Donnacha O'Brien

Comanche Brave (Wootton Bassett) is entitled to be viewed as the horse to beat on the European sprint scene in the coming months, according to Timeform, having produced a career-best effort to make the breakthrough at the top level in Saturday's July Cup at Newmarket. For context, Comanche Brave's new master rating of 122 is bettered only by the 124-rated Lazzat (Territories), who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to injury. Timeform's lead Flat analyst David Johnson said, "Following his victory in the G1 July...

Saturday's G1 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup looked a wide-open renewal and a deep one on paper and duly produced a tight finish with Comanche Brave (Wootton Bassett) prevailing at 11-1. Having watched dad and big brother share the spoils in several of the summer's big events so far in 2026, it was the turn of Donnacha O'Brien to enjoy the limelight in the feature of Newmarket's July Festival. Seventh in Royal Ascot's Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes after his win in the Greenlands, Muhaideb Almuhaideb's four-year-old enjoyed the...

The stakes-placed sprinter Aegina (Havana Grey) will join the team at Elwick Stud in County Durham after being bought online for 240,000gns. Sold by The Castlebridge Consignment on behalf of Skara Glen Stables, the three-year-old filly (lot 522) had been trained by Donnacha O'Brien to win on her last of four starts in 2025 after she had also finished third in the Listed Legacy Stakes at Dundalk. Her winning dam Twist Of Hay (Showcasing) is a half-sister to the G3 Athasi Stakes winner Twilight Spinner (Twilight Son). "She was the...

Let's not think in terms of the best ever - we all have our personal favourites - or even the best  this season, not yet anyway. Let us instead relish the fact that across the next six weeks, as long as they all remain hale and hearty, we can look forward to seeing Calandagan take on his Japan Cup runner-up Masquerade Ball once more in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, followed by Bow Echo potentially clashing with Notable Speech in his first outing against his elders in...

Elite-level turf races have more or less become synonymous with a member of the O'Brien clan and this time it was Donnacha O'Brien's Kensington Lane (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) who took home top prize in the GI Belmont Oaks. Her conditioner had already enjoyed a big afternoon overseas long before this contest went to post. O'Brien's A Boy Named Susie (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) ran second in Sandown's marquee G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes behind father Aidan O'Brien's imperious Constitution River (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). That race was dominated by Aidan and his sons...

He's the one that the normally uneffusive Ryan Moore describes as "rare" and "special" and "exciting" and perhaps the one of all the Coolmore contingent that has really captured the public imagination. In the wake of Wootton Bassett's sad and untimely demise, Constitution River has stepped forward to illuminate the potency of his sire with a Classic triumph against all the odds. Heading to Sandown's G1 Coral-Eclipse on Saturday a Classic winner against all the odds, he has that untouchable air and the confidence of the biggest stable in world...

Epsom's G1 Derby hero Christmas Day (Camelot) will face seven rivals in Sunday's G1 Irish Derby at the Curragh after declarations were confirmed Thursday morning. The Aidan O'Brien trainee will depart from stall six, with the last winner to have emerged from that draw being Hurricane Run (Montjeu) in 2005. He will be partnered once again by Ronan Whelan and accompanied by stablemates Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel), controversially announced as a non-runner at Epsom and the selection of Ryan Moore, Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) and Action (Frankel). They have drawn stalls eight,...

Another absorbing day of action can be expected at Royal Ascot on Friday where the big match-up between Guineas winners True Love and Precise in the Coronation Stakes takes centre stage. Here are five things to look out for on Friday. Donnacha O'Brien Has Big Chance Of Joining Aidan And Joseph On Scoresheet One of the stories of the week has been the red-hot form of Aidan and Joseph O'Brien respectively. Donnacha could well join his father and brother on the scoresheet for the week on Friday given he has...

Donnacha O'Brien can't recall the exact details of his earliest Breeders' Cup memories, but he does have a vague recollection of parading around the racecourse sporting a cowboy hat. That presumably would have been during the 2004 World Championship meet held at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, when O'Brien was just six years old. That year, his father Aidan saddled Mile runner-up Antonius Pius (Danzig) and Turf third-placed Powerscourt (Sadler's Wells). "We've been going to the Breeders' Cup since we were literally kids," O'Brien recalled. "The whole family....

If you can get within six lengths of Ka Ying Rising, you've got above-average ability and Comanche Brave (Wootton Bassett) came back from his Chairman's Sprint Prize experience to hammer that home in Saturday's G2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes. Sent off the 7-4 favourite for the Curragh contest, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained four-year-old who was having only his third career start at this six-furlong trip followed the pace with ease. Committed by Ryan Moore passing two out, Muhaideb Almuhaideb's colour-bearer stretched to an authoritative two-length success from course specialist Big Gossey...

Marking her return to action on Sunday with a hard-fought win in Naas's G3 Goffs Lacken Stakes, Havana Anna (Havana Grey) booked her ticket to Royal Ascot. While the even-money favourite Charles Darwin (No Nay Never) proved a major disappointment fading out of contention to be last of the eight runners, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Cheveley Park Stakes runner-up took full advantage to edge a four-way go. In the firing line from the outset under Gavin Ryan, the 9-4 second favourite who had won both her starts here at two held...

Up to a mile for the first time in Monday's G3 Coolmore Auguste Rodin Irish EBF Athasi Stakes at The Curragh, Annemarie O'Brien's Kensington Lane (Starspangledbanner) toughed it out to provide Donnacha with a live Irish 1,000 Guineas contender. Seventh behind True Love in Leopardstown's Priory Belle last month, the homebred granddaughter of Ramruma (Diesis) raced near the pace before being committed by Chris Hayes approaching two out. Hassled all the way to the line, the 14-1 shot got there 3/4 of a length in front of last year's Weld...