifth (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}), Gin Blossom (Ire) (Make Believe...

Donnacha O'Brien has made the transition from jockey to trainer a successful one after notching his first winner at Dundalk on Friday evening, the 3-year-old filly Flower Garland (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) winning a one-mile maiden in the colours of his mother, Annemarie O'Brien. Flower Garland was O'Brien's fourth runner, and he has had two placed. "It's nice to get it [the first winner] out of the way," he said. "She did it well. She was entitled to probably win off her mark, but I didn't think she'd win that well....