Tag Archive for: Donnacha O’Brien

Monday Musings: Whisper it…

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Mention it quietly, the youngsters are coming, writes Tony Stafford. Saturday’s July Cup at Newmarket was a refreshing change as future champion jockey Billy Loughnane teamed up for the first time with Aidan’s youngest, Donnacha O’Brien, and collected the big prize with 11/1 shot Commanche Brave.

Commanche Brave, a four-year-old son of Wootton Bassett – who else? – had been only seventh but less than three lengths behind the winner Almeraq in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, but now, nicely poised all the way, never looked likely to be beaten.

The nature of top-class sprints at a period of no outstanding divisional champion is to have a host of contenders still in the mix going into the closing stages. It was slightly the other way around at Newmarket, five others keeping on, three from unpromising positions, to get within hailing distance of the winner. The first six were again within less than three lengths.

While Almeraq in ninth didn’t live up to his form from the Royal meeting, both Commonwealth Cup heroine Venetian Sun and Japan raider and 2/1 favourite Satono Reve, who was second to Almeraq last time, had been there all the way to take the minor places.

Just over a length back in third, Satono Reve was sending another compliment, as if he needed one, to Hong Kong’s finest, Ka Ying Rising, who had him a grovelling second, more than four lengths back, when they met at Sha Tin in April. It would be great if Ascot could entice his connections to let him come over for next year’s Royal meeting.

Last weekend, Donnacha O’Brien had achieved an excellent performance with sister Ana’s A Boy Named Susie when second to Constitution River in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown. There was a further family connection this weekend; Aidan and wife Anne-Marie’s Whisperview Trading Ltd are the breeders of Commanche Brave.

For the parents, that took away some of the pain from the less than brilliant effort of another Ascot winner, Mission Central, aiming to stretch out over an extra furlong from his win at the minimum in the King Charles III Stakes. He was one of the first beaten when the field set off up the climb towards the finish.

It was a mixed week for Aidan, with both Precise on Friday – never going fast enough to peg back Andrew Balding’s Blue Bolt in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes – and on Saturday coming out second in a drawn-out conclusion to the Superlative Stakes. In this, both his odds-on shot Abraham Lincoln and market rival Charlie Appleby’s Al Hubaida showed greenness before the latter got the verdict on the line.

The earlier two-year-old maiden brought a win to Ballydoyle, via Justify colt Haffner over Godolphin’s Al Wathba, the latter a colt by Wootton Bassett. This was the race where last year Appleby’s Distant Storm came out on top with none other than Constitution River as the runner-up.

As usual, the multiplicity of top meetings on Saturday will have annoyed the purists. York had the John Smith’s Handicap and a Group 3 heading its card; Ascot had a Group 2 and another Heritage handicap, matching the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket as a major back-up to the top events.

Even Chester, relegated to only fourth-place status, would no doubt have attracted its usual massive crowd. Their feature was a £34k seven-furlong Listed, while all the other seven races on an eight-race card carried identical win money of £7,731. Still, any winner’s a winner!

I would love the July meeting to revert to its traditional Tuesday to Thursday slot, leaving Ascot and York to have a more dominant position in the Calendar. There were 16,000 people on the July Course on Thursday, Ladies Day, but only half that number on Friday.

I had a nice chat with quite a few trainers over the first two days at Newmarket but neglected to quiz Ian Williams whether he fancied anything for the Saturday. Of course, I should have asked him his thoughts about Aalto, going for a second win after his 2024 victory in the Bunbury Cup – one of my favourite handicaps ever since Pinctada, who originally raced in my colours, won the race for Terry Ramsden in 1988.

Last year, Aalto was caught in the final stride in the race by More Thunder, nowadays a Group-race performer for William Haggas. Now, from the foot of the handicap, and running off 5lb lower, no wonder he and William Buick headed the market. He won comfortably and no doubt will continue to be a feature in valuable handicaps.

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I know I often turn this article around to stuff that’s happened to me as in the Pinctada episode. The summer before his Bunbury Cup success, he won six races in a period of 20 days for Rod Simpson at a time when horses could run for almost three weeks after a win with just a single penalty if the timing was right. Glory days.

More recently, I have owed a debt of gratitude to Raymond Tooth. The world-famous family lawyer signed me up in 2007 and for most of the time since Ray punched above his weight. Now, in his mid-80’s he has finally decided to retire and close his Sears Tooth law firm.

I was grateful to be given the role of racing manager at a time when several part-time jobs that I had after taking early retirement from the Daily Telegraph evaporated away.

We first met on the day Punjabi was a runaway 19-length winner of the Grade 2 Adonis Hurdle at Kempton, introduced through mutual friend Derek Hatter. Coincidentally, he was looking for someone to ease the burden of keeping up with 30 horses in training along with his demanding day job.

In the winner’s room, my credentials were advanced to him by my long-time acquaintance, the late Brod Munro-Wilson, who was also there that day. Years before, I had bought Talon, a staying jumper for Brod. He was one of 12 winners in a single day, one Boxing Day, yet another record set by Michael Dickinson. Can you match that one, Dan Skelton?

Punjabi went on to win a Champion Hurdle for Nicky Henderson, not bad for a one-time seven-furlong handicapper on the flat and a £42k HIT sales buy out of the Geraldine Jones yard. Some trainer, that Henderson!

It wasn’t just on the NH side of things that Ray enjoyed success. He paid £25k for a yearling filly by Indian Ridge with Richard Hannon. The year before we met, she collected almost £140k when winning a sales race for juveniles and went on to win the Cheveley Park Stakes.

After finishing just behind the placed horses at Newmarket, she missed out on a run in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, Richard waiting for the Coronation Stakes at the Royal meeting.  It rained heavily on the morning of the race, and Steve and Kevin Howard, my pals, had a right old killing along with a couple of their mates, at well beyond the 8/1 starting price.

Richard Hughes waited before sending her into full stride a furlong from home and, amazingly in view of the opposition, which included the winners (in order of finish) of the German (Mi Emma), French (Darjina), English and Irish (Finsceal Beo) 1,000 Guineas among the 13-runner field, she obliterated them all.

Indian Ink strode majestically clear to win by six lengths, a performance that brought a 2million gns bid from Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Shadwell Stud at the end of the year. The one sadness for Ray, and me to a lesser extent, was the fact she never raced again after that Coronation Stakes, while many of her “victims” continued to thrive.

Ray’s last big winner came after he was recommended to French trainer Nicolas Clement by agent Charlie Gordon-Watson. After an unremarkable start, Nicolas suggested he find one for Raymond himself and he came up with the already-named French Fifteen, a colt by Turtle Bowl, bought at the sales in France as a yearling for €30k.

He won five in a sequence of six races as a two-year-old, culminating in the comfortable success in the Group 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud. Within a few days, French Fifteen had been sold to Qatari connections and he came across to Newmarket the following May to run Camelot close in the 2,000 Guineas – some performance against the O’Brien colt before his Derby success.

As I said, Raymond always punched above his weight, like his long-time right-hand man Steve Gilbey. Both men have been true friends and have been valued life advisors to me for the best part of 20 years. I hope Ray continues to enjoy good health and retains the knack of picking out winning patents from his modest wagers in the Star Sports betting shop in Mayfair.

Monday Musings: Where are the Brits?

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The £5 million mark for Aidan O’Brien in the UK this year has easily been passed, Constitution River and to a lesser extent his third-placed stablemate Hawk Mountain seeing to that in Saturday’s Coral-Eclipse Stakes, writes Tony Stafford.

The Sandown victory made it 12 Group 1 wins in a season already for the stable and most commentators seemed to be calling it a formality that he would exceed his own worldwide season’s best of 28. Just 16 to go – still sounds a lot to me.

Amid the euphoria about Constitution River, fully deserved after the style of his triumph in a race which might not have gone entirely to plan, we need to examine the dearth of home talent either capable of or certainly willing to take on the O’Brien stars this year.

In the Irish Derby, the nearest UK runner behind an O’Brien 1-2-3 was Owen Burrows with the much-fancied Raaheeb in fourth, eight lengths behind the winner Benvenuto Cellini. Richard Hannon was the only other raider from these shores and his Bunyola Bay, after briefly helping make the pace, finished a tailed-off last of eight.

On Saturday, three from home challenged four O’Brien runners, three for Aidan and one for his younger son Donnacha. The market suggested either Saddadd (Roger Varian) or Gethin (Burrows again) would get in amongst them, Gethin even having the services of his owner’s King’s Gambit (Harry Charlton) as the pacemaking counter to Coolmore’s Flushing Meadows. Both are four-year-olds, so where was the home Classic generation?

Gethin had been a close second to Ombudsman last time out while Saddadd had limbered up with a third to Almaqam and Bay City Roller in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May.

Both started 4/1, although Gethin had been much shorter earlier in the week. Market confidence in the favourite grew the closer to race time it got and the performance showed that this time the Ballydoyle bush telegraph was in full working order.

Saddadd did show with some promise going to two out until Ryan Moore employed overdrive on the winner and that was that. As with Raaheeb in the Irish Derby, he was eight lengths back at the line. Gethin had already shot his bolt by that time, a brief flirtation with the lead early in the straight quickly evaporating to the extent that he was another seven lengths back in fifth, with only the gasping pacemakers in his wake.

There will be more than enough comment on the winner who, after all, had under Ryan overcome the difficulty of an apparently impossible outside draw to win the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) ahead of Hawk Mountain and another stablemate, Montreal.

The margin between the pair was extended from three-parts of a length to more than three and the argument that he would have won the Derby had he been routed to Epsom rather than Chantilly grows ever more convincing.

Now though it’s the Juddmonte, Irish Champion and our Champion Stakes – stallion-maker events all. As I hinted earlier in the piece, however, there’s another intriguing angle to this story. In a determined second place, just nudging ahead of Hawk Mountain close home, was A Boy Named Susie.

You may wonder why a colt would be given such a name. People of my age group know that the great film actor John Wayne was born Marion. This has a simpler explanation: the colt’s mum was called Soho Susie, a daughter of Montjeu, the great Coolmore stallion and Galileo’s counterpart for so many years at the stud. The Johnny Cash song, A Boy Named Sue must be the reason and a clever one too. Nobody will forget his name!

Soho Susie is also the half-sister to Tony O’Callaghan’s prolific winner-producing stallion Mehmas. Anne O’Callaghan, Tony’s wife, is John Magnier’s sister.

A Boy Named Susie, trained by Donnacha, is owned by his sister Ana. I always loved seeing her full given name Anastasia in racecards when she was a highly promising jockey until injury curtailed her career.

She entrusted her brother with the training of A Boy Named Susie, unlike two other nice horses that elder brother Joseph handled for her to win races before selling profitably later. This colt, a 200k son of Coolmore’s Starspangledbanner, made a winning start with a three-length stroll at Killarney last summer.

You might have expected a graduated campaign, but Donnacha launched his sister’s pride and joy immediately into Group company and, so far, they have yet to be rewarded with another win.

Never mind, the prizemoney tally is now up to £370k from seven subsequent runs. He has been second three times, third once and fourth on another three occasions, but the progression has been steady and consistent.

And the names of the winners of those seven races? His second two-year-old race produced a promising fourth in the Irish EBF Futurity (Group 2) behind Constitution River. Another Group 2 fourth place followed, albeit last of four but only five lengths adrift of Benvenuto Cellini in the Champion Juvenile Group 2 at Leopardstown.

He stepped up next time with a short-head second to Christmas Day in the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown and wound up for the year with another second, two lengths behind Pierre Bonnard in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

Things didn’t get any easier in 2026, starting out with third to Christmas Day in the time-honoured Derby trial, the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown. Then it was on to Chantilly for fourth in the Jockey Club and thence his finest hour on Saturday in the Eclipse.

The winners thus of his seven races since that debut have been Constitution River three times, Benvenuto Cellini, Christmas Day twice and Pierre Bonnard. “Dad, could you forget to enter anything next time?” could be the obvious refrain from Donnacha. “No chance, son. You find something I haven’t spotted!”

The horses that have won his races have gone on to success in the Derby (Christmas Day), Irish Derby (Benvenuto Cellini), French Derby and Eclipse (Constitution River), The only “flop” if you could call him that is Pierre Bonnard, just the third in the Irish Derby on the credit side since he beat Susie in France last October.

But where oh where are our Group 1 middle-distance horses? A look through Horses In Training shows legions of expensively bought and classically bred middle-distance animals in several powerful yards in Newmarket, Lambourn and elsewhere. Does the trials programme get going too late as against such races as the Ballysax early on in Ireland?

Whatever the reason, the big home teams haven’t been able to stem the tide. You thought King Canute had a tough job! After Sandown, O’Brien senior is already more than five-eighths of the way towards his record tally of £8.3 million set two years ago with the help of City Of Troy – and he still has that brilliant horse’s progeny to come on stream.

The future’s grim, the future’s Coolmore!

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It was sad to hear of the death of Graham Bradley at 65. He hadn’t been in the best of health for some time. Despite spending many years trying to atone for earlier misdemeanours, this most stylish of jockeys was never allowed a licence to train.

Having been in the Michael Dickinson yard in its heyday and as the winner of the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Bregawn, heading home the Famous Five, he would have had plenty of expertise to make the transition to trainer.

He wouldn’t have been the first or last brilliant jump jockey to lose his way, but it seemed he was always the one marked out for “special” negative treatment by racing’s authorities.

Equally, it was also sad to hear of the passing of Peter Waney, whose West End restaurants Zuma and Meraki have long been a feature of the London scene.

Karachi-born, Waney and his family moved to Mumbai at the time of the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. He later became a long-standing owner with the Hannon stable. The only time I went to a Waney restaurant was when Ray Tooth took his staff (and me, thanks Ray!) to Dubai a decade or so ago. Waney arranged to squeeze the dozen or so of us in an otherwise fully booked evening session at Zuma and the food was delightful. Farewell Peter, your many racing friends will miss you.

- TS

 

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.”