Latest news with #Aidan O'Brien
Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Ascot: King George, Saturday, July 26 – runner guide and tips
Race: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes When: 4.10pm, Saturday, July 26 Where: Ascot Watch: ITV1 & Sky Sports Racing Class: Group 1 Trip: 1m 4f Horse age: 3yo+ Total prize money: £1.5million If you already have a Betfred account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use for this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts Ron Wood's Eclipse verdict CALANDAGAN is an off-the-pace runner who can be a bit tricky, but he gained an overdue first Group 1 success in France on his latest start and he should reverse June's Coronation Cup form with Jan Brueghel. The form danger is Kalpana, but she might not appreciate the drying ground. Check out the Betfred promo code July 2025 Eclipse – Guide to runners and odds 1. Calandagan (4) – 7/4 with Betfred Trainer: Francis Henri Graffard; Jockey: Mickael Barzalona: Group 2 winner over course and distance at Royal Ascot last year. Denied by a cannily ridden Jan Brueghel in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June, but shaped like the best horse in that race. He's not completely straightforward, but readily won a Group 1 race in France last time out and has strong claims again now. Stable won this last year. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2. Jan Brueghel (2) – 7/4 with Betfred Trainer: Aidan O'Brien; Jockey: Ryan Moore: Last year's St Leger winner. Had a better position than Calandagan and the ground was on the slow side when defeating the French horse in this season's Coronation Cup at Epsom. Probably won't be quick enough now, on faster going, even with the addition of cheekpieces. ⭐⭐⭐ 3. Kalpana (5) – 9/2 with Betfred Trainer: Andrew Balding; Jockey: Oisin Murphy: Group 1 winner against her own sex here last October, but beaten on both starts this term and the ground may be quicker than she wants. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4. Rebel's Romance (1) – 9/2 with Betfred Trainer: Charlie Appleby; Jockey: William Buick: Terrific old horse, a seven-time winner at the top level. Didn't have the race unfold to suit when third in this last year and most recently won the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes over course and distance at Royal Ascot, but doesn't look up to this now. ⭐⭐⭐ 5. Continuous (3) – 100/1 with Betfred Trainer: Aidan O'Brien; Jockey: Wayne Lordan: Won the 2023 St Leger, but tends to be used as a pacemaker these days and he'll just be setting this up for others. ⭐ Odds courtesy of Betfred and correct at time of writing. If you already have a Betfred account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use for this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts When is the next big racing festival? The week-long Galway Festival kicks off in Ireland on Monday (July 28), followed a day later by Glorious Goodwood. Check out the latest Glorious Goodwood free bets and betting offers. The latter is a five-day fixture and is set to feature the Kingman colt Field Of Gold, possibly the best horse in the world, in the Sussex Stakes on July 30, one of three Group 1 contests at the meeting. Ron Wood 2025 horse racing profit/loss If you're looking for online casino bonuses, check out the UK's best online casino sites Star ratings explained ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - confident selection ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - strong fancy ⭐⭐⭐ - fair claims ⭐⭐ - tentative choice ⭐ - minimum confidence
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Like buying money – The two odds-on ‘steering jobs' tipped to leave bookies in tears at Glorious Goodwood
ANTE-POST punting is a dangerous road littered with torn betslips and shattered dreams. But every now and then a seemingly golden opportunity presents itself. 1 Too good to be true? Maybe. But unless you take the plunge you'll never know. Punters who like to smash into favourites at very short prices will often talk about the notion of 'buying money'. It doesn't always work. Just this week we saw 2-13 Royal Ascot runner-up Thesecretadversary beaten by a 28-1 outsider. But you'd hope there would be fewer chances for things to go so seismically wrong in Group 1s. And that's where John Gosden's Field Of Gold and Aidan O'Brien's Illinois come in. Both are currently odds-on for their respective races at next week's Glorious Goodwood. Field Of Gold, who perhaps should have won the 2,000 Guineas, and definitely did win the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes, is a best-price 1-2 to win the Sussex Stakes next Wednesday. His big market rival - and second-fav - Rosallion was a big drifter on the Betfair Exchange and could be sent elsewhere. Illinois was second to Trawlerman in last month's Ascot Gold Cup. But he is a proven Group-level performer - albeit he has always come up short in Group 1s - and last finished outside the top two in April 2024 - NINE races ago. He is a best-price 8-11 to win the 2m feature next Tuesday. There is a chance O'Brien could run recent brilliant Newmarket scorer Scandinavia instead. But this looks a golden opportunity for Illinois to get his Group 1, with 4-1 second-fav French Master moving up from handicaps. Backing shorties in a double like this wouldn't be my go-to method of punting. But if you put the pair together now you'd still get better than evens, with a £20 punt returning £48.44 with Ladbrokes. Buying money? Like everything, it comes with its risks... Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
The Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Aidan O'Brien may be forced to retire ‘superstar' millionaire horse as he's hit by crushing triple whammy of injuries
A 'SUPERSTAR' Aidan O'Brien horse may have run her final race - as the iconic trainer handles a crushing triple whammy of injuries. Lake Victoria, who has won more than £1million, has lost just once in her short career, when sixth in the 1,000 Guineas last May. 1 She roared back to life with a simple victory in the Irish 1,000 later that month but hasn't been seen since. O'Brien said in an interview with Sun Racing's Matt Chapman on ITV that she could be 'retired altogether'. That cruel blow comes at the same time huge doubts have surfaced over Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin. O'Brien has never hid his admiration for his Marble Hill Stakes winner Albert Einstein, saying he is 'as fast a horse as we have ever seen'. But the two-year-old colt was forced to miss Royal Ascot when favourite for the Coventry. Charles Darwin kept the Ballydoyle flag flying with victory in the Norfolk and is currently 9-4 favourite for the Nunthorpe at York's Ebor Festival next month. But O'Brien said he too recently suffered a setback and may not be seen again until next season. O'Brien said: "Lake Victoria is not back in exercise. She's doing well physically but she's not back in work yet. "She might be left alone until next year or retired altogether. "Those are the decisions that will be made as the weeks go by. "Albert Einstein, we probably won't see again this year. "Because he was so special - from the time we first started working him he was always head and shoulders above everything else. "Everyone was aware of that and I know the way the lads think, usually, they won't want to take any chances whatsoever with him." While in a separate interview with Racing TV, O'Brien said of Charles Darwin: "He has to come back. He had a little setback as well. "We've had to ease off after hurting his foot. "He's a big horse and those type of horses, after having two or three runs, they're educated for next year. "If you come back and run them, fine, but if you don't, after those two or three runs, it's no problem really." O'Brien still has a squad of monsters to unleash over the coming weeks. Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel is all set for a blockbuster rematch with Calandagan in Saturday's King George at Ascot. Illinois is being prepared for next week's Goodwood Cup - where he could be joined by awesome Bahrain Trophy winner Scandinavia. Henri Matisse is set to take on Field Of Gold in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. Whirl will clash with See The Fire in the Nassau at the same festival. While, looking ahead to York next month, breathtaking Coral-Eclipse winner Delacroix is set for round two with Ombudsman in the Juddmonte. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Minnie Hauk makes it more exciting than anticipated but lands Irish Oaks at 2/11
Considering much of the pre-race chat was whether Minnie Hauk might start the shortest priced classic runner ever, Saturday's Juddmonte Irish Oaks turned out to be much more exciting than many had anticipated. Ultimately Aidan O'Brien 's eighth winner of the race, and the 16th filly to complete the Epsom-Curragh Oaks double, won a shade cosily. But those who bet the 2/11 SP must have been momentarily shifting uneasily in the straight as Ryan Moore started to scrub on the hotpot while Dylan Browne McMonagle was motionless in front of him on Wemightakedlongway. The latter was fourth at Epsom and a change of tactics briefly looked like paying off only for Minnie Hauk to ultimately come through and win by just over a length. READ MORE If there was a rather underwhelming feel to the performance, she did at least land her cramped odds. O'Brien's Order Of St George was famously beaten at 1/7 in the 2016 Irish Leger, a race that Yeats also got beaten in at 2/7 in 2006. In the end Australia's record 1/8 price when landing the 2014 Curragh Derby was unchallenged and his awkwardly named daughter, Wemightakedlongway, momentarily underlined the dangers of betting very short. Having narrowly beaten her stable companion Whirl at Epsom, the charitable take on Saturday's double display was that Minnie Hauk might not do it prettily but does consistently pull off the all-important feat of winning. Moore said he was never worried, although Browne McMonagle's tactical shift appeared to be a surprise. 'I just had to wake her up to get past Dylan, a little bit like at the Oaks at Epsom. She'd be quite deceptive. She's become more professional and at least we've learned a little bit more about her today. 'There's probably no doubt that it was a weak running of an Oaks. I'm happy with her and I'm sure she is going to go on to better things as well. 'When I asked her, she switched her lead and went and done it. At Chester at the start of the year she only won by a length, she just timed herself. When she got to the front at Epsom, she went asleep on me again. We are learning about her, and she'll be better than this,' reassured the English rider. Ryan Moore on Minnie Hauk win The Juddmonte Irish Oaks (Group 1). Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho O'Brien quickly added that the best of the €1.85 million 2023 Orby sales-topper won't be seen until she gets a very high race tempo to target. Afterwards, the Ballydoyle brains trust debated a potential route towards October's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, with either the Yorkshire Oaks or the Prix Vermeille apparently to the fore as possible trials. 'The boss (John Magnier) asked Ryan where to go with her and he said to go to the Yorkshire Oaks. The boss said 'what about if we give her a break and train her for the Vermeille and give her a French Arc prep?' All those things are open, and we'll see how she is. 'I think she can do either of those things but if she's going to the French trial she'd have to have a couple of easy weeks. Obviously if she's going to York she wouldn't have those couple of easy weeks,' O'Brien commented. The immediate dividend though was a seventh classic of the year for the trainer and an 11th Group One success in all. Having briefly threatened to spoil the short-priced Oaks party, Dylan Browne McMonagle later hit the mark on his own odds-on favourite Al Riffa in the Group Two Curragh Cup. The dual-Group One winner made light of the step up to 14-furlongs and quickened past inferior rivals to set up a tilt at the Irish Leger in September. Joseph O'Brien , twice a Melbourne Cup winner, didn't rule out a tilt at the Flemington highlight either with a colt who was classy enough to land a National Stakes as a two-year-old. Proud of Wemighttakedlongway's classic effort – 'Minnie Hauk is a champion, and we gave her a fright for a few seconds' – O'Brien is also eyeing a profitable autumn with Al Riffa. Earlier on the classic programme, True Love's 1-2 odds were comparatively generous when she made no mistake in kicking right away from three colts in the Group Two Gain Railway Stakes. The Queen Mary winner had no trouble stepping up a furlong and proved five lengths too good for her stable companion Puerto Rico. Ryan Moore on True Love wins The GAIN Railway Stakes (Group 2) at the Curragh. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho Having proven her credentials for the trip, O'Brien nominated potential targets in the Phoenix Stakes back at HQ, Deauville for the Prix Morny, and Newmarket's Cheveley Park Stakes. True Love was the first filly to win the Railway in 27 years and having successfully led the Ballydoyle juvenile bandwagon here may end up taking on colts again later this campaign. O'Brien indicated his exciting Albert Einstein 'probably' won't run again this season. That leaves the Coventry winner Gstaad – who beat True Love in his maiden – as his most likely top colt to go to war with later this summer. As well as the Phoenix and the Morny, Gstaad's ambitions could also see him aimed at seven-furlong contests in the National Stakes and the Dewhurst. However, the dangers of planning too far ahead also got underlined on Saturday when O'Brien revealed doubts about last year's champion juvenile filly Lake Victoria even racing again. Out of action since landing the Irish Guineas in May, he said: 'She is not back in exercise yet. She's doing very well physically, but she's not back in work yet. 'John (Halley, vet) will make the decision on whether she comes back into work for this year or is left alone until next year, or is retired altogether. They'll be decisions that will be made as weeks go by.' O'Brien opened Saturday's card with a 1-2-3 in the juvenile maiden where the odds-on New Zealand won by a nose from the eye-catching newcomer Isaac Newton. The sprinting division is often Irish racing's poor relation but there could be a real top-notcher in Ireland for a change as Arizona Blaze continued his progress up the ranks and landed the Group Two Barberstown Cstle Sapphire Stakes. Runner up in Royal Ascot's Commonwealth Cup, and at last year's Breeders' Cup, the AMO Racing colt dropped to the minimum distance and proved too quick for the English raider Mgheera. David Egan, whose sister Alexandra rode her first winner at Down Royal on Friday evening, dominated from the front on the winner and a potential tilt at York's Nunthorpe next month could be another shot at a top-level success. AMO's big-spending owner Kia Joorabchian was present at the Curragh to watch the colt and expressed confidence that a top-flight victory is within Arizona Blaze's grasp. 'He's been professional all the way. He loves five and can go six and seven. He loves the five furlongs and hopefully we'll have a lot more fun with him,' he said. 'I think we'll aim for the Breeders' Cup. I think he'll get a Group 1 somewhere.'
The Sun
15-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Aidan O'Brien snaps up legendary late jockey's son who's the ‘double of his dad' for big ride
AIDAN O'BRIEN has snapped up a legendary late jockey's son - who's 'the double of his dad' - for a big ride. Every jockey dreams of riding for the iconic Ballydoyle boss. 3 3 3 And, on Tuesday, Paddy Smullen gets the chance to do just that in some very famous silks. Paddy, whose sole career victory came aboard Dermot Weld's Grappa Nonino at Dundalk in March, is the son of the late, great Pat Smullen. The nine-time Irish Champion Jockey died aged 43 in September 2020 having lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Smullen Snr - who won the 2016 Derby on Harzand and 2003 2,000 Guineas on Refuse To Bend - was famed for his 'enduring partnership' with Weld. So it was fitting that his hugely promising jockey son's first winner would come on one of Weld's horses. He will be aiming to chalk one up for O'Brien on Tuesday, though, as he gets the leg up on Mont St Michel. The 10-11 favourite for a 1m6f race at Killarney runs in the iconic Kyprios black and white silks of Moyglare Stud. Smullen Snr wore the same when he rode Refuse To Bend to victory in the 2003 2,000 Guineas. Mont St Michel, a four-year-old colt, was close up behind the now-retired Kyprios on his last run and is co-owned by the Coolmore juggernaut of John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith. Paddy, 17, spoke so well after his breakthrough win - and explained how much it meant to him to follow in his old's man footsteps. He said: "I wasn't thinking about winning but just getting as good a position as I can. "I came out in front and was delighted. It doesn't feel real at all. It all went way too fast, it's amazing. "There's lots of sentimental value as well. It's brilliant to follow in his footsteps. "Dermot and the whole family have been amazing to me. I'm happy to repay them for what they've done for me." One punter commented afterwards: "Got shivers when I saw DK Weld and P Smullen on the card… absolutely brilliant, best of luck in the future." While another wrote: "Best of luck Paddy, your father would be so proud of you." . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
