Aidan O'Brien

There is something about Galileo (Ire) and the Curragh's hallowed strip of running ground that made such a perfect fit as his star rose inexorably throughout the last two decade or so and, while several of the track's signature races bear his name as sire, the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas does so markedly. Six of the last 11 and the last three winners of the fillies' Classic all carried his stamp and, of course, they all hailed from the colony of class assembled at Rosegreen. Aidan O'Brien and Coolmore's...

Already a dual winner prior to Saturday's G3 GAIN Marble Hill S. at The Curragh, Ballydoyle's Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never) was the picture of professionalism as he made all under Ryan Moore to assume the mantle of generation leader. Already hardened by the experience of battle in this track's May 2 Listed First Flier S., the 5-2 second favourite set out to dictate on this first foray over six furlongs and relished the extra distance as he shook off the even-money market-leader Tough Talk (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) to stretch...

Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas has attracted a final field for 14 with Godolphin's Wild Beauty (GB) (Frankel {GB}) the only filly not to stand her ground at Friday's declaration stage. Her absence leaves Coolmore and Westerberg's G1 1000 Guineas third Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), one of four nominees from the Aidan O'Brien stable seeking a fourth straight renewal, as the lone contender representing Newmarket's Classic form. The ante-post favourite has drawn stall three, with stablemates History (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Concert Hall (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) to her immediate...

Godolphin's quest for a unique 2000 Guineas treble with three different colts is set to culminate in Saturday's €500,000 G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh, where the hot favourite Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) will face eight peers. Drawn in stall one, which was occupied by two of the last three winners of the Classic in Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) and Phoenix of Spain (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), he will start against the rail as he seeks compensation for his defeat in the Apr....

Leading Irish 1,000 Guineas fancy Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will not run at the Curragh on Sunday and will instead chart a path towards the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot on June 17. The decision was made after the filly was ridden in a key workout by Frankie Dettori over the weekend and the news was revealed by Cheveley Park's Chris Richardson on Monday. Richardson said that it was the recommendation of joint-trainer John Gosden to go straight to Royal Ascot and bypass the Curragh this weekend. He explained,...

Coolmore and Westerberg's hitherto unbeaten 2-year-old filly Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never--Pembina {Ire}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) impressed with a 3 1/4-length debut tally tackling five furlongs at the Curragh last month and was equally adept over the six-furlong strip at Naas to secure Sunday's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. en route to next month's G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot. Positioned in a close second after the initial strides, the 2-1 joint-favourite loomed large passing the quarter-mile marker and came under a late drive to assert superiority...

Homebreds hold the upper hand in the fillies' Classic, but the Arqana Deauville Select Yearling Sale, delayed from August and renamed in the first year of the pandemic, is well represented with graduates at ParisLongchamp on Sunday. Notably, Blue Diamond Stud bought the dams of both Mangoustine (Fr) and Sicilian Defense (GB) on the same day at the Arqana December Sale of 2019.   ROSACEA (IRE), Soldier Hollow (GB)--Relizane (GB) (Zamindar) Owner/Breeder: Haras De La Perelle Trainer: Stephane Wattel Pedigree insight: She is the third foal out of Relizane (GB)...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Alfred Munnings (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Best In The World {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) was all the rage for Friday's seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Leopardstown and justified market support, and then some, with a dominant debut performance, earning a TDN Rising Star rosette by 4 1/2 lengths on his birthday. The stable had won the contest in recent years with G1 Dewhurst S.-winning sire War Command (War Front) and G2 Vintage S.-winning sire War Decree (War Front) and also prepared Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to finish...

ROSEGREEN, Ireland--He may have drawn a blank in the opening Classics of the season at Newmarket but Aidan O'Brien is taking dead aim at ParisLongchamp on Sunday and nominated Toy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to be on course for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches while The Acropolis (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) will be the sole Ballydoyle representative in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains on the same afternoon. Toy, a sister to seven black-type horses, including 2,000 Guineas winner Gleneagles (Ire), got off the mark at the third attempt over seven...

For Aidan O'Brien it had been a week of mostly ups, with one major down. On Friday morning, the winter favourite for the Derby, Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), was found to be lame behind after exercise, having been shortened in the betting for Epsom following his third-placed finish in the 2000 Guineas. By Sunday he had been ruled out of the Derby completely, just as another potential star emerged from the Ballydoyle battalions in the hugely impressive Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). A maiden until the end of March on...

ROSEGREEN, Ireland--Ryan Moore will find it difficult to ride anything other than Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Cazoo Derby, according to Aidan O'Brien, who may be without the ace--Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB})--in his Epsom pack, but expects to run up to six colts as he bids for a record-extending ninth win in the race on June 4. Stone Age didn't just open the door to a tilt at the Derby in winning the G3 Derby Trial at Leopardstown on Sunday, he kicked it open and announced himself as...

The week's narrative had involved Aidan O'Brien, Ryan Moore and the ground-breaking Galileo (Ire) and that ran into Sunday's G3 Cornelscourt S. at Leopardstown as the aptly-named History (Ire) swooped in the last of the trials for the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. At 2.8million gns the second-highest-priced lot at the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, the daughter of the multiple graded-stakes winner Prize Exhibit (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) was last seen breaking her maiden at this trip at Gowran Park in September. Soon manoeuvred to mid-division from her wide...