Tag Archive for: Donnacha O’Brien

O’Briens hoping to cash in with A Boy Named Susie at the Curragh

/in /by

Donnacha O’Brien and his sister Ana are out to end their father’s dominance in the Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Tom Cooper Irish EBF Futurity Stakes with the exciting A Boy Named Susie at the Curragh on Saturday.

Aidan O’Brien has won the race a record 17 times, with the likes of Giant’s Causeway (1999), Hawk Wing (2001) and more recently Henry Longfellow (2023) and Henri Matisse (2024) among the distinguished Ballydoyle alumni on the roll of honour.

He is well represented once again with Constitution River, who built on his narrow defeat at Newmarket on debut when scoring nicely at Galway. But it his son who could prove the fly in the ointment with his impressive Killarney winner, who is owned by Ana O’Brien.

Donnacha O’Brien said: “He’s in good form and trained well since Killarney. We’re stepping back in trip a furlong, but I don’t think it will be a problem for him.

“It’s a good step up in class, but everything in the race is probably in the same boat and we’ll find out how good he is.

“I think if I had a colt who was able to compete in the likes of the National Stakes or Dewhurst, it would be him. He obviously won impressively first time out so I was eager to keep him on this path and treat him as a good horse until he proves me wrong.

“Everything has gone to plan and we don’t know where his limits are yet, so it will be good to at least test him at this level.”

It is a similar story in the Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes, where the Ballydoyle trainer saddles commanding Silver Flash Stakes winner Composing, with Donnacha fielding stiff opposition in the form of Balantina.

A course winner on her second start, she was third to Venetian Sun in a high-quality renewal of the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot before being denied by the barest of margins in the Prix Six Perfections most recently.

“She’s been a very solid filly and probably a bit unlucky not to have a few more wins,” continued O’Brien.

“She was slowly away at Ascot in the Albany and finished strongly, then in Deauville the last day she was just nabbed and it was only the nod that went against her when she looked the winner everywhere but on the line.

“She’s in good form and trained well since then. We’re backing her up quicker than ideal since her trip to France, but she’s in very good form and I think the track and trip and everything about the race will suit her, so we’re happy to let her take her chance.”

Ger Lyons’ unbeaten Suzie Songs adds plenty of spice to a race that also includes Willie McCreery’s Skydance and Gavin Cromwell’s Brownstown, who were second and fourth respectively behind likely favourite Composing at Leopardstown.

The line-up is completed by Karl Burke’s Evolutionist, who won a deep Newmarket maiden earlier this month and steps up significantly in grade.

Burke said: “She’s in good form and we’re very happy with her.

“The drop back to seven (furlongs) is not what we originally planned to do with her, but with the race breaking up a little bit we thought we’d let her take her chance.”

Waiting game for Porta Fortuna’s Matron Stakes defence

/in /by

Everything will need to go to plan for Porta Fortuna to make her comeback in the Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes on September 13.

Donnacha O’Brien’s stable star has been absent since making a winning reappearance in the Lanwades Stud Stakes in May.

The winner of two Group Ones last year, including the Matron at Leopardstown, as well as the Cheveley Park at two, a setback forced her to miss Royal Ascot and the Deauville mile races.

O’Brien said: “As everyone knows she had a setback, but she’s on the way back.

“We’ll just have to see whether we make Champions Weekend or not.

“Obviously if we’re going to make it we can’t have any hold ups with her between now and then, but the plan is to go there for now.

“It’s one of those where everything will need to go in the right direction.”

A Boy Named Susie lined up for Futurity test

/in /by

Donnacha O’Brien is not concerned A Boy Named Susie will be dropping in trip when he lines up in the Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Tom Cooper Irish EBF Futurity Stakes at the Curragh later in the month.

The Starspangledbanner colt was very impressive in giving weight away on his debut in a race at Killarney which has produced the likes of Luxembourg and Lambourn in recent years.

For O’Brien it is a real family affair as A Boy Named Susie is owned by his sister, Ana, who has so far resisted the temptation to cash in after his hugely likeable debut.

“The plan is to go to the Futurity Stakes at the Curragh in about a fortnight,” said O’Brien.

“I don’t think coming back a furlong will bother him. He showed plenty on his debut and that turned into a sprint so it wasn’t really like a mile maiden anyway. I don’t have any concerns coming back to seven.

“There was a lot of interest in him, which was to be expected, but we decided to keep hold of him, for now anyway. Obviously it’s a gamble when you hold on to impressive maiden winners, but we’re keeping him for now anyway.”

Another nice juvenile in the yard is Havana Anna, a Listed winner in good style at Naas last month.

“She’s going to go to Longchamp on August 31 for a Group Three,” said O’Brien.

“We’ve entered her in the Cheveley Park, so long term we see her going back over six, but we wanted to keep her at five for now which is why she’s going to France.”

Falling Snow with trainer Donnacha O'Brien (left)
Falling Snow with trainer Donnacha O’Brien (left) (Brian Lawless/PA)

One of O’Brien’s most promising juveniles last year was Falling Snow, by Justify out of Winter, who made a winning debut against Ballet Slippers, who went on to be third in the Fillies’ Mile. She has not been seen since but her return is imminent.

“She’s on the comeback trial. I’d planned to start her back in the Snow Fairy Stakes on August 30,” he said.

“On paper it looks a very hot race, but there’s not many options for her so it’s possible she runs there. She’ll obviously need the run, we wouldn’t be expecting her to win first time but we need to get her started.

“I think she’ll probably need further in time, but she only won over seven so I wouldn’t send her straight over a mile and a half or anything. This is a  mile and one so this is what I have in my head, for all it will be a tough ask first time out on only her second ever run.”

Havana Anna sets up Group-race targets in Naas success

/in /by

Havana Anna enhanced her reputation with a commanding victory in the Arqana Irish EBF Marwell Stakes at Naas.

Not disgraced behind Coventry Stakes winner Gstaad on debut before headed late when beaten a neck by Ger Lyons’ Anglesey Stakes scorer Suzy Songs on her second start, Donnacha O’Brien’s talented youngster was returning to the scene of her impressive six-length maiden success late last month.

Sent off the 6-4 favourite in the hands of Gavin Ryan, Havana Anna travelled powerfully throughout the Listed event before asserting late on to run out a three-and-a-half-length winner over Ipanema Queen.

It was a performance deemed worthy of slicing her odds from 16-1 to 8s for the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at York on August 21 with bigger days certainly lying ahead for the speedy daughter of Havana Grey.

“She’s a smart filly, she’s taken the step up in grade very well,” said O’Brien.

“She’s exciting and she could be one for the best of those five- and six-furlong fillies’ races.

“They went a good gallop, she has loads of pace, and came over stands side which was fine. She’s straightforward, I know she leans a bit left under pressure.

“It’s something she’s always done in her races, but she doesn’t do it at home. It doesn’t seem to stop her, and while she’s winning I don’t see the need for headgear or anything like that it’s just something that she does.

“I have her in the Lowther. We’ll see how she comes out of it and make a plan then.

“You’d be hoping that she could make into a Cheveley Park filly. We’ll work back from there, it’s probably an option.”

The other Listed race on the card, the six-furlong Yeomanstown Stud Irish EBF Stakes for fillies and mares, went to the William Haggas-trained Sky Majesty (11-10 favourite) in the hands of Tom Marquand.

A Boy Named Susie impresses in winning start at Killarney

/in /by

Donnacha O’Brien and his sister Ana were all smiles after A Boy Named Susie recorded an emphatic success in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Race at Killarney.

The one-mile contest has a rich recent history, being won 12 months ago by dual Derby hero Lambourn while future multiple Group One winner Luxembourg took top honours in 2021.

Dial Me In was sent off the 4-5 favourite for Joseph O’Brien, but it was his brother Donnacha who was celebrating, as his Starspangledbanner newcomer showed a real turn of foot over a furlong out when asked by Gavin Ryan.

O’Brien said of his 100-30 scorer, who is owned by his sister and holds a Group One entry in the National Stakes at the Curragh: “We thought he was good as he did a really, really good piece of work up the Curragh a few weeks ago.

“This auction race looked a tough ask as he was giving away weight to winners and it is a tough track first time out, but he is obviously just smart.

“For an auction race at Killarney, it has thrown up Iridessa, Luxembourg and last year Lambourn and a few Group Two winners as well, so it’s a nice start for him.

“They hacked and then sprinted, but I think he could be a proper one. He has plenty gears for a big horse.”

Regarding a serious fall suffered by the successful owner at the track in July 2017, he said: “It is a better experience for Ana than the last time she was here and that’s her first winner as an owner as well.”

Ana O’Brien added: “In fairness Donnacha always liked this horse and I’m delighted he came out and did that. It’s my first time back here since my fall, so thankfully this is a much better day.”

The evening’s feature, the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cairn Rouge Stakes, went to Red Letter – but the Ger Lyons-trained filly (8-11 favourite) was given a fright by Fiery Lucy on the way to recording a half-length success.

Lyons was represented by his brother, Shane, who said of the Juddmonte-owned, Colin Keane-ridden winner: “She has done it the hard way, she was drawn and caught wide and the first two pulled well clear of the third horse.

“The runner-up is a hardened Listed horse and Colin was delighted with the way she handled the ground and said she will get further.

“She has got the job done today, but when she fills into her frame, she’ll be some horse next year.

“She has a championship cruising speed which you need for future races and Colin said if he had been beaten, it was because they didn’t go fast enough.

“We’ll get home, speak to Colin and the family and make a proper plan.”