Rekindling

One thousand winners and counting. Joseph O'Brien passed yet another important milestone in his training career on Saturday when Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) became his 1,000th winner in the opening seven-furlong maiden at the Curragh. And what style it was achieved in. Al Riffa, who emerged as a major eye-catcher when staying on for second in a Curragh maiden last month, showed the benefit of that initial outing to confirm himself a potential top-notcher in the making. It was just over six years ago when O'Brien enjoyed a...

For many people in the bloodstock industry, the December Sale at Tattersalls is not just serious business but also the chance for a little end-of-term socialising and early-season stallion viewing. As with most things in the wretched year of 2020, the bloodstock sales have been widely disrupted, so it is with a quite a sigh of relief that this collection of yearlings, foals, mares, and even a Melbourne Cup winner is allowed to come under the hammer at all while England remains in lockdown. It will be far from the...

The 2017 Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) has returned from Australia to his former trainer Joseph O'Brien. Now six, the stallion was originally retired from racing last August and his owner Lloyd Williams announced at the time that he would stand at stud in Europe. Rekindling did not reappear in action until 16 months after his most famous victory, and he finished last of 15 runners in the G1 Australian Cup at Flemington in March 2019 when trained by Liam Howley. Now back at O'Brien's stable at...