Ballydoyle

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features the return of GSW Chief Little Rock (Galileo). Ballydoyle's G2 Beresford S. and G3 Autumn S. runner-up CHIEF LITTLE ROCK (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) makes his seasonal debut in this wildcard event which comes with a free entry to June's G1 Derby. His five-strong opposition includes Sheikh...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- Headed by the first appearance from the seven World Cup night horses from the yard of Aidan O'Brien, there was a buzz of activity on both the dirt track and turf course Tuesday morning at Meydan proper as well as back on the Tapeta track a couple of furlongs down the road. The Ballydoyle septet slowly ambled out of the tunnel near the 1600-metre starting point on the the dirt surface, led by G3 Red Sea Turf H. hero Tower of London (Ire) (Galileo {Ire},...

Ryan Moore would have faced a straightforward decision to ride Opera Singer (Justify) in the 1,000 Guineas had Ballydoyle arrived at Newmarket with a full strength squad, according to Aidan O'Brien, who hopes Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) can prove an able deputy to the runaway Prix Marcel Boussac winner on May 5 . O'Brien revealed on Monday that Opera Singer was unlikely to make the 1,000 Guineas after suffering a minor setback which resulted in Ylang Ylang's odds tumbling from 8-1 into as short as 7-2 in places. Speaking...

Aidan O'Brien is busy preparing for what could turn out to be one of his boldest ever campaigns at Ballydoyle with plans in place for City Of Troy (Justify) to tackle the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby followed by an audacious tilt at the Travers S. on the dirt at Saratoga later this summer. Meanwhile, dual Derby and Breeders' Cup hero Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact {Jpn}), arguably the most important older horse to have been kept in training at Ballydoyle for many years, is set to get his campaign underway...

For the first time since 1996, Seamie Heffernan will not be based at Ballydoyle--but Aidan O'Brien's long and trusted ally has revealed that he still hopes to be riding big-race winners in the Coolmore colours in the future.  It has been one of the worst kept secrets in Irish racing for some time that Heffernan, one of the constants at Ballydoyle for almost three decades now, would not be returning to the fold.  And on the eve of the opening day of the Flat season in Ireland, Heffernan lifted the...

Wayne Lordan described his return to race-riding at Dundalk on Friday following an eight-month spell on the sidelines through injury as "a great feeling" and admitted to not realising how much he missed competitive action until he got the leg up aboard Navy Seal (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Patton Race. Alas, the Aidan O'Brien-trained colt could not provide Lordan with a dream return, as he trailed home last of the three runners, but Lordan's spirits could not have been dented after completing the comeback.  The multiple Group 1 and...

Deep Impact (Jpn), who died in 2019, has to some degree gone out in a blaze of glory with the dual Derby, Irish Champion S. and Breeders' Cup winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) among his final truncated crop of just 14 foals. What then of his old friend, the 12-time champion sire Galileo (Ire), with whom he has blended so well, and members of whose own last crop enter their juvenile season in 2024? There are just 13 Galileo two-year-olds and, according to the Weatherbys' sire report, only one of the...

Some 44 horses representing England, France, Ireland, Japan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates in addition to a typically deep group representing the home team will line up for Sunday's Longines Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories, with record prizemoney of HK$118 million (£12 million/US$15.1 million) up for grabs across the four events. There figure to be clear favourites in each of the four races, but each come with his own set of question marks.   Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) loves the Sha...

It may be November but Aidan O'Brien has already whet the appetite for next season by announcing that dual Derby and Breeders' Cup winner Auguste Rodin will stay in training as a four-year-old. Auguste Rodin capped off a brilliant campaign with a sensational success in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita under an inspired Ryan Moore just over a week ago.  It was viewed by many as the perfect swansong by the coveted son of Deep Impact but, when Auguste Rodin did not feature on the list of stallion...

ARCADIA, USA -- In case you're wondering, Aidan O'Brien had scrambled eggs for breakfast. That was just after he had watched his squad of ten take a stronger turn around Santa Anita's dirt track and before he had a chance to consider a second course at the lavish buffet by politely stepping outside to answer questions from a few annoying hacks, this one included. Ryan Moore has been aboard Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint contender Cherry Blossom (Ire) (No Nay Never) these last two mornings. "Is that a...

Aidan O'Brien had experienced a famine of sorts since annexing 2010's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud with Recital (Fr) (Montjeu {Ire}), but he was back in the familiar surroundings of Saint-Cloud's winner's circle after Ballydoyle second string Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}--Frequential {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) prevailed in a blanket finish to Sunday's latest renewal of the 10-furlong feature. The 67-10 chance found the necessary gears late on to register an ultimately impressive debut success tackling nine furlongs at Tipperary at the beginning of last month and was well away to...

The horse that doesn't get tired. The most unusual of all the Rosegreen "unusuals". By the time TDN Rising Star City Of Troy (Justify--Together Forever {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) hit the line with his trademark force in Saturday's G1 Native Trail's Dewhurst S., we were dealing with a colt who prompts excitable talk. The kind not heard in these parts since 2010, when a certain local legend continued his irresistible trajectory in this very prize. After Frankel (GB) put an unreachable star in racing's heavens, here we have one who...