Latest news with #O'Brien-trained
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Middleham Park happy to be heading straight to Doncaster with Lazy Griff
Owners Middleham Park Racing considered a trip overseas in a bid for a Group One breakthrough with Lazy Griff, but have instead elected to keep their powder dry for the world's oldest Classic on September 13. 'We thought about going to Germany for the race Rebel's Romance won (on Sunday), but it was quite a warm race and we didn't really want to leave any Leger chances over there,' said Middleham Park's Mike Prince. Christophe Soumillon returns aboard Lazy Griff after his runner-up finish at Epsom (PA) 'There's the Great Voltigeur next week, but we felt there wasn't going to be enough time between that and Doncaster. I think the ground will be plenty quick at York for him anyway and waiting for September just gives us the chance for hopefully a little bit softer ground if the weather breaks in the next couple of weeks. 'Charlie has had the Leger in mind for him all year and we'll go straight there now, that is absolutely the plan.' Paddy Power make Lazy Griff the 7-1 third-favourite for the St Leger, with the O'Brien-trained pair of Scandinavia and his old rival Lambourn the two ahead of him in the betting at 5-4 and 7-2 respectively. Prince added: 'I'd say Scandinavia might be the favourite (to run) out of the two, just because of the trips he's been running over. I wonder whether they'll go for the Arc with Lambourn, you never know. 'Whatever Aidan sends will probably go off favourite, whether it's Scandinavia or Lambourn, and if he sends both then I suspect they'll both be ahead of us in the market. Scandinavia will be one of the big dangers to Lazy Griff at Doncaster (Matt Alexander/PA) 'He's got plenty of ammo, but we're all geared up and ready to go.' The Middleham Park team have also started to make plans beyond Doncaster, with Prince saying: 'We've given him an entry in the Long Distance Cup on Champions Day at Ascot and I suppose the options after the St Leger are that and the Prix Royal-Oak at Saint-Cloud at the end of October. 'It'll probably be the Leger and then one of those.'
Irish Examiner
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Minnie Hauk and Whirl rematch unlikely to happen this weekend
Aidan O'Brien said it is unlikely that both Minnie Hauk and Whirl will run in Saturday's Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh. The pair were among six O'Brien-trained fillies left in the Classic on Tuesday, with only three other stables possibly being represented. Minnie Hauk, who got the better of a thrilling tussle with Whirl to win the Oaks at Epsom, is odds-on favourite with the bookmakers to double up this weekend. The Frankel filly, who had won a trial at Chester prior to gaining Classic success, has been waiting for this, while Whirl has already franked the form by beating the year-older Kalpana in the Pretty Polly Stakes. Bedtime Story, Butterfly Wings, Island Hopping, and Merrily complete the Ballydoyle entry. "They probably won't both run, I'd imagine," said O'Brien. "We were thinking that Whirl and Bedtime Story might go for the Nassua Stakes at Goodwood over 10 furlongs. "Whirl came back to a mile and a quarter last time in the Pretty Polly and she was happy over that distance. "Minnie Hauk has been fine since Epsom, she had a little break and everything has been good since." Fozzy Stack's Bay Colony, Johnny Murtagh's Subsonic and Joseph O'Brien's Wemightakedlongway are the other confirmations. O'Brien also has four of the eight in the GAIN Railway Stakes, including Queen Mary winner True Love. She would be taking on the colts should she run this weekend. "It's very possible that she could go to the Railway," said O'Brien. First Approach, Flushing Meadows, and Puerto Rico are his others, while Joseph O'Brien could run Green Sense. Adrian Murray's Power Blue and the Ger Lyons-trained Learntodoscover are also possibles. George Baker's Desert Cop, Mick and David Easterby's in-form Canon's House and Mick Appleby's Kodi Lion are among 19 left in the Kwiff Supercharged Betting Scurry Handicap, for which Big Gossey tops the weights.
France 24
06-06-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Minnie Hauk wins Epsom Oaks for dominant O'Brien
Desert Flower, the short-priced favourite and 1000 Guineas winner at Newmarket last month, finished third. Up front the Ballydoyle pair pulled a long way clear, but it took all of the final furlong for Ryan Moore's mount to get on top of long-time leader Whirl, with the 9-2 chance eventually winning by a neck. "I've been delighted with this filly, she's got a great team around her and I'm so grateful to everybody," said Irish trainer O'Brien. "She's a very classy filly. She was just ready to run at Chester (last month), she barely made it, but she made abnormal improvement from Chester, which we thought she might –- it was all class rather than stamina or fitness, she just has a lot of class. "Ryan gave her a beautiful ride, he loved her the last day and he loved her again today so it's very exciting." Moore was impressed by the performance of Minnie Hauk. "The filly in front is a good filly and kept building the whole way and I just had to ask my filly to go to her and she quickened up very smartly and got there easily," he said. While the Irish Oaks is on O'Brien's radar for Minnie Hauk, he also has one eye on the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October. He said: "I would say there is every possibility this filly could be an Arc filly as she can go a lot stronger tempo than they went today, so that means she would be happy amongst the older horses." Earlier, in the other Group One race, the O'Brien-trained Jan Brueghel, also ridden by Moore, upset favourite Calandagan in a thrilling finish to win the Coronation Cup. The Derby, the highlight of the Derby Festival at Epsom, southwest of London, takes place on Saturday.
