Coolmore

Making his 2026 debut on Wednesday, Ballydoyle's The Lion In Winter (Sea The Stars) enjoyed a long overdue confidence-boosting win in Leopardstown's Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Heritage Stakes. Allowed to stride forward from the break by Wayne Lordan, the 11-10 favourite took control two out and saw out the mile test strongly to prevail by half a length from stablemate Expanded (Wootton Bassett). "We're delighted with him and he was just ready to start," Aidan O'Brien said. "The plan was to come here and then go to the Lockinge....

Skara Glen Stables' Eretria (Camelot), a 420,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 graduate, backed up an April Fools' Day debut second at Dundalk with an impressive success in Wednesday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown. "She's a smart filly and I thought the last furlong was very impressive," said Donnacha O'Brien. "She's a lovely filly going forward and I'll give her a little bit of time now. She's only two weeks back from her first run and something like the Naas Oaks Trial could fit in nicely now. She's...

All eyes were on the returning Pierre Bonnard in Sunday's G3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes, but it was another of Ballydoyle's sons of Camelot who stepped forward into the Derby picture in Christmas Day. While the former showed how short of a peak he was in a lethargic seventh, last year's G3 Eyrefield Stakes winner delivered under Wayne Lordan to cause an 11-1 upset at the chief expense of another stablemate in Endorsement (Wootton Bassett). Aidan O'Brien had warned before the established Derby trial that last year's Criterium de...

Defying a Group 1 penalty in Sunday's G3 Ballylinch Stud Priory Belle Stakes at Leopardstown, Ballydoyle's Cheveley Park Stakes heroine True Love (No Nay Never) proved that seven furlongs holds no fears entering her Classic campaign. Sent off the 3-1 joint-favourite for the established 1,000 Guineas trial, the imposing Coolmore homebred who had also taken the Queen Mary and the Railway at two raced towards the fore under Ryan Moore and came up the rail to dominate the closing stages. At the line, there was 1 1/4 lengths to spare...

Coolmore's hitherto unraced New Yorker (No Nay Never), who missed his intended debut at the Curragh last week, was let go as the odds-on favourite for Friday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Dundalk, a contest won in recent years by Ballydoyle's Caravaggio and Blackbeard, and did enough under a late drive to secure a 1 1/4-length success in the five-furlong heat. "It was really tough for them, but he handled the preliminaries well and he was good in the race," reflected Ballydoyle's Chris Armstrong. "Today is not ideal, with...

With the first major 2-year-old sale, OBS March, now in the books, and the next round, the OBS April sale, right around the corner, it's time for some predictions. We asked the experts who their pick is for leading freshman sire and also asked them for a "sleeper pick," or a stallion that will perform beyond expectations. Here's what they had to say: NELSON ARROYO Top Pick: Life is Good, WinStar Farm, $60,000 This is one of the best years we've ever had when it comes to the freshman sire...

Leaving his debut education far behind him on Monday, Ballydoyle's $1million Keeneland September sensation Shaftesbury Avenue (Maxfield) imposed his considerable presence on his maiden at Navan. Fitted with cheekpieces following his third at The Curragh earlier this month, the 2-1 second favourite was sent forward by Wayne Lordan to put it up to his 14 rivals in the near-mile contest and had seen off all bar Tashakour (Night Of Thunder) approaching the final two furlongs. Briefly headed by that Aga Khan Studs representative, the imposing half-brother to Not This Time's triple Grade...

Coolmore did not have long to wait for their first-crop sire Blackbeard to get off the mark as Timur provided the landmark in Lyon-Parilly's 4 1/2-furlong card opener on Sunday. Sent off at 9-1 for the Prix du Premier Pas, the Mathieu Pitart-trained son of Ninetta (New Approach) who hails from the family of Peintre Celebre showed early dash to stalk the tempo under Emilien Puillet-Roda. In front a furlong from home, the €20,000 Arqana October purchase asserted to beat Ballylinch Stud's filly Belisa Bay, a daughter of the fellow...

The racing world will have only to wait until Saturday to catch sight of Ballydoyle's spring buzz horse after Aidan O'Brien declared the 2,000 Guineas favourite Albert Einstein (Wootton Bassett) for The Curragh's Listed Gladness Stakes. Originally slated to head straight to Newmarket, the colt who hogged the headlines after last week's Press Day at Rosegreen will be fine-tuned for the Classic in the seven-furlong contest against older horses. Taking on a field of nine including last year's G3 John Of Gaunt Stakes winner and Prix de la Foret third...

Coolmore Australia has announced the acquisition of Guest House (Home Affairs) for a reported A$30 million following his impressive victory in the Group 1 Golden Slipper at Rosehill last weekend. Guest House stamped himself as the best two-year-old of his generation with an eye-catching performance in Australia's premier two-year-old race.  From the first crop of Coolmore's own champion sprinter Home Affairs, Guest House's triumph further enhances the reputation of his sire, who joined the likes of Extreme Choice and Danehill by producing a Golden Slipper-winning colt from his first crop....

If history is anything to go by, Drop Dead Gorgeous (Dubawi) is going places having won a key Naas maiden for Ballydoyle on Sunday. She becomes Dubawi's 48th TDN Rising Star, Presented by Hagyard. Debuting in the mile contest which the stable's subsequent Classic heroines Empress Josephine and Tuesday won in 2021 and 2022, the even-money favourite was notably smooth for Ryan Moore and after taking command 1 1/2 furlongs out eased to a comfortable success. "We're delighted with her, she's a lovely big filly. She's still a baby and...

Following on from Ballydoyle's earlier winner Accredited (Siyouni), Causeway (Wootton Bassett) made it a double for the yard on Naas's Sunday card as he emulated Paddington in winning the Madrid Handicap under top weight. Whether he goes on to hit the heights of his predecessor remains to be seen, but the Curragh maiden winner who hails from the family of Magical and Rhododendron showed grit to deny former stablemate Controlled (No Nay Never) in a photo for the seven-furlong contest. "Seven furlongs is on the tight side for him and...