After securing his seventh title as the top trainer in Britain on Saturday, Aidan O’Brien has his sights set on conquering several important Group One races upcoming the next weekend. This exceptional talent from Ireland currently holds 19 champions league victories for the year 2024 and might have entrants in an approaching series of Group One matches for juveniles shared between Doncaster and Saint-Cloud.
Among O’Brien’s potential contenders for Britain’s last Group One race of this year, the William Hill Futurity set for Saturday, are Aftermath and Delacroix. Jessica Harrington’s Hotazhell, who triumphed in the Beresford on his most recent turn out, could also be a likely competitor in the Futurity. O’Brien has historically been successful in the race, winning on 11 separate occasions.
In addition to these contenders, O’Brien’s impressive roster of two-year-old talent may be dispersed to compete in a couple of elite races in Paris scheduled a day later.
O’Brien notches an impressive resume of victories in the Criterium International and the Criterium de Saint-Cloud, each valuing €250,000. Notably, this season’s Irish Derby winner, Los Angeles, took home the prize in the 10-furlong Criterium de Saint-Cloud last year.
The Paris tracks will also play host to the €350,000 Prix Royal Oak, France’s equivalent of the St Leger, on Sunday. Ballydoyle has fielded early entries for the race, including Illinois and Grosvenor Square.
Furthermore, on Saturday’s British Champions Day at Ascot, Kyprios brought O’Brien his first win since 2019. This victory also saw him receive his first trainers’ championship across the English Channel since 2017.
This remarkable feat achieved by O’Brien, coupled with Willie Mullins’ title as reigning National Hunt champion trainer, signifies a rare display of Irish supremacy in British horse racing.
With O’Brien’s current winnings standing at £8,283,380 (roughly €10 million), comfortably exceeding those of his closest competitor Andrew Balding’s near £5 million, it is a given that he will maintain his lead till the end of the year, despite the ongoing championship.
In this season in Ireland, he is guaranteed his 28th title, having earned over €6.3 million in rewards. The thoroughbred horse trainer from Ballydoyle conducted a successful overseas campaign led by City Of Troy participating in the Derby, Eclipse, and Juddmonte International. Additionally, Jan Brueghel secured a first and second place for the stable in the Leger.
Over the course of this season, O’Brien has secured 11 Group One wins in Britain, four in France, three in Ireland, and a victory by Warm Heart in the United States in January. “Our process is significantly aided by our owners who invest their resources annually and provide invaluable advice to improve. While some years may be more successful than others, we acknowledge our achievements, learning from past experiences and continually striving for future success,” he says.
The condition of the terrain at Doncaster is currently soft, which might provide the budding racehorse Detain an opportunity to participate in the Futurity, under the care of John and Thady Gosden. Detain has been successful in both his career starts at Kempton, even impressing by a seven-length lead in his last race.
“Detain’s participation in Doncaster is under deliberation, as long as his health and fitness hold up. However, his experience on heavy turf might restrict him. John and Thady have expressed their reluctance to expose him to such conditions at this stage of his career,” conveyed Juddmonte spokesman, Barry Mahon.
While Detain has proven his strength on all-weather tracks, there’s a little concern about his performance on heavy turf. Despite being Arrest’s half-brother – who is comfortable with cut ground – the team is cautious about exposing Detain to this environment early on in his career, said Mahon.
Wimbledon Hawkeye, the champion of Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket on his recent start, is a 4-1 early favourite for the Futurity with several firms. Ahead of this victory, he was ranked behind The Lion In Winter in York’s Acomb Stakes.
The forthcoming Monday event is set to take place at Gowran. The racing line-up features a notable equine athlete, Light As Air, who shares the same lineage as the 2023 Leger victor, Continuous, and will compete in a mile maiden. He showcased solid potential finishing third in his initial race at Navan, trailing behind fellow stablemate, Isambard Brunel. The latter is seen as a runner for Saint-Cloud’s Group One races slated for the following weekend as part of the Ballydoyle’s strategy.
In other updates, Frankendael will participate in the final handicap; his recent performance boost has been noted following two consecutive successful stints over hurdles. With his given 76 flat rating, there’s certainly room to gain advantage.