Latest news with #DonnachaO'Brien
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.
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.
Irish Examiner
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Sound Of Lightning can make some noise at Navan
Sound Of Lightning made quite a good impression on her racing debut and the filly can get off the mark at the second time of asking by taking the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 3YO Spring Series Median Auction Maiden, the sixth race on Saturday afternoon's card in Navan. Trained by Donnacha O'Brien, the homebred Flaxman Stables filly is out of an unraced daughter to the brilliant Six Perfections, and she showed that she inherited plenty of ability when third on debut in a race won by J M's Joy. That was four weeks ago, at the Curragh, and there is every reason to believe she can be considerably better this time. She was a little slow to find stride that day but made good progress into midfield before striding out well in the closing stages to take third spot. Drawn low here, she has every opportunity to take up a more prominent and favourable position through the early stages of this race, and she can improve enough to account for the experienced pair, Nobler and Vorfreude, and the promising Reyenzi. Zipster was a real eyecatcher on his recent return to the turf, at Leopardstown, and in the expectation of even better this time, he will go close in the Arkle Bar Handicap. The remarkable Kyprios is bidding for a third win in the listed Bar One Racing Vintage Crop Stakes and, at odds of around 1-5, he is hardly a betting proposition. This is a repeat of his start to last season, when he won here before going to the Saval Beg and on to the Gold Cup at Ascot, and onwards to a perfect season of seven wins. The seven-year-old is the standout stayer at the moment and has little to fear from his opponents here. Enfranchise and Leinster can push him closest. The best race on the card is the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes and while Catalina Delcarpio is raw in terms of experience — she made her debut just 17 days ago — she is an exciting sort and can take the step up in grade in her stride. Well backed to make a winning start in what looked like a good maiden, she travelled strongly, made rapid progress around the final bend, and quickened away to win as she pleased. It was tremendously impressive and if she does not find this race coming too soon, she will take some beating. Tarima has a similar profile and must be respected, while Ecstatic and Spicy Margarita have plenty of experience and are capable of hitting the frame. The listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Committed Stakes is a bit of a puzzle, but Whistlejacket sets the standard on two-year-old form and will take beating if forward enough for his return. He was a couple of lengths in front of stablemate Ides Of March, who re-opposes, when they met in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and the Prix Morny winner can improve further this season. He can take this at the expense of his old rival, while Bodhi Bear has race fitness on his side and the evidence of his comeback victory in Cork suggests he is upwardly mobile and has a profitable season in front of him.
