Aidan O'Brien

While Aidan O'Brien was drawing a blank at Ascot, the stable was celebrating a 13th winner of Leopardstown's G3 Richmond Homes Killavullan S. on Saturday as Glounthaune (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) came forward from his sixth placing in Saturday's G1 Dewhurst S. Having only his second start in that Newmarket feature and his first since his winning debut at The Curragh Apr. 17, the 5-1 shot who sports the Evie Stockwell silks was settled behind the leading trio early by Seamie Heffernan and worked his way to the front with 100...

13.30 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, f, 8fT Coolmore and Westerberg's hitherto unraced EMILY DICKINSON (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}), one of two contenders representing Aidan O'Brien, is a half-sister to this term's G1 Irish Oaks third Nicest (Ire) (American Pharoah) out of G1 Irish Oaks heroine Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). She is accompanied by stablemate Thoughts of June (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is a daughter of GI Del Mar Oaks victrix and $2.4 million Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale graduate Discreet Marq (Discreet Cat). 14.05 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, c/g, 8fT Aidan O'Brien...

Keeneland's GI QEII Challenge Cup Saturday looks like a duel between top American turf trainer Chad Brown and leading European conditioner Aidan O'Brien. O'Brien saddles a representative of the Coolmore contingent in Empress Josephine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who adds blinkers for her second start at Keeneland. Winner of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas May 23, the bay could only manage eighth next out in Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation S. June 18 and was a well-beaten sixth in the G1 Nassau S. July 29. Fourth in the G1 Matron S. Sept....

The first two across the line in a thrilling renewal of this summer's GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer S. will face off once more in a seven-horse renewal of the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. over 1 1/2 miles on the Belmont turf Saturday. Otter Bend Stables' Gufo (Declaration of War) has yet to be out of the trifecta in 12 career outings and picked up stakes scores in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational S., GIII Kent S. and English Channel S. last year as a sophomore to...

Multiple Group 1 winner Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has been withdrawn from the 2021 G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after developing a temperature on Saturday afternoon. One of three for the Coolmore partners entered in Sunday's ParisLongchamp showpiece alongside Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), the 4-year-old filly, who has five Group 1 wins to her name, was most recently second in the G2 Blandford S. at The Curragh on Sept. 12. With her withdrawal, the Arc field is reduced to 14. In 2020,...

Some enterprises of great pitch and moment take years to come to fruition. Some take just a few weeks. The latter scenario is true of the new partnership between bloodstock agent Justin Casse and trainer Joseph O'Brien. When Magnolia Racing Syndicate spent €562,000 at the recent Goffs Orby Sale, the group was built on relationships years in the making, but sprouted quickly from an idea into action. "I started kicking the idea of a transatlantic syndicate around three or four months ago," said Casse. "The fine-tuning part of who would...

Classic winners Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), and Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) were both supplemented for €120,000 each to the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Sunday, bringing the field to 16 at the latest entry stage. Godolphin's G1 Cazoo Derby and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. winner is one of two to carry the royal blue in the ParisLongchamp showpiece alongside G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Cazoo St Leger victor Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Snowfall...

Five-time Group 1 winner St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}--Cabaret {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) has been retired from racing and will stand at Coolmore Stud in Ireland in 2022. A fee will be announced later. Bred by Bob Scarborough in France, the Norelands Stud-consigned bay brought 1.3 million guineas from MV Magnier during Book 1 of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Trained by Aidan O'Brien for Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor, the half-brother to two-time Group 1 winner, G1 2000 Guineas hero and young Coolmore sire...

Saturday's G2 Beresford S. hero Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is under consideration for the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster on Oct. 23. A winner on debut at Killarney for Westerberg, Mrs. J. Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith on July 14, the bay also holds an entry in the Oct. 9 G1 Darley Dewhurst S. at Newmarket. O'Brien said, "He's a lovely horse and was showing loads before he went to Killarney. He came forward every week after that, and it was a lovely second stage for him. "The...

After a shift in tone on Saturday, Team Ballydoyle continued to reach a pitch with their 2-year-old crop at The Curragh on Sunday as the regally-bred Concert Hall (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) built to her own crescendo in the G3 Weld Park S. As if the juveniles at Rosegreen have been moved stealthily towards a peak for the all-important autumn scene, the daughter of the G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Was (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) put two uninspiring efforts behind her to deliver on her early promise under Seamie Heffernan. Held up in...

Westerberg, Coolmore and Merriebelle Stables' 2-year-old filly Tenebrism (Caravaggio) was the first runner for her freshman sire (by Scat Daddy), attaining 'TDN Rising Star' status in an instant when posting an impressive 3 3/4-length success in a Mar. 28 five-furlong Naas maiden, and notched another first for the now Ashford Stud incumbent with another taking performance on her comeback in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket. The March-foaled dark bay was under a patient ride through halfway and raced off the tempo in rear. Nudged along to close...

Aidan O'Brien's crop of juveniles had looked short of the usual standard up to Saturday, but five minutes of action across Newmarket and The Curragh changed the conversation with the hugely exciting Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) doing his bit for Ballydoyle in the G2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford S. Not seen since winning in style on debut in a conditions event over this mile trip at Killarney July 14, the imposing Westerberg-Coolmore representative was the subject of heavy support into 8-13 favouritism for this prize Aidan O'Brien had already won...