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Irish Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Donnacha O'Brien aiming to break Irish classic duck as a trainer with 1000 Guineas hope Atsila
Donnacha O'Brien is set to be double-handed in his attempts to win a first Irish classic as a trainer at the Curragh this weekend. The 26-year-old former champion jockey saddled a classic winner in his first season with a training license after Fancy Blue landed the 2020 French Oaks at Chantilly. During a short but stellar riding career that twice saw him crowned champion jockey, Aidan O'Brien's youngest son memorably landed the 2018 Irish Derby for his brother Joseph on Latrobe. He was also twice successful in the Newmarket 2000 Guineas aboard Saxon Warrior (2018) and Magna Grecia (2019). He also won the Epsom Oaks (2018) on Forever Together. READ MORE Now he's on the classic trail again and plans to have the Athasi Stakes winner Atsila supplemented into the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at Tuesday's entry stage. The inexperienced filly only made her debut last month when winning at Bellewstown but subsequently made rapid progress to score at Group Three level at HQ last time out. 'The plan is to supplement her on Tuesday for the 1,000 Guineas. Her form looks strong. To be fair to Barry (Fowler, owner) he is game for anything. It was my fault that I didn't have her in the race in the first place but he's more than happy to supplement and take a chance. I think she's entitled to be in the race,' O'Brien said. He also plans to be represented in Saturday's 2000 Guines through Comanche Brave. He ran Henri Matisse close in a Leopardstown Trial, form that looks outstanding now considering his conqueror went on to French Guineas glory. 'He is working very well and I think he'll probably outrun his odds. He's not a big horse but he's always worked like a very good horse. We're going to give him a chance in the Guineas. 'We could end up going back to seven for the Jersey at Ascot. He's working very well so I'm happy to let him take his chance,' O'Brien commented. The Co Tipperary trainer also plans to bring his star older filly Porta Fortuna back into action at the Curragh's Guineas festival in Sunday's Lanwades Stud Stakes although warned she will strip fitter for the outing. 'She's going to go to the Lanwades. She's in good form. She put on plenty of weight. Everything has gone smooth with her, but she's probably taken a bit longer to get fit this year. 'She's probably going to take the run and then go to Ascot but she's in great form so I'm looking forward to getting her back on track,' he said. In other news, Tuesday's domestic action is in Cork where Paddy Twomey's Royal Entry takes on six three-year-olds in a mile and a half maiden. Runner up at odds on to Queen Of Thunder at Killarney recently, Royal Entry's main threat looks to be Tswalu. She's officially rated 2lbs superior, and didn't have a straightforward passage through her last start at Gowran behind Darzina. Twomey should hold a major chance in the opening two-year-old maiden through Rogue Legend. This one found Oh Cecilia too good on his debut at the track but was well on top of the rest.
Leader Live
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
Atsila to be added to Irish 1,000 Guineas field
She did not make her debut until April this year when winning a minor event at Bellewstown but she stepped up markedly on that a month later to win the Group Three Athasi Stakes at the Curragh. 'The plan is to supplement her on Tuesday for the 1,000 Guineas,' said O'Brien. 'Her form looks strong. To be fair to Barry (Fowler, owner) he is game for anything. It was my fault that I didn't have her in the race in the first place but he's more than happy to supplement and take a chance. 'I think she's entitled to be in the race.' O'Brien also plans on being represented in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas by Comanche Brave after he pushed Henri Matisse close on his seasonal return and the winner subsequently went and won the French Guineas. 'He is working very well and I think he'll probably outrun his odds,' said O'Brien. 'He's not a big horse but he's always worked like a very good horse. We're going to give him a chance in the Guineas. 'We could end up going back to seven for the Jersey at Ascot. He's working very well so I'm happy to let him take his chance.' Stable star Porta Fortuna, a multiple Group One winner last year, is on course to return in the Lanwades Stud Stakes. 'She's going to go to the Lanwades. She's in good form. She put on plenty of weight. Everything has gone smooth with her but she's probably taken a bit longer to get fit this year. 'She's probably going to take the run and then go to Ascot but she's in great form so I'm looking forward to getting her back on track.' O'Brien also mentioned that Falling Snow, by Justify out of Winter, would miss the 1,000 Guineas but be back in the second half of the season.
Irish Independent
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
John and Thady Gosden turn to jockey Colin Keane to partner their Irish 2,000 Guineas favourite Field Of Gold
Keane, attached to the Ger Lyons yard, has been champion jockey on this side of the Irish Sea for the past five seasons. John and Thady Gosden have gone with local knowledge rather than booking an English jockey by adopting a 'best available' policy after Field Of Gold's defeat in the English Guineas when ridden by Kieran Shoemark. Keane has already tasted Classic glory in the famous Juddmonte silks, having won the Irish 2,000 Guineas on Siskin for Lyons in 2020 and when he was booked by Ralph Beckett for Westover in the Irish Derby in 2022. 'I'm delighted to be asked to ride him, he looks a very good ride going into the race, I'm very much looking forward to it,' said Keane. 'The Juddmonte colours are those that growing up watching racing, you know who they are. I've been very fortunate to win two Classics wearing them and a couple more Group Ones and I'm just delighted to be asked to ride the colt at the weekend. 'Winning the Irish Guineas a few years ago for Ger was one of my best days. It's such a huge race and Juddmonte hadn't long been in the yard, he was their first Group One together. 'To get a horse of Siskin's calibre very early on was very special and for him to then go and win a Classic was very special, it was a brilliant day.' Meanwhile, Donnacha O'Brien will supplement his unbeaten filly Atsila into the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas today. She didn't make her debut until April this year when winning a minor event at Bellewstown, but she stepped up markedly on that a month later to win the Group Three Athasi Stakes at the Curragh. 'The plan is to supplement her on Tuesday for the 1,000 Guineas,' said O'Brien yesterday. 'Her form looks strong. To be fair to Barry [Fowler, owner], he is game for anything. It was my fault that I didn't have her in the race in the first place, but he's more than happy to supplement and take a chance. 'I think she's entitled to be in the race.' O'Brien also plans on being represented in the 2,000 Guineas by Comanche Brave after he pushed Henri Matisse close on his seasonal return and the winner subsequently went and won the French Guineas. 'He is working very well and I think he'll probably outrun his odds,' said O'Brien. 'He's not a big horse, but he's always worked like a very good horse. We're going to give him a chance in the Guineas. We could end up going back to seven [furlongs] for the Jersey [Stakes} at Ascot.'
North Wales Chronicle
19-05-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Atsila to be added to Irish 1,000 Guineas field
She did not make her debut until April this year when winning a minor event at Bellewstown but she stepped up markedly on that a month later to win the Group Three Athasi Stakes at the Curragh. 'The plan is to supplement her on Tuesday for the 1,000 Guineas,' said O'Brien. 'Her form looks strong. To be fair to Barry (Fowler, owner) he is game for anything. It was my fault that I didn't have her in the race in the first place but he's more than happy to supplement and take a chance. 'I think she's entitled to be in the race.' O'Brien also plans on being represented in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas by Comanche Brave after he pushed Henri Matisse close on his seasonal return and the winner subsequently went and won the French Guineas. 'He is working very well and I think he'll probably outrun his odds,' said O'Brien. 'He's not a big horse but he's always worked like a very good horse. We're going to give him a chance in the Guineas. 'We could end up going back to seven for the Jersey at Ascot. He's working very well so I'm happy to let him take his chance.' Stable star Porta Fortuna, a multiple Group One winner last year, is on course to return in the Lanwades Stud Stakes. 'She's going to go to the Lanwades. She's in good form. She put on plenty of weight. Everything has gone smooth with her but she's probably taken a bit longer to get fit this year. 'She's probably going to take the run and then go to Ascot but she's in great form so I'm looking forward to getting her back on track.' O'Brien also mentioned that Falling Snow, by Justify out of Winter, would miss the 1,000 Guineas but be back in the second half of the season.
RTÉ News
19-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Atsila to be added to Irish 1,000 Guineas field
Donnacha O'Brien is to supplement his unbeaten filly Atsila into the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Tuesday entries stage. She did not make her debut until April this year when winning a minor event at Bellewstown but she stepped up markedly on that a month later to win the Group Three Athasi Stakes at the Curragh. "The plan is to supplement her on Tuesday for the 1,000 Guineas," said O'Brien. "Her form looks strong. To be fair to Barry (Fowler, owner) he is game for anything. It was my fault that I didn't have her in the race in the first place but he's more than happy to supplement and take a chance. "I think she's entitled to be in the race." O'Brien also plans on being represented in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas by Comanche Brave after he pushed Henri Matisse close on his seasonal return and the winner subsequently went and won the French Guineas. "He is working very well and I think he'll probably outrun his odds," said O'Brien. "He's not a big horse but he's always worked like a very good horse. We're going to give him a chance in the Guineas. "We could end up going back to seven for the Jersey at Ascot. He's working very well so I'm happy to let him take his chance." Stable star Porta Fortuna, a multiple Group One winner last year, is on course to return in the Lanwades Stud Stakes. "She's going to go to the Lanwades. She's in good form. She put on plenty of weight. Everything has gone smooth with her but she's probably taken a bit longer to get fit this year. "She's probably going to take the run and then go to Ascot but she's in great form so I'm looking forward to getting her back on track." O'Brien also mentioned that Falling Snow, by Justify out of Winter, would miss the 1,000 Guineas but be back in the second half of the season.
