Brian O'Connor

Racing Correspondent and Columnist at Irish Times

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Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Lake Victoria to miss Royal Ascot

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Brian O'Connor

Aidan O’Brien will be short odds to be crowned top trainer at Royal Ascot for a 14th time next week but his powerful team for the meeting will not contain Lake Victoria. The Irish 1,000 Guineas winner was ruled out on Monday and won’t be seen in action again until later this season.
Colin Keane appointed as Juddmonte’s number one jockey in Europe

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Brian O'Connor

Ireland’s champion jockey Colin Keane has secured one of racing’s most prized jobs after confirmation today that he has been appointed as the number one in Europe to Juddmonte. The world-renowned operation created by the Saudi Prince Khalid Abdullah has enjoyed huge success over decades, most famously through the unbeaten champion Frankel. It has moved to appoint Keane, 30, who has been riding regularly for them in recent years through his role as stable jockey to Ger Lyons.
Clash of the Guineas winners shaping up in St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Brian O'Connor

Royal Ascot’s St James’s Palace Stakes is shaping up into a vintage clash, although one star name likely to miss the mile contest is Jonquil. Runner-up to Henri Matisse in the French 2,000 Guineas, the Juddmonte owned colt is likely to step down to six furlongs for the Commonwealth Cup at the prestigious meeting later this month. Juddmonte’s Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Field Of Gold is a warm favourite for the St James’s Palace following his impressive Curragh victory.
Lambourn odds-on to become the 20th horse to complete Epsom-Curragh Derby double

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Brian O'Connor

Lambourn is odds-on to become the 20th horse to complete the Epsom-Curragh Derby double at the end of this month. Aidan O’Brien’s 11th Epsom Derby winner emerged unscathed from his ‘Blue Riband’ exploits on Saturday where Wayne Lordan made most of the running on the son of Australia. Widely regarded beforehand as the outsider of O’Brien’s Derby trio, Lambourn dominated the biggest field for the race in over 20 years to catapult his name on to racing’s most coveted roll-of-honour.
It’s ‘Wayne’s World’ at Epsom as Lordan guides Lambourn to Derby glory

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Brian O'Connor

Aidan O’Brien saddled his 11th Epsom Derby winner when Lambourn made most of the running in Saturday’s ‘Blue Riband’ under jockey Wayne Lordan. The 43-year-old rider, promoted to the coveted position of O’Brien’s Number 2 last year, had appeared to be on the outsider of an O’Brien trio but took the initiative almost from the start.
Biggest Derby field for 22 years underlines unpredictability of Epsom classic

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Brian O'Connor

The biggest Betfred Derby field in 22 years lines up at Epsom on Saturday, and if the old saying is “the bigger the field, the bigger the certainty”, the only sure thing about this 246th renewal of racing’s blue riband appears to be unpredictability. Even what the elements might do is up in the air, with an unsettled weather outlook making likely ground conditions unclear. The last properly soft ground Derby was in 1983 when Teenoso was the last of Lester Piggott’s nine winners.
Minnie Hauk secures an 11th Oaks success for Aidan O’Brien at Epsom

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Brian O'Connor

Minnie Hauk just got the better of stablemate Whirl as Aidan O’Brien again dominated the Betfred Oaks at Epsom. Desert Flower, the short-priced favourite and 1,000 Guineas winner, was one of the first under pressure before stamina became an issue, although to her credit she stayed on bravely to finish third.
Jan Brueghel secures a 10th Coronation Cup triumph for Aidan O’Brien

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Brian O'Connor

Aidan O’Brien’s St Leger hero Jan Brueghel held off Calandagan in a thrilling finish to the Betfred Coronation Cup at Epsom. Unbeaten when winning the world’s oldest Classic at Doncaster, he had been aimed at the Melbourne Cup later that year but was ruled out by the local vets and was then beaten on his return to action this spring in a Group Three.
Epsom Derby is the original, but sadly it is not the best any more

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Brian O'Connor

The Epsom Derby is the original. But sad to say it’s not the best any more. When it comes to mile-and-a-half Derby races on grass, the most commercially relevant of them all is already done and dusted for this year. Last Sunday’s Tokyo Yushun, the Japanese Derby, was won by Croix Du Nord. A champion two-year-old, Croix Du Nord won what is unquestionably Japanese racing’s most coveted prize.
Aidan O’Brien trio bid to derail Desert Flower in Epsom Oaks

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Brian O'Connor

Aidan O’Brien has completed the Oaks-Derby double three times and will be triple-handed going into Friday’s fillies’ Classic at Epsom. The trio of Minnie Hauk, Giselle and Whirl fly the Ballydoyle flag in a race O’Brien has won 10 times. His son Joseph also throws his hat into the Oaks ring with Wemighttakedlongway.