Joseph O'Brien

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...

by Emma Berry & Heather Anderson    A field of eight make up Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks, and a strong Irish contingent faces just one English challenger, Juddmonte's Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}). Aidan O'Brien runs four fillies, including the favourite, Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The Aga Khan homebred Azazat (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is another who is taking her chance in this 1 1/2-mile Classic at the Curragh, and will attempt to become the third winner for her owner/breeder after Ebadiyla (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) in 1997 and Shawanda (Ire) (Sinndar...

The GI Saratoga Derby Invitational, slated for Saturday, Aug. 5 at Saratoga, will offer the winner an automatic berth into the G1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate, the New York Racing Association, Inc. and Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) announced Wednesday. The new partnership will provide the winner of the Saratoga Derby, a 1 3/16-mile test for sophomores, a place in the starting gate for the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Oct. 28 at Moonee Valley in Victoria, Australia, with winning connections afforded subsidies for transportation and accommodation. In 2021, the Joseph O'Brien-trained State...

Joseph O'Brien is plotting a raid on Deauville with top performers Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Above The Curve (American Pharoah) after their respective performances at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend.  Al Riffa, winner of the Vincent O'Brien National S. as a two-year-old, made a belated start to his campaign when second in a Group 3 while Above The Curve finished a creditable third in the Pretty Polly S. O'Brien has nominated the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville in August for the colt next.  "He got...

There was a certain poignancy to the debut victory of Islandsinthestream (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) at the Curragh on Wednesday in the absence of the man responsible for developing the colt's family, Peter Katelanis. The Australian owner-breeder died last August and is remembered fondly by Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d'Etreham, who co-bred the Joseph O'Brien-trained juvenile. "I got to meet Peter when I first went to Australia maybe 10 years ago," he said. "We got on really well and then sadly he was diagnosed with cancer last year and...

Last term's G1 Prix Saint-Alary and G2 Blandford S. heroine Above The Curve (American Pharoah--Fabulous {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) encountered stellar opposition in Sunday's G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud and halted a three-race losing streak with a pillar-to-post victory in the 10 1/2-furlong contest. Coolmore and Westerberg's 'TDN Rising Star' was undone by Saint-Alary runner-up Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and the reopposing Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) when third in October's G1 Prix de l'Opera before running seventh in both November's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare...

Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), winner of last year's G1 National S. and ante-post favourite for Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, has been ruled out of the race with "a little setback," the Irish Field reported. While announcing that the Jassim Bin Al-Attiyah-owned colt would not make the Curragh this weekend, trainer Joseph O'Brien remains confident that the colt will make the G1 St James's Palace S. on opening day of the Royal Ascot meeting June 20. He is a 6-1 chance for that mile test ante-post with...

Joseph O'Brien trainee Caroline Street (No Nay Never--Harvestfortheworld {Ire}, by So You Think {NZ}) was highly tried after notching a July 14 debut score at Leopardstown, with the highlight of three subsequent pattern-race starts being a second to Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in September's G2 Golden Fleece S. back at the Foxrock venue. Lining up for Saturday's G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Blue Wind S. coming back off a sixth in the Curragh's Sept. 22 G3 Weld Park S., she found plenty in the straight to lead...

Joseph O'Brien has an array of talent to look forward to this season, headed by G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hope Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Group 1 winner Above The Curve (American Pharoah) and smart additions to the stable in Jumbly (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Mooneista (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) and Ottilien (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). But a yard as big as Owning Hill needs a conveyor belt of youngsters coming through the ranks and O'Brien can boast just that. Last season's stats back up such a statement. With...

After the Mar. 7 scratching stage, 83 horses remain signed on for the 2023 G1 Derby at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 3. Worth £1.5 million, the 1 1/2-mile contest is the richest race in Britain. Of the 83, 45 are trained in Ireland and of that number, 29 are trained by Ballydoyle supremo Aidan O'Brien for various Coolmore partnerships. Top of the heap are Deep Impact (Jpn)'s G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy hero Auguste Rodin (Jpn) and the late Shadai kingpin's son's Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). The last-named...

In a little over a decade, Henry Field has built Newgate into one of the leading stallion operations in Australia and a force to be reckoned with on the international thoroughbred playing field.    Foxwedge got the stallion arm of the operation up and running in 2012 and, since then, the roster has grown exponentially, with Capitalist and Extreme Choice some of the more recent additions to the farm.    In this week's Q&A, Field explained the key principals that helped him build Newgate into what it is today, discussed...

Baroda Stud were responsible for two of the three six-figure lots on day one of the Goffs February Sale, including the €115,000 top lot, a colt by Sottsass (Ire), who was purchased by Tally-Ho Stud. Of the 2017 lots offered, 128 were sold, which represented a clearance rate of 59% and an aggregate spend of €2,056,250. The average for day one of first sale for 2023 at Goffs was €16,064 with Cox explaining that the nice horses had no trouble in finding new homes. He said, "A few people said...