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Aiden O'Brien

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    Posted: 25 Aug 2015 at 7:07pm


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David OMeara

David O'Meara: "I have never been approached by anyone at Coolmore"

 PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

O'Meara quashes Ballydoyle rumours

 BY LEE MOTTERSHEAD7:55PM 24 AUG 2015 

THE hottest rumour in racing was on Monday night firmly quashed byDavid O’Meara as one of the sport’s most highly respected and widely admired young trainers poured cold water on intense speculation linking him with a move to Ballydoyle.

The whispers suggesting Aidan O’Brien, the most successful Flat trainer of the modern era, could leave the John Magnier-owned Ballydoyle have become rife in recent days, making their way into the written press, television and social media.

Racecourse gossip during last week’s Ebor meeting culminated in two newspapers, one in Britain and one in Ireland, linking O’Meara with the most coveted post in his profession.

With Coolmore and Ballydoyle sticking to their long-held policy of not commenting on speculation, there remained the possibility for it to continue, but the North Yorkshire-based O’Meara – who has trained more than 500 winners despite taking out his licence only in 2010 – on Monday repudiated the rumours in unequivocal terms.

Speaking to the Racing Post, he said: “I have never been approached by anyone at Coolmore regarding Ballydoyle. There is no substance to the rumour.” 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Morston Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Oct 2017 at 8:39pm
AOB regained his world record for group 1 wins in a calander year yesterday making it 26 so far this year.

He beat the record held by Bobby Frankel.

There are still a few more group 1s to go before flat racing ends in Europe....then there is America and Australia
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Morston Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Nov 2017 at 5:36pm
Now 27 following Mendelssohn’s win at Del Mar last night.
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Imagine how Australian centric punters would be carrying on if Churchill was an Aussie horse being asked to test himself out of his comfort zone..... 
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Aidan O’Brien: the man, his methods, his beliefs, the Derby and his horses

By Andy Stephens

Wed 30 May 2018

Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien will seek a record-equalling seventh Investec Derby success at Epsom on Saturday. Andy Stephens spent a morning with him on the gallops at Ballydoyle.

Saxon warrior - aidan obrien - ballydoyle - racingfotos
Saxon Warrior and Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle (Racingfotos)

It is 7.45am on a mild Monday morning at Ballydoyle and Aidan O’Brien is watching first lot go through their paces.

Seventy regally-bred thoroughbreds are exercising in close vicinity in serene surroundings that have been a playground for a dozen Derby winners.

The noise of air being inhaled and exhaled through flared equine nostrils, not to mention 280 limbs flicking over the all-weather gallop, is intoxicating. There are few places on earth any racing enthusiast would rather be.

One horse is out on his own and catches the eye. O’Brien volunteers that it is Saxon Warrior, the odds-on Investec Derby favourite, and the powerfully-built colt is a sight to behold as he powers past under regular work rider Richella Carroll.

“He’s very sober, a relaxed horse but sharp,” the champion trainer says.

“What I mean by that is that he reacts to things very quickly. He doesn’t have to go to first gear to second; to third, to fourth and then fifth. He can go from second to fifth in a flash. It’s an impulse, I suppose.

“Most horses live in the middle ground but he doesn’t. He sleeps, or he’s alive. It makes him different.”

As to why the unbeaten colt is more or less working solo, he adds: “He gets privileges at the moment. We don’t make him do anything he doesn’t want to do.”

Saxon warrior - ballydoyle gallops - racingfotos

Saxon Warrior is odds-on for the Derby on Saturday (Racingfotos)

There is no suggestion the 2,000 Guineas winner is tricky or resents the company of inferior workmates, but something O’Brien says later resonates.

“Very few horses are leaders, it’s like people,” he observes. “Most horses like to drop in with the crowd and go along with the crowd. People are the same.”

O’Brien has been out on his own almost since 1996 when he became the youngest person to win the Irish trainers’ championship, a title he has won continuously since 1998.

Still only 48, he is seeking a record-equalling seventh Investec Derby success on Saturday when Saxon Warrior will be joined by stablemates Delano Roosevelt, The Pentagon, Kew Gardens and Zabriskie.

His overall tally of victories at the highest level stands at an astonishing 302 heading into the two-day meeting at Epsom. His record haul of 28 Group One winners last year indicates he might reach 500 in the next decade.

Yet for all his domination you suspect that O’Brien, too, is at times happy to slide back among the pack.

Saxon warrior - ballydoyle - racingfotos

_Saxon Warrior is reshod under the gaze of his trainer _(Racingfotos)

This is a man who never craves attention or adulation, and always talks in quiet, measured tones. He never shows a hint of arrogance and accepts defeat graciously.

He praises his horses, staff, facilities and the owners - the Coolmore collective of John Magnier, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith - but always falls short of praising himself.

He has been there, done that and got a suitcase full of T-shirts but 20-odd years of sustained success have not altered his understated manner.

“I’m a small cog in a big machine” became his default answer last autumn as he closed in on Bobby Frankel’s Group One record.

At one stage during our morning together he even goes as far as suggesting “if I hadn’t met Annemarie (his wife) I’d still be working for Jim Bolger.”

He and Annemarie have four children; two daughters in Sarah and Ana, and two Classic-winning jockeys in Joseph and Donnacha, and have come a long way since their early days when involved in National Hunt racing.

“We had a big interest in training jumpers, but we also always had an interest in the well-bred Flat horses,” he says.

“One of our big things was to be able to get those good pedigrees and to train those good horses.”

These days, virtually every animal in his care begins life with a significant genetic head start and Coolmore’s breeding empire, with star stallions at every turn and 500 broodmares alone based in Ireland, means he has a conveyor belt of brilliance to constantly attack the top races all over the globe.

Ballydoyle - racingfotos

Trainer Aidan O'Brien has considerably more horses than predecessor Vincent O'Brien (Racingfotos)

Training bloodstock worth hundreds of millions of pounds brings inevitable stresses and strains but from the outside it appears the only person putting O’Brien under pressure is O’Brien himself.

A tortured genius?

He often strikes as an intense figure on the racecourse and, even on home soil, the coiled spring does not seem to completely unwind.

An example occurs when he talks to every rider as they return from working his string. Each is signed off with a “good man” or “good girl” and, for at least a minute, he is nervously rubbing his hands without seemingly being aware of the habit.

He is up by 5am every day and it might not be 10.30pm until he retires. His mobile phone is never switched off. Seven days a week; month after month; year after year. It is an unrelenting cycle.

His long days revolve completely around his horses and those closest to him, with his extended family being the 190 staff at Ballydoyle. Impressively, he seems to know the names of them all.

When press photographers ask O’Brien to pose with Saxon Warrior, he insists that the first snaps are instead of horse and groom. A small gesture, but one that speaks volumes.

Saxon warrior - richella carroll - racingfotos

Saxon Warrior with groom Richella Carroll (Racingfotos)

His manners cost him nothing but earn him the respect and loyalty of everyone.

It is difficult to gauge whether O’Brien’s meticulous methods have taken a personal toll but he hints that in the past he has paid for letting his batteries dwindle.

“I have found that without rest, you will be broken up emotionally and physically,” he says. “There is an awful lot of stuff going on every day and you have to be as clear as you can and sleep is important for that. I try and sleep whilst we are travelling and empty my mind at night.

"I take everything one day at a time and don't take anything for granted. Circumstances change things for everyone in the end, but we'll keep doing our best until we have any changes.”

His good time, as he describes it, is in the early evening when he will wander around the 14 yards that make up a base where champions such as Sir Ivor, Nijinsky, Alleged, Roberto, El Gran Senor, Roberto and The Minstrel were moulded before him.

Six are for the older horses, with the other eight being for two-year-olds or horses who require isolation or a period of quiet. O’Brien’s home is in the middle of it all.

In total, there are 200 boxes. His predecessor, the legendary Vincent O’Brien, no relation, who first trained here in 1951, never had more than about 60.

O’Brien talks of friendly rivalry between the respective yards and on occasions the A Team is upstaged by something in the B Team. That happened last year when Wings Of Eagles, a 40-1 chance, gave him his sixth Derby success at the main expense of stablemate Cliffs Of Moher, who started favourite.

Ballydoyle - groom kurram sheikh putting the sheet on us navy flag - racingfotos

Groom Kurram Sheikh puts the sheet on to U S Navy Flag (Racingfotos)

"The stables are divided up into colts and fillies,” he says. “We then separate the best colts, the second-best colts and the third-best colts. They can't all be in one yard so we have to separate them up and the top colts are in the Giant's Causeway yard.

"When we go away to America (for the Breeders’ Cup), Ballydoyle is emptied and washed out and painted for a new year. There is then a pecking order which the lads decide as to what horse ends up in one yard.

"A lot of thought goes into all of this and wherever the horse lands, they stay there for the year. There is no promotion or relegation.”

O’Brien is content for others to have the final say. “I watch, listen and smile,” he says. “I might not always agree with it (who goes where) but I let it happen. I can often see where there could be a very good horse in the second yard but that’s great for the people in there because I know they have a chance of having a big horse, and they’d know that as well.

“That’s what keeps them going because they’d love to have a horse better than in the No 1 yard. It’s a friendly rivalry, but at the same time intense. That’s the way life is, isn’t it?”

All the time O’Brien is talking, alarms on his phone are going off and there is regular interaction on walkie talkies.

At 9.48am he gets a call asking about overnight declarations and after a brief chat about weather conditions at the track in question, passes on his instructions and asks that Ryan Moore is informed.

It seems late to be making decisions about running plans - the cut-off time is 10am - but today he is ahead of schedule.

“Things can change ten times in the minutes before 10am,” he says, having moved into the indoor barn where Capri, the St Leger winner, is rearing up on two legs to show his impressive grey physique. “It could go down to maybe the last ten seconds before.”

Then it is back outside to see his impressive battalion of two-year-olds who, because it’s been such a wet spring, have yet to gallop on turf.

One spooks and it causes a domino effect. O’Brien turns horse whisperer and offers calm, soothing reassurance. “Gently lads. Talk to them. Take your time. Steady. Take your time lads. Just talk to them.”

He is learning about each of the youngsters day by day and trying to get inside the heads of each.

“There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to training,” he says. “You are trying to find the key to every horse and the craziest things can work sometimes.

“They are made up of all these different genes and you have to find methods to kick them off. With some horses you never learn the key but if you have the best people around, all working with the best interests of the horse in mind, then you have a better chance of making it happen.”

Eighteen years ago, O’Brien was unlocking the brilliance of Galileo. He was in the infancy of his training career but he handled the son of Sadler’s Wells with precision and in 2001 the colt went on to give him his first Derby triumph.

Subsequently, Galileo has gone on to become the Daddy of all sires with many of his gifted sons and daughters keeping O’Brien ahead of the pack.

Aged 20, Galileo is still going strong at Coolmore, the centre of equine excellence owned and run by the Magnier family, which is about half an hour from Ballydoyle.

Sadler’s Wells was active in the breeding sheds until the age of about 25 and all the signs are that Galileo will emulate him. He remains a strong, passive individual who dislikes his ears being touched but enjoys having his teeth scratched.

He might perhaps help produce another 800 offspring before his time as a stallion is up, although the odds on him fathering another blessed with as much ability as the freakish Frankel, himself now excelling at stud, seem slim.

"He’s been the most incredible stallion and all of his horses seem to have real courage about them,” O’Brien says.

Galileo has sired three Derby winners and two for O'Brien - Ruler Of The World (2013) and Australia (2014). He is also responsible for New Approach (2008) - and features in the pedigrees of the past six 2,000 Guineas winners.

He has consistently stamped his horses with speed, stamina, good looks and calm temperaments.

The challenge for Coolmore has been mixing up the chemistry and they might just have come up with a game changer in getting access to Deep Impact, the Japanese middle-distance champion, for their Galileo mares.

Saxon Warrior, out of Maybe, is one of three Deep Impact offspring at Ballydoyle - the others are September and Conclusion - but plenty more will soon arrive.

Multiple Group One winners Minding and Winter are in foal to him. So are Maybe's sisters Fluff and Promise To Be True, plus Found's sister Best In The World.

“Deep Impact could be massive and is very exciting,” O’Brien said. “The world is a small place now so he will continue to be important to us.

"Saxon Warrior has a very strong blend of Danehill, Galileo and Deep Impact in him. Those three strong traits make him a horse that we haven't had before so he is very different.

"He is strong and powerful. He is built like a miler, but we always thought he would stay. He goes like a horse who will love middle distances. You can see all of those strong traits in him.”

In the distance is Deep Impact’s daughter, September. She appears extremely fresh and well but a tilt at the Investec Oaks had to be shelved because of a minor muscle problem in her back quarters.

”She wants to canter, but she’s not ready,” says O’Brien, his eye following her every step. “She’s a small filly with a big personality. She’s clean winded and we were looking forward to her for the Oaks. Maybe she will be OK for Royal Ascot.”

O'Brien does not drink alcohol and has few hobbies but is a regular church goer who encourages everyone to stay in contact with their beliefs.

“You can only control the things you can control and you don’t worry about the things you can’t,” he says. “You just hope there is a far greater power there that might help control the things you can’t.

“That’s the reality of life for us all, really. Everyone has their own beliefs and nobody knows who is right or wrong but it’s always a help if somebody has a belief.

“We do our best of what we do every day and then if there is extra help out there we are always very grateful for it. If everyone says a prayer it doesn’t matter what it is, or to who it is, it’s always a help for us all.

“Have a prayer, learn a prayer and say it. It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or you don’t believe it. If you learn a prayer and say it every day it will be a help to you long term, we believe."

Does he pray for his horses? “No” he says.

It is difficult to believe he will do anything but train thoroughbreds but a final question, asking him if he can imagine a time when he won’t, draws a surprise response.

“Of course I can,” he says without hesitation. “And I’ll be taking it very easy when that does happen.”

But first of all there is another Derby to be won. Then another. Then another. The Ballydoyle win machine remains in the safest hands.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acacia alba Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jun 2018 at 11:50pm
I wonder how many pass thru his stable that dont give a peep, and where they end up after ???
animals before people.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote djebel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 7:50pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Second Chance Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 7:52pm
Certainly can't argue with that.  Big smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote djebel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 7:54pm
Do the links work SC ? 

The second and third ones seem to. 


Edited by djebel - 12 Apr 2021 at 7:55pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Carioca Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 11:01pm
Unbelievable set up , now I know how Davey Crockett felt like at the Alamo . Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote djebel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Apr 2023 at 12:44am

Inside the mind of a genius - what makes Aidan O'Brien tick

'We're always chasing. We're just hanging in there, because I know what's coming'


Michael Verney

ONE of the best ways to find the perfect work-life balance is to chase a job that doesn’t feel like a chore and it’s fair to say that Aidan O'Brien relishes every second he spends in Ballydoyle.

"It doesn't really," the world-renowned Flat trainer replies when asked whether the job ever loses any of its excitement. "This is what we love doing every day."

Such devotion to a 300-strong squad of the finest equine thoroughbreds brings all types of responsibilities but hearing him greet the names of 40 different work riders in quick succession is a sight to behold.

From Brett to Jaykumar to Martin to Colm to Georgia to Santosh to Maria, there's a need to know everyone and anyone that walks through the gates of the luxurious south Tipperary yard.

"Sure I suppose I do nothing else every day, this is all I do," O'Brien reasons. "It's a seven-day week and it's every single day. We all work here together the whole time and they're all very important to us.

"I'd touch base usually with every work rider between six and eight times on every lot when I'm here by myself. It's all little things that you feel and you're in constant communication learning about each horse.

"Everyone is giving little bits and thinking about things. It's communication then with everybody, nothing hidden and there's no agenda. It's said as it is, nothing covered, good, bad or indifferent."

O'Brien cruises alongside each lot in his top of the range Land Rover Defender and always has his eyes on the here and now. He doesn't do self-praise, instead lauding others, and is always striving for improvement.


The 53-year-old refuses to stagnate - as can be seen with the spacious new outdoor warm-up area which has music piped in - and he has the attitude of a hungry contender rather than the 25-time Irish champion Flat trainer which he is.

"No, we're always chasing," the Wexford native says. "We're just hanging in there, believe me, because I know what's coming! I know what's there, the minute we get complacent that'll be it.

"We never think back, we always think forward. We don't even think about what's gone, yesterday is gone and that's it. It's about tomorrow always and that's just the way it is."

What's coming behind him is another powerful training yard led by his Kilkenny-based son Joseph - his other son Donnacha is also a burgeoning trainer just 20 minutes away in Ballyroe - but there is little fear of their father being left behind given his attitude.,

"We're always changing, we're always trying to progress, make things sharper, tighter, quicker. And if that stops...you can't get complacent, you always believe that you're behind. So you're always trying to catch up."

It's 30 years since O'Brien took out a training licence and the man responsible for Flat superstars like Galileo, Giant's Causeway and High Chaparral - as well as National Hunt icon Istabraq - has no end in sight.

He certainly appreciates every day as if it is his last, though.

"Every day I get up, I thank God because you're never guaranteed you're going to make the next one and that doesn't matter what age you are, it's the same with everyone. I always say the greatest gift of all for all of us is life so don't take it for granted and appreciate it."

He has plenty to be grateful for heading into the new Flat season with particularly positive mention for Alexandroupolis - a three-year-old Camelot colt which "could be anything" after his Galway maiden success - and the unraced Alabama, a brother of sprinter Sioux Nation.

English 2,000 Guineas hope Auguste Rodin is the apple of his eye at present, though, and the Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes winner could take all before him this season.

"We were very impressed with him at Doncaster because we nearly didn’t run him on the ground. Everything went wrong and he still won," he says of the Epsom Derby favourite.

"He was always very classy from the first time Ryan (Moore) rode him. He’s an exceptional mover. He’s the type of horse that could start in the Guineas and stretch out to a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half."

Other potential superstars like Little Big Bear and Irish Champion Stakes winner Luxembourg have him rising from his bed each morning at 4.45 with enthusiasm.

He sleeps well but anything more than six or seven hours is a rarity as "the day is very full" and he doesn't even have time for a power nap these days - "I just have to keep going".

Hobbies outside of racing are non-existent apart from the odd bit of sport on the television when he's having his tea in the evening as "you don't get a lot of time to get hooked into anything".

However, daily exercise is imperative and that's a non-negotiable part of his routine.

"I do three quarters of an hour when I get up first thing every morning. I do everything, I do Pilates. I've to keep my back strong. I try to do three quarters of an hour as well some time before I go to bed every day,” he says.

"I try to do an hour and a half every day if I can. When you're tired is when you need to exercise most. Your body has to keep going."

It's a fast-paced life he leads with his string regularly excelling in some of the world's richest prizes - like Broome claiming last week's Dubai World Cup in Meydan - but nothing compares to home.

"I love working here every day, that's what I love. If we go racing and we have to do those things then that's the way it is but this is what I love doing every day.

"I'm here 30 years but it only feels like two years to me. my heaven is here with the horses."

He has everything he needs on his doorstep with the floodlit gallops - it feels like you have landed in Dundalk Stadium upon entry early in the morning - affording them them the opportunity to gallop horses at whatever hour is required.

The main gallop features a speedometer to keep track of things while information is always coming his way through a Walkie Talkie. Nothing is left to chance, everything is like military precision.

Even O'Brien's clothing is on point as he sports a long coat like you'd see soccer manager wearing - manufactured by Nike no less - with Blackbeard (the latest Coolmore stallion) written on the front, as well as an accompanying image of the pirate carrying the same name.

O'Brien, much like Willie Mullins, doesn't watch replays of races - "I used to but I don't get time now, the days are not long enough" - and he instead goes with the "gut instinct" of his first impression.

That judgement is shaped by a life in racing where he has accumulated unprecedented success with eight Epsom Derby wins, nine in the Oaks, 10 triumphs in the English 2,000 Guineas and seven in 1,000 Guineas, among numerous others.

However, that doesn't stop the long-time Man United follower from seeking the counsel of others in search of any edge that is going.

"Oh God yeah we would, all the time," he says of picking other people's brains with former Kilkenny hurling boss Brian Cody one that is name checked.

"You'd always be trying to learn from people, absolutely, see if there's something that we could put into our system. There's little things that can make a big difference."

What about feeling pressure given the responsibility he carries with the power of the mighty Coolmore behind him?

"The only pressure I feel is all the people that are working for us that they keep having jobs because the lads (John Magnier and Co) invest an awful lot of money every year," he says.

"It's to keep them having success so that they'll keep investing the money because there's such a spin-off of people with families.

"That's the pressure really and I'm always conscious of that, that everyone has to survive, like us all."

It's that mentality that keeps him hungrier than ever. O'Brien may be the all-conquering champion, but there's no silk pajamas syndrome here.

He continues to graft like someone at the bottom of racing's tree and that thirst for success won’t be going away any time soon.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote TJMitchell Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Apr 2023 at 5:00pm
We've got a gelding, that will debut soon here, that finished 3 lengths behind Alexandroupolis and a filly that finished 4 lengths behind Espionage that should also debut here this month some time.
Time is a flat circle
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote djebel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Apr 2023 at 1:54am

Aidan O'Brien: 'He's definitely one to watch, you won't go too far wrong with him'

David Jennings gets the lowdown from the master trainer of his stellar crop for the new season


What can you say about Aidan O'Brien that hasn't been said already? Well, I suppose he has never done the Triple Crown. Despite Camelot's courageous attempt in 2012, the master of Ballydoyle is still looking for his very own Nijinsky. Has he finally found his doppelganger in Auguste Rodin? He just might, you know. 

If Auguste Rodin happened to hand him an 11th 2,000 Guineas next month, a race he is shading favouritism for at 7-2, the Derby and St Leger would surely be on his agenda afterwards.

O'Brien used the word "strong" when asked to describe his crop of three-year-olds for the season. Sensational may have been more apt. 

The fact that Victoria Road, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero, is not even being considered for the starting team at Newmarket and is heading to France instead tells all you need to know about the strength in depth in the Classic division. 

Little Big Bear was the champion juvenile in Europe last season and ended the campaign with a huge rating of 124. O'Brien felt his phenomenal Phoenix Stakes success was "different". Dynamite might be a better description.

The furthest Little Big Bear has gone in his career is six furlongs and 63 yards in the Anglesey Stakes, but O'Brien believes he will stay a mile because he's so relaxed. If he does get home in the Guineas, we could be in for something very special indeed. 

Statuette is on the sidelines for the first half of the season with a setback, but Meditate has always been the number one Ballydoyle hope in the 1,000 Guineas. O'Brien has won the first fillies' Classic of the season five times in the last seven years.

Of the older brigade who are staying in training at Ballydoyle, Luxembourg is the most interesting. Last year's Irish Champion Stakes winner had an interrupted Classic campaign, but an uninterrupted four-year-old season could see him land a whole host of top prizes. He will return in the Prix Ganay but the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot seems to be his main early-season aim. 

Kyprios won't be able to defend his Gold Cup crown there and Emily Dickinson has been handed the baton for the staying showpiece.

There are umpteen juveniles by No Nay Never who could be anything, although it already seems O'Brien knows something about Alabama. 

Ballydoyle is drenched in quality everywhere you look and 2023 could be one of those memorable years when everything clicks.
David Jennings, deputy Ireland editor


Stable facts

Yard Ballydoyle
Where Rosegreen, County Tipperary
Started training 1993
Horses in yard 200
Strike-rate in 2022 22%
Prize-money in Ireland in 2022 €4,666,878
Assistants/head lads Andrew Murphy, Seamus Brady, Jenny O’Meara, Jamie Gillespie, John Manton, Oleksandr Movchan, Oleg Gavrylenko, Yvonne Zuercher, Sarmite Loca, Martin Deegan, Maryna Demchuk, Edmond Kinane, Trevor O’Neill, Finbarr McCarthy, Derek Hennessey, Ray Pochkhanavala, Chris Armstrong, Donal O’Loughlin, Muhammad Yasir, Keith Griffin, Enora Hervio
Travelling head lads Pat Keating, TJ Comerford, Kieran Murphy, Eoin Lane
Racing secretaries Polly Murphy andRachael Hickey
Jockeys Ryan Moore, Seamus Heffernan, Wayne Lordan, Killian Hennessy, Jack Cleary
Website coolmore.com/farms/ballydoyle
Twitter @Ballydoyle

Winners in Ireland
2022 105
2021 89
2020 103
2019 120
2018 154

Profit/loss to a €1 stake
2022 84.18
2021 77.55
2020 76.39
2019 131.07
2018 18.32

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Part 2

Older horses 

Bolshoi Ballet


Five-year-old horse
Galileo (sire) - Alta Anna (dam)
Owners: Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg
Form figures: 14469/4-
Racing Post Rating 117 Official Rating 111

He’s back in full work again and we’ll probably go up in trip with him this season. He has an entry in the Alleged Stakes and the Mooresbridge and he might start off in one of those.

Broome


7h Australia - Sweepstake
M Matsushima, Magnier, Tabor, Smith
7868-51
RPR 122 OR 118

We were delighted with him at Meydan and he’ll probably be trained for the Gold Cup. Obviously, we’re not sure about the 2m4f, but we’ll see. He could go to Goodwood, then to the Irish Leger and then to the Melbourne Cup. We're thinking about those types of races for him.

Broome (Ryan Moore) beats Siskany (William Buick) to land the Dubai Gold Cup
Broome (nearside): the Dubai Gold Cup winner will have the Ascot Gold Cup and Melbourne Cup as his likely targets this seasonCredit: Edward Whitaker

Changingoftheguard


4c Galileo - Lady Lara
Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith
52/1151-
RPR 114 OR 109

He’s a horse who is going to get 1m4f well, and further. We’re going to look at the Coronation Cup for him and we might give him a run before that. He could get 1m6f and even further. We'll see.

Emily Dickinson


4f Dubawi - Chicquita
Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg
435461-
RPR 110 OR 108

We were very impressed with her on her final run of last season in the Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh. She grew another leg when she went to two miles. We think that when she goes beyond it, she could even be better, so we’re looking forward to her. She’s going to do the two Gold Cup trials at Navan and Leopardstown, and then go to the Gold Cup at Ascot. She could be a very good stayer.

Kyprios


5h Galileo - Polished Gem
Moyglare, Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg
111111-
RPR 128 OR 124

I don't think he's going to make the Gold Cup. He got an inner infection, inside in the joint. It's an unusual thing for it to come inside the joint. The joint had to be flushed. Then his bloods were still up after it was flushed so that meant there was further infection in the joint and they had to flush it again. It's like one of your own joints, sometimes it takes a while to settle down and that's where we're at with them at the moment. It happened a month ago and it's just not settling down yet. Sometimes those things can settle very quickly and sometimes they don't.


Star quality

Luxembourg


4c Camelot - Attire
Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith
11/3117-
RPR 124 OR 123

The plan is to start him off in the Prix Ganay. We’re very happy with him at the moment. He went to the Curragh with the others the weekend before last and we were very happy with what he did there. Physically, he has done very well since last year. We’re thinking along the lines of the Ganay then the Tattersalls Gold Cup and on to the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. Then after that, we'll see where we are with regard to the autumn. He had a tough race in the Champion Stakes last year after missing a bit of time following the Guineas. It was a good, competitive race at Leopardstown, but because he had the time off in the middle of the season, I think it probably took its toll on him a little bit. We’re looking forward to him now. There could be plenty more to come, I hope.

Luxembourg: ante-post favourite for the Derby and strong fancy for the 2,000 Guineas
Luxembourg: "There could be plenty more to come," says Aidan O'BrienCredit: Edward Whitaker

Point Lonsdale


4c Australia - Sweepstake
Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg
11112/0-
RPR 113 OR 106

He disappointed us at Newmarket in the Guineas. We scanned him after it and found that he had a fissure in one of his joints, so we needed to give him time for that to heal. He’s going very well now. He did his first serious bit of work at the Curragh over the weekend and everyone was happy. I'd say 1m2f will suit him and he could start back in the Mooresbridge Stakes.

Tenebrism


4f Caravaggio - Immortal Verse
Westerberg, Coolmore, Merribelle Stables
412355-
RPR 116 OR 113

She's going to go sprinting and will probably start in one of the local sprints. She’s nearly ready to go. She’s a fast filly and I’d say 5f or 6f would be comfortable for her. Last year, we were dallying around with her, seeing where we were going to go, but the minute we started sprinting with her, it was very obvious she was a sprinter. She’s very quick. She’ll be trained differently this year. Last year, we were trying to stretch her out to see how far she would go and she was still very competitive at those distances because she’s just a good filly.

Thoughts Of June


4f Galileo - Discreet Marq
Moyglare Stud Farm, Magnier, Tabor
25/219-
RPR 105 OR 102

She won the Cheshire Oaks last year over 1m4f, so hopefully she'll progress into a Group filly this season.

Three-year-olds

Adelaide River
c Australia - Could It Be Love
Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg
1223-
RPR 103 OR 105

He worked very well at the Curragh the other day. He’s going to go to a Derby trial and could head to France for one.

Aesop’s Fables
c No Nay Never - How's She Cuttin'
Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg
11442-
RPR 110 OR 110

He's a sprinter. He has done very well over the winter and has got plenty of pace. We'll be campaigning him as a sprinter this year.

Age Of Kings
c Kingman - Turret Rocks
Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Peter Brant
21743-
RPR 101 OR 102

We were getting him ready for one of the Guineas trials but is probably going to get a couple of easy weeks.

Alexandroupolis
c Camelot - Jazz Cat
Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg
1-3
RPR 98

He was very fresh early on in the Ballysax and I think that took its toll on him at the business end. He had been working so well and everything had come so naturally to him at home that I'd say he needed the race more than the others. We think he's a very nice colt and he could come back to Leopardstown for the Derrinstown in a few weeks.

Alfred Munnings
c Dubawi - Best In The World
Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith
16-
RPR 93

He could be an Irish or French Guineas type. He chipped his splint bone in the Chesham last year and that’s what put him away from the rest of the season. He has done well since coming back into training.

Alfred Munnings:
Alfred Munnings: "could be an Irish or French Guineas type"Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

All Time Great
f Justify - Curvy
Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg
Unraced

She hasn’t run yet. She’s a big, strong-galloping, staying filly.

Star quality

Auguste Rodin
c Deep Impact - Rhododendron
Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg
2111-
RPR 120 OR 118

You would imagine he would have no bother stretching out to a 1m2f or even 1m4f, he’s that type of horse. He is the type that could start in the Guineas and stretch out in trip after that. He was always very classy, always. I remember Ryan [Moore] riding him in work as early as last February, as a two-year-old, and he was even raving about him back then. We nearly didn't run him at Doncaster because of the ground as he’s an exceptional mover. He’s very slick, a very long, very low mover. Everything went wrong in the race and he still won. If we have a horse who could do the Triple Crown, he would definitely be the one. Both him and Little Big Bear will be aimed at Newmarket, then the lads will have to decide whether they will let the two of them run together or split them up.

Ballsbridge
c Lord Kanaloa - Happily
Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg
4

We put blinkers on him at Navan as he had been very idle and lazy at home. I think he will improve a lot on what he did at Navan and I'd say you will see a different colt next time.

Beginnings
f Lord Kanaloa - Winter
Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg
41-
RPR 94

She’s a filly who won a Dundalk maiden nicely late in the year and we're going to aim her at a Guineas trial. We'll see where she slots in after running in one of those. She's fit and forward.

Be Happy
f Camelot - Frequential
Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg
15-3
RPR 92 OR 96

We were very happy with her at Saint-Cloud on Saturday. It was her first run of the year and she just got tired. She will come forward plenty for the run and she will appreciate stepping up to 1m4f as well.

Bertinelli
c Justify - Together Forever
Sue Magnier
21-
RPR 85

He’s working nicely and we were thinking about running him over the weekend, but he picked up a stone bruise, so we'll see how he gets over that. He's been going nicely, though.

Boogie Woogie
f Dubawi - Seventh Heaven
Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg
823-
RPR 82

She's still a maiden but she's a nice filly and could even be a Group filly when she goes over 1m4f.

Cairo
c Quality Road - Cuff
Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg
2121-10
RPR 106 OR 107

He was disappointing at Meydan, but we feel he just didn’t face the kickback on the dirt. We are happy to forgive him the run.

Cairo and Wayne Lordan on their way to winning the Killavullan Stakes at Leopardstown
Cairo: didn’t like the dirt kickback at Meydan last time but has been forgiven that runCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Carracci
c Quality Road - Butterflies
Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg
51-3
RPR 88 OR 89

We were delighted with his run behind Hans Andersen at Leopardstown and you'd like to think he will improve for the run and when he gets better ground as well.

Congo River
c Mendelssohn - Tessie Flip
Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith
236213-
RPR 97 OR 98

We’re going to take our time with him and go sprinting in the middle of the summer. He's a very fast colt.

Continuous
c Heart's Cry - Fluff
Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg
11-
RPR 104 OR 109

He's done well over the winter. He handles soft ground well. He was at the Curragh working the other day and we were happy with him. He'll go for a Derby trial and we'll take it from there.

Dame Kiri
f Justify - Hence
Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg
3341-7
RPR 96 OR 95

She should come forward nicely from her return at Leopardstown in the 1,000 Guineas Trial. She just got tired in the ground.

Delightful
f Galileo - Lillie Langtry
Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg
4321-9
RPR 92 OR 92

She was bit disappointing in the Park Express Stakes at the Curragh last weekend but we think she'll leave that run behind her. We’ll go back to a stakes race with her.

Denmark
c Camelot - Board Meeting
Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg
12-5
RPR 100 OR 97

He raced very lazily in the Ballyax so we'll put a pair of blinkers on him the next day. That could be what he needs. You would like to think he will improve plenty for the run. He could come back to Leopardstown for the Derrinstown.

Diamondsareforever
f Justify - Diamondsandrubies
Roisin Henry
1-
RPR 78

She’s a big filly. She’ll start off in one of those Oaks trials and we’ll see where we go from there.

Drumroll
c Deep Impact - Maybe
Magnier,Tabor, Smith, Westerberg
1

He's a brother to Saxon Warrior and we were delighted with him at Navan. He will either go to a winners race now or a Derby trial. He'll have no problem stepping up in trip, he came home very strongly at Navan.

Espionage
c Galileo - Even Song
Michael Tabor
212-
RPR 112 OR 112

He was in full work, but he had a bit of an issue with a shoulder that has held him up, so he won’t be out in the early part of the season.

Espionage:
Espionage: a shoulder issue has held up his workCredit: Patrick McCann

Gooloogong
c Australia - Muwakaba
Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith
5-1

He had a nice run at Dundalk at the back end of last year. He was very slowly away that day but ran a lovely race. He will stay further and could slot into one of the Derby trials now. He won very nicely at Navan.

Dark horse

Greenland
c Saxon Warrior - Aktoria
Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg
52414-
RPR 105 OR 108

A son of Saxon Warrior who we definitely didn’t see the best of when he ran the Royal Lodge. That was a messy race. He’s done very well over the winter and we will send him to a Derby trial.

Hans Andersen
c Frankel - Shadow Hunter
Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith
2125-1
RPR 104 OR 105

We're going to have a look at either the French or Irish Guineas on the way to the French Derby with him. I was delighted with the way he won at Leopardstown, as that wasn't his ground. He's a good ground horse and a very good mover. He quickened up well and the experience he had from last year stood to him.

Hippodrome
c Galileo - Lightning Thunder
Mrs John Magnier
5616-
RPR 91 OR 91

A staying type. He’s going to get 1m6f, or even further.

Hiawatha
c Camelot - Attire
Westerberg Ireland
22102-
RPR 101 OR 100

He’s having a bit of an easy time at the minute. He was just beaten in the Eyrefield at Leopardstown towards the end of last year, so he’ll go into a Derby trial in about a month’s time.

Jackie Oh


3f Galileo - Jacqueline Quest
Triermore Stud, Magnier, Tabor
1
RPR 90

We were delighted with the way she won at Naas and she could go to Navan for the Salsabil Stakes next. She's a nice filly and there should be more to come.

King Leodegrance
c Camelot - Empowering
Westerberg, Coolmore, Annemarie O’Brien
6

He will improve plenty for his first run at Navan and he could be a nice middle-distance horse.

Lambada
f Dubawi - Wading
Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg
03-
RPR 81

A Dubawi filly who was placed in a Leopardstown maiden at the backend of last year. She’s a 1m2f-plus filly. We’ll start her in a maiden and see where we go from there.

Library
f Galileo - Words
Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg
32125-6
RPR 93 OR 99

She was disappointing at Saint-Cloud and I'd say we'll put a pair of cheekpieces on her next time as Christophe [Soumillion] thought she was swinging the lead a little bit.

Star quality

Little Big Bear
c No Nay Never - Adventure Seeker
Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg
21111-
RPR 123 OR 124

What he did in the Phoenix was just different. He would be very comfortable and happy to go back sprinting any time, but there’s a very good chance he'll get a mile. He races very relaxed. Both him and Auguste Rodin will be aimed at Newmarket, then the lads will have to decide whether they will let the two of them run together or split them up.

Little Big Bear ridden by Ryan Moore winning the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes.The Curragh Racecourse.Photo: Patrick McCann/Racing Post16.07.2022
Little Big Bear: "There’s a very good chance he'll get a mile and he'll be aimed at Newmarket"Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Londoner
c Saxon Warrior - Gilt Edge Girl
Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg
41-
RPR 88 OR 99

He might start in a Derby trial somewhere. He went to the Curragh the weekend before last and he's going to get 1m2f or even further this year.

Star quality

Meditate
f No Nay Never - Pembina
Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg
111221-
RPR 113 OR 114

With Statuette out, she's the one for the 1,000 Guineas. She’s a very professional filly. She’s not over big, but she’s strong and versatile. She only did a gentle piece of work at the Curragh over the weekend as she had been away to Tipperary to gallop a month before that and came back a little bit sore, so we had to go gentle with her. That wasn’t a big enough interruption to impact her preparation and she’s still on target to go straight to Newmarket. I'm looking forward to her this season.

Milwaukee
c Justify - Moth
Derrick Smith
4-
RPR 79

He’s a middle-distance horse and could be Group or Listed class.

Never Ending Story
f Dubawi - Athena
Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg
311343-1
RPR 99 OR 103

We were delighted with her at Leopardstown on Sunday as she hadn’t really come yet. When she does come she will gush. She is just not there yet. You can see it in her coat that she's not there. She can go to one of the Guineas and then stepping up in trip after that shouldn’t be a problem to her. The plan is for Meditate to go straight to Newmarket and she could go for one of the other Guineas. We will go gently on her.

Paddington
c Siyouni - Modern Eagle
Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg, Brant
51-1
RPR 105 OR 105

He won the Madrid Handicap in good style at Naas and he’ll go for a Guineas trial now. He could run in the French Guineas. He should stay 1m2f, so he could end up in the Prix du Jockey Club.

Peking Opera
c Galileo - Bugle
Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg
21-
RPR 86 OR 93

He’s a strong traveller, but was babyish last year. He should be one for 1m2f or maybe even 1m4f.

Red Carpet
f Galileo - Quiet Reflection
Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg
0-
RPR 51

She’s a grand filly. She’ll start in a maiden over 7f or a mile, and we’ll see where we go from there.

Starry Eyed
f Galileo - Nickname
Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith
343-3
RPR 81 OR 82

We were very happy with her in the handicap at Leopardstown on Sunday. She will have no problem getting a mile and a half and Ryan [Moore] was very happy with her. The ground wouldn't have been ideal for her.

Statuette hardened as favourite for the 1000 Guineas after landing the Airlie Stud Stakes
Statuette: back for the second half of the season after a hold-upCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Statuette
f Justify - Immortal Verse
Coolmore, Westerberg, Merriebelle Stables
11-
RPR 104 OR 101

She's has had a hold-up and I don't think she's going to make the Guineas. We're going to go gently with her. She'll be back for the second half of the season.

Tender Kiss
f Galileo - Marsha
Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith

7
She's a nice filly who will come on plenty from her first run at Leopardstown. She will like nicer ground.

Time To Boogie
f Quality Road - Magical Dream
Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg
4-
RPR 72

She had a nice run in a maiden at the Curragh at the backend of last year. She’ll start in a maiden, probably over a mile or 1m2f, and we’ll see where we go from there.

The Antarctic
c Dark Angel - Anna Law
Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg, Brant
732132-
RPR 110 OR 113

He could be a very good sprinter this year; he gets 6f well and could even get a little further. He will handle an ease in the ground and, physically, he has done very well since you saw him last. You'd imagine the Commonwealth Cup will fit nicely into his schedule.

Tower Of London
c Galileo - Dialafara
Mrs John Magnier
15-
RPR 88 OR 96

This is a smart colt who worked nicely at the Curragh the other day. We think he could be a nice middle-distance horse.

Unless
f Justify - Clemmie
Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith
335-2
RPR 97 OR 86

She was just touched off the other day at the Curragh, but hopefully she'll go back and win her maiden the next day before going in search of some black type.

Victoria Road (left) denies Silver Knott by a nose in the Juvenile Turf
Victoria Road (left): the Juvenile Turf winner will go for the French Guineas and then the Prix du Jockey ClubCredit: Edward Whitaker

Victoria Road
c Saxon Warrior - Tickled Pink
Derrick Smith
241111-
RPR 115 OR 115

The plan at the moment is for him is to go for the French Guineas and then on to the Prix du Jockey Club. He improved with each run last season and he’d look the type to do better again this season. He worked well at the Curragh the other day. We're happy with him.

Warm Heart
f Galileo - Sea Siren
Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg
4-2
RPR 62

She ran a lovely race in the maiden at Leopardstown on Sunday. We can step up her in trip and she will appreciate that and nicer ground too.

Water Nymph
f Saxon Warrior - Chenchikova
Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg
62-9
RPR 83 OR 86

We were a bit disappointed by her run at the Curragh, but it was her first run of the season and we think she'll leave that behind her.

Juveniles 

We have a lovely crop of two-year-olds and you'll see some of them starting to appear soon. Alabama (c No Nay Never - Deam The Blues) has been working very nicely. Of the more forward ones, he’s definitely one to watch. He's a half-brother to Sioux Nation and you wouldn’t go too far wrong with him. 

A few others who it might be worth your while keeping an eye out for would be Battle Cry (c No Nay Never - I'll Have Another), Emperor Of Rome (c No Nay Never - Coral Shell), The Liffey (c No Nay Never - Rain Goddess), Carnegie Hall (c No Nay Never - Compression), His Majesty (c No Nay Never - Czabo) and a Ten Sovereigns filly called Brighter.


Two for the Tracker

You won’t go far wrong with Alabama, a two-year-old who is working particularly nicely. Of the three-year-olds, Auguste Rodin is an exceptional mover and has us really excited.


Expert View 

Very early signs suggest it will be business as usual for Aidan O'Brien this season, with an even stronger bunch of three-year-olds.

It is a strong comment on the potential strength of the Ballydoyle three-year-olds this season that the premature retirement of Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes winner Blackbeard might just be a blip on the screen. O'Brien has the two market leaders for the 2,000 Guineas in last season's champion European juvenile Little Big Bear, not seen since his scintillating success in the Phoenix Stakes in August, and impressive Futurity winner Auguste Rodin.

Both horses caught the eye in a racecourse gallop at the Curragh last weekend and both look as though they will be heading to Newmarket without a prep run. Little Big Bear is unlikely to be seen beyond a mile, but that will not be the case with Derby favourite Auguste Rodin, who is only likely to improve when stepping up in trip. There is terrific potential among the stable's probable middle-distance hopefuls, with unexposed types such as Alexandroupolis, Continuous, Denmark and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road.

Among his fillies, Statuette was unbeaten in two starts last season and remains exciting, even if she won't be seen until later in the season. Despite being eclipsed by Tahiyra in the Moyglare, Meditate danced every dance last season, culminating in her Breeders' Cup success in November, and there is plenty to look forward to with her.

Among the older brigade, last season's joint-world champion intermediate colt Luxembourg remains in training and will be a factor in all the middle-distance Group 1 races as he attempts to make up for a mostly lost season. Champion stayer Kyprios is on the easy list but the stable has a ready replacement in Meydan winner Broome, while Emily Dickinson could be a revelation at the trip. O'Brien has also identified 113-rated juvenile The Antarctic as one to go sprinting this season. All bases look to be covered in yet another exciting looking season for the Ballydoyle powerhouse.
Justin O'Hanlon, reporter

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Edited by djebel - 03 Jul 2023 at 3:58am
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I hope Little Big Bear is not added to the list, He had to be pulled up in the July Cup after missing at least a weeks work after the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot.


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