Magnier/Tabor/Smith

This particular October weekend is so important when it comes to next year's Classics and Aidan O'Brien has simply dominated it in 2025 with Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) bringing up a Sunday Group 1 double at Saint-Cloud and a third overall following the previous day's action at Doncaster. Sent off the 7-10 favourite for the 10-furlong Criterium de Saint-Cloud, the impressive Zetland winner travelled easily for Christophe Soumillon tracking the early pace and when sent on inside the two opened up to score with authority by two lengths from the Donnacha...

Leopardstown's Saturday card belonged to Aidan O'Brien and Jack Cleary and their winning sequence included a bright prospect for the 2025 Classics in Christmas Day (Camelot) in the nine-furlong G3 Mongey Communications Eyrefield Stakes. Coming off a maiden win at Gowran Park last month, the 13-2 shot was delivered from the pack to deny A Boy Named Susie (Starspangledbanner) on the line and prevail by a short head. "He's progressed from run to run and he took great confidence from the win the last day," Ballydoyle's representative Chris Armstrong explained....

It didn't take long for Ballydoyle to register a winner on Qipco British Champions Day as Mission Central (No Nay Never) came good in the second act of the afternoon at Ascot. Following an eight-length Curragh maiden win with success in the Round Tower, he was sent to the Flying Childers at Doncaster but failed to get into the five-furlong contest dominated by Revival Power. This was much more in his comfort zone and he was always travelling notably strongly tracking the pace before being launched by Christophe Soumillon inside...

The subject of a major gamble prior to Saturday's G3 Night Of Thunder Zetland Stakes at Newmarket, Ballydoyle's Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) went through the 10-furlong test smoothly to stake his 2026 Derby claims. Delivered from the pack by Christophe Soumillon to lead passing the two pole, the 6-4 favourite was coaxed clear of stablemate Endorsement (Wootton Bassett) to score by 1 1/2 lengths, with Godolphin's €850,000 BBAG September topper Del Maro (Camelot) a further length away in third. "He looked amazing in the paddock and went to the start so...

Race two on Arc day saw a quickfire double for Ballydoyle and Christophe Soumillon, with Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett) making all to dominate the G1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, a Breeders' Cup "Win And You're In" for the Juvenile Turf. Up to this seven-furlong trip for the first time to cause a minor upset in Doncaster's G2 Champagne Stakes last month, the 4-1 shot was again placed straight on the front and despite veering off a true line in the run to the line was always in control. Aidan O'Brien,...

ParisLongchamp's Arc card got underway in style as Ballydoyle's Diamond Necklace swooped to provide St Mark's Basilica with his first Group 1 winner in the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac. Sent off the favourite for the first of the fixture's six Breeders' Cup "Win And You're In" races, the Listed Ingabelle Stakes winner who is a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, was always comfortable and when asked to mow down the Wertheimers' unbeaten Green Spirit (Kingman) did so without any need for the whip. "She's amazing," commented a smitten Christophe...

Things may not have worked out for her in the Phoenix Stakes, but Ballydoyle's True Love (No Nay Never) came good at the second attempt at the highest level in Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. Too strong for compatriot Havana Anna (Havana Grey) from 1 1/2 furlongs down, the 2-1 favourite stayed on strongly for Wayne Lordan to prevail by 3/4 of a length, with a length back to Royal Fixation (Palace Pier) in third. "She's a big filly, very fast and like a big...

1st-Curragh, €20,000, Mdn, 7-20, 2yo, 7fT, 1:30.21, g/y. SUGAR ISLAND (IRE) (f, 2, Dubawi {Ire}--Heaven On Earth {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), sent off at 9-2 with Ryan Moore's original mount Signora (Frankel) withdrawn, raced close to the early leader in this maiden won in 2020 by the stable's Oaks heroine Snowfall. In front passing two out, the granddaughter of Lillie Langtry (Danehill Dancer) stayed on to prevail by half a length from Cayton Park Stud's fellow newcomer Saint Agatha (St Mark's Basilica). "Ryan said she was very green, but found...

Such is the record of The Curragh's Barronstown Stud Maiden, it is a given that Aidan O'Brien reserves one of his best for the seven-furlong contest and Dorset lived up to the billing to become Wootton Bassett's latest TDN Rising Star. "He's a lovely straighforward horse who will get further," commented O'Brien, who had won this race with City Of Troy, Rip Van Winkle, Gleneagles, Roderic O'Connor, Duke Of Marmalade, Horatio Nelson and Australia. "Ryan gave him an uncomplicated ride and he's a good mover who could go for any of those races--the...

Friday's G1 Betfred Coronation Cup turned out to be as pure a mile-and-a-half test as it gets and in the moment of truth it was Jan Brueghel who shed his playboy image to tough it out in an Epsom battle royal with Calandagan. Raw and green despite winning a St Leger during his unbeaten 3-year-old campaign, what could be Galileo's final Classic winner had to show his true mettle here with stablemate and fellow Doncaster Classic winner Continuous and Wayne Lordan putting everything into the red. Getting first run on...

A seemingly wide-open renewal of Chantilly's G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club ultimately produced the most straightforward outcome as Ballydoyle's Camille Pissarro prevailed as the 12-5 favourite. Drawn against the rail, one of the stable's abundance of Wootton Bassett colts only had to follow the pace aided by the yard's Trinity College taking the shortest route. Ryan Moore's only complication came in the closing stages as he needed to thread the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner through a gap no more than a horse's width but he had all the...

Given the recent history of The Curragh's opening 2-year-old maiden of its Guineas weekend, it was no surprise that Aidan O'Brien was to unveil another TDN Rising Star for Wootton Bassett in the deeply promising newcomer Brussels. Sent off at 11-4 for the six-furlong contest won in the past five years by the stable's subsequent luminaries Henri Matisse, Unquestionable and Arizona, the 300,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 graduate cruised along behind his experienced stablemate Kansas with Ryan Moore poised. Cajoled by that fellow son of Wootton Bassett inside the final...