Kew Gardens and Lah Ti Dar will renew rivalry at Epsom on Friday as they feature among 10 runners declared for the Investec Coronation Cup.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien has saddled a record eight winners of the mile-and-a-half Group One — first striking gold with Yeats in 2005 and since adding to his tally with the likes of Fame And Glory (2010), three-times winner St Nicholas Abbey (2011-2013) and Highland Reel (2017).

The Ballydoyle maestro is double-handed in this year’s renewal, with Kew Gardens very much the stable’s chief hope over Cypress Creek.

Kew Gardens won the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot and the Grand Prix de Paris last summer before claiming Classic glory with victory over the John Gosden-trained Lah Ti Dar in the St Leger at Doncaster.

The Galileo colt was a well-beaten second behind on his seasonal reappearance at Chester three weeks ago, but will be expected to improve considerably ahead of his latest big-race assignment.

28.05

Aidan O’Brien has seven contenders to pick from in Sunday’s French Derby at Chantilly following the latest forfeit stage.

The Ballydoyle handler is responsible for nearly half of the 20 runners in the 10-furlong heat with Mohawk, Norway, Van Beethoven, Anthony Van Dyck, Blenheim Palace, Cape Of Good Hope and Sovereign still in the mix.

However, four of those colts are also entered at Epsom on Saturday, with only Mohawk, Blenheim Palace and Van Beethoven having just the Chantilly option

Hermosa joined Attraction, Finsecal Beo and Winter as dual 1,000 Guineas heroines in the Tattersalls Irish version of the fillies Classic at the Curragh today.

Like yesterday with the colt, Phoenix Of Spain, Hermosa did this impressively from the front, asserting from over a furlong out to score by four lengths from Pretty Pollyanna.

In another similarity with Saturday’s 2,000 Guineas Paddy Twomey again saddled the third placer, Foxtrot Liv who was a length and a half back in the bronze medal position with Billy Lee up too.

Iridessa finished fourth for Joseph O’Brien and Wayne Lordan whilst Dean Street Doll stayed on for fifth for Richard O’Brien and Colin Keane.

Ryan Moore, earlier on the mark also for Ballydoyle on Arizona and Magical, said: “She was impressive in Newmarket and she gets the trip very well.

“She never felt like she was going to get beat and when they do that through a race it’s usually a good sign.”

Winning trainer Aidan O'Brien said: "The plan was changed to come here rather than go to the Oaks, and then go from here to the Prix de Diane in three weeks time. I’m so delighted that we did (change plans).

“She’s a lovely mare and we felt that she progressed from Newmarket. I think she showed that today.

“She could go further and her sister (Hydrangea) got a mile and a half. We’ll see how she gets on in France before thinking about that.”

Hermosa is 3/1 with Paddy Power and Betfair for the Prix de Diane.

“It was very easy for her. She’s a really high class filly,” summed up Ryan Moore after doubling up at the Curragh on Magical (2/7) in the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup.

Moore won the opener for Ballydoyle on Arizona and after breezing to a seven length win over stable companion Flag Of Honour on Magical he elaborated: “She was magnificent at the end of last year and she’s carried on.

“Today she just came forward lovely from her last run. I couldn’t be happier with her today.

“She’s a very adaptable filly. She was a very good two-year-old and she’s typical of the sire really — good at two and three and she’s carried on at four.

“She’s a Group One winner at three and four and she ran a mighty race in the Breeders’ Cup last year.”

Magical made this ten furlong event her own in the final quarter mile and Mustajeer followed home Flag Of Honour, four and three parts of a length back in third.

Paddy Power and Betfair go 4/1 from 6/1 about Magical for the Prince Of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot. BoyleSports are unchanged at 5/1.

“We are delighted to have her as a four-year-old. She’s a big, powerful mare that is full of quality, with great strength and a super mind," said winning trainer Aidan O'Brien.

“She had done enough last year to go off to stud so it’s a great credit to all the lads to keep her in training.

“The plan made out was the three races and then see about Ascot for the Prince Of Wales.

“There is an autumn campaign and she has to have a break somewhere before maybe the Irish Champion and the Arc. Hopefully she will come out of today well and then we can have a think about Ascot. It’s all stuff to dream about.”

Meanwhile Paddy Power go 12/1 (from 20/1) on Magical for the Arc.

Arizona paid a nice compliment to his course and distance conqueror from May 6th, Sunday Sovereign, when leading home a Ballydoyle 1-2-3 in the Tally Ho Stud Irish European Breeders Fund (C & G) Maiden at the Curragh.

Sunday Sovereign has since been bought by King Power Racing and they’ll likely be well pleased with that investment after watching 8/15 shot Arizona beat stable companion King Of Athens by eight lengths.

Unfortunately Red Assembly (a fatality) slipped up inside the final furlong when running a very decent race in pursuit of Arizona.

Jockey Luke McAteer was reportedly up relatively okay afterwards.

Arizona is now 7/1 first show for the Coventry with Paddy Power.

Winning trainer Aidan O’Brien said on the Ryan Moore-ridden Arizona: “We really liked him the first day when he was green. He looks an Ascot two-year-old and could have the option of the Coventry or the Chesham.

 “I think they have changed the conditions of the Chesham this year, and he’d qualify as his dam’s sire is English Channel.

 “Ryan said he galloped through the line which is a good sign. You would have to be very happy with him.”  

(AM & EM)

Royal Ascot remains a likely target for Magna Grecia despite his lacklustre performance in Saturday’s Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

A cosy winner of the Newmarket Guineas for Aidan O’Brien, Magna Grecia could finish only fifth in the Irish Classic, being beaten nearly six lengths by Phoenix Of Spain.

The Ballydoyle handler could offer no immediate explanation for that eclipse, but indicated a crack at the St James’s Palace Stakes at Ascot is still on the agenda, unless something subsequently transpires.

O’Brien said: “Everything seems grand with Magna Grecia. He only went out for a walk this morning, but for some reason he wasn’t the same horse as he was at Newmarket.

“Having said that, I wouldn’t dream of taking away from the winner in any way.

“We were happy with him going into the race. It was only three weeks from Newmarket so we didn’t do an awful lot with him, but he seemed to be fine.

“The plan was that he would run here (at the Curragh) and then go to Ascot so unless something unforeseen comes up, that will probably be where he goes.”

Magical appears to have been found a great opportunity to add to her Group One haul in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on Sunday.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly has been brought along steadily by the Ballydoyle handler this season, winning the Alleged Stakes at Naas and the Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh.

On both occasions she beat stable companion Flag Of Honour and for a third time the Coolmore duo look a good bet for the forecast.

Having won the Irish St Leger last year, Flag Of Honour is expected to come into his own when stepped up in trip later in the season.

For Magical, a winner at Ascot on Champions Day and second to Enable at the Breeders’ Cup, she will be expected to win here before heading to Royal Ascot.

“She’s in good form and seems to have come out of the last day well,” said O’Brien.

“We’ve been happy with her from run to run this season.”

Mount Fuji (3s out to 5s) made a winning debut for Ballydoyle in the Matchbook Irish EBF Maiden at Cork.

It looked unlikely for much for Seamie Heffernan’s mount in the sprint, as he raced in mid-division and was pushed along in fifth halfway.

Ridden two furlongs out, Mount Fuji ran on well in the final furlong to lead close home for a half length and neck verdict over Invincible Diva (7s into 5s) and Principalship (33/1).

"I'm delighted with him and they can be green, and he was green, and a little babyish," said winning trainer Aidan O'Brien.

"We think he could be an Ascot two year old and whether or not we can get another race into him or not I'm not sure but he is a nice colt. Five or six furlongs is his trip and he is not short of speed.

"San Andreas is the only other Dark Angel runner I've had and he won as a two year old also."

Huge thanks to Breandán Ó hUallacháin for the photos

Kew Gardens Aidan's chosen one for Coronation Cup Tilt 

21st May 

The Master of Ballydoyle is responsible for 7 of the 18 horses left in the Coronation Cup at the latest stage which includes Capri, Cyprus Creek, Flag Of Honour, Hunting Horn, Southern France Magical & Kew Gardens who he Indicated was his main hope for the race. 

Aidan O’Brien hopes last year’s St Leger hero Kew Gardens can improve on his previous experience of Epsom and provide him with a ninth victory in the Investec Coronation Cup.

The Ballydoyle trainer will rely on the son of Galileo, who finished ninth in last year’s Derby, after ruling talented filly Magical out of the Group One prize.

After finishing down the field in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on his final start last year Kew Gardens found only Morando – who may reoppose – too good when conceding 7lb on his seasonal return in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester.

O’Brien said: “Magical is going to go to the Curragh this weekend (Tattersalls Gold Cup). Kew Gardens will go there (Epsom).

“It was always the plan to go to Chester to make sure he was OK on a left-handed track, as when he ran at Epsom last season he was a bit disappointing.

“We’ve been very happy with him since Chester and the plan is to go for the Coronation.”

Aidan's Comments on each of his Derby Contenders

21st May

Aidan on his Derby Contenders

"To be fair to them, they’ve all done what has been asked of them. We were a little bit easier on the horses in their trials than we have been before. We ran them in their trials in a way you would think they would come forward from,”

Sir Dragonet
“I know France is an option, but I know the lads (owners John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith) and Epsom is always where they would want to be. No decision will be made until later, but if I had to have a bet on it, the lads would prefer to go to Epsom rather than France. They won’t make their mind up until the supplementary stage. Every horse that is born, bred and raised are trained to be there and I think that’s what the lads think. I can’t say for definite (that he will go), but I think that’s what they will be favouring.”

Mohawk
Mohawk ran very well at Chester. We are not sure if he will get a mile and a half, so it is possible he could go to France. 

Circus Maximus
He will go to Epsom over a mile and a half, and we felt he would come forward a good bit from Chester.

Broome
Broome has had two runs and we have been very happy with him.

Norway
Norway is another horse that ran at Chester and we thought he would get the mile and a half very well and he did. We rode him patiently at Chester, but the other horse (Sir Dragonet) just quickened better than him. He would probably go as well.

Anthony Van Dyck
He's a horse we always thought would get a middle distance well. We were very interested in watching him run at Lingfield and Ryan (Moore) was very happy with him and that he got the trip well, even though on pedigree he should have plenty of pace for a mile and a quarter.

Cape Of Good Hope
He is a horse that won at Epsom and he has come forward a lot.

Japan
We thought would improve an awful lot from the Dante. He was just going there to have a run and he did his first piece of work back this morning. You would imagine he would get a mile and a half well.”

Aidan throws Sir Dragonet Derby Curveball 

20th May 

The participation of Investec Derby favourite Sir Dragonet was thrown into doubt on Sunday when Aidan O’Brien revealed the French version is also under consideration for the unbeaten colt.

Sir Dragonet jumped to the head of the Derby market after a runaway win in this month’s Chester Vase but the Camelot colt is not entered in the premier Classic on June 1 and O’Brien said on Racing TV that a decision over whether he is supplemented, at a cost of £85,000, will not be taken until the day before, which is a week today.

The Ballydoyle maestro, having saddled a four-timer at Naas, told Gary O’Brien that the plan was also have a couple of runners in the French Derby 24 hours after the Epsom showpiece and that Sir Dragonet was among those potentially in the picture for Chantilly.

Unraced as a two-year-old, he is not entered for the French feature, either, so again would have to be supplemented.

Bookmakers responded by easing Sir Dragonet in the Derby betting. Bet365, who had offered 2-1 on Sunday morning, pushed him out to 7-2. Broome and Anthony Van Dyck, his stablemates, were cut to 9-2 and 5-1 respectively.

On the Betfair betting exchange, at 8.20pm, he was available to back at 6.6 (11-2) and available to lay at 7.2

“The lads haven’t really decided the team [for the Derby] yet. They’d like to send a couple to France and then the rest will go to Epsom,” O’Brien said. “With Sir Dragonet they have the option of going to Epsom or the French Derby – it will be one of the two.

“We’ll see how the work goes this week. All the options are open for him. The lads can decide late. He’s still a baby, he’s only had the two runs. You couldn’t be happier with those runs but I’d say it would be the day before supplementary stage that they will decide.”

It will still be something of a surprise if Sir Dragonet does not run at Epsom, despite the door being open for him to run abroad, because the Derby is the race cherished above all others by everybody connected with Ballydoyle and Coolmore.

Vincent O'Brien, Aidan's predecesor, even went as far as creating a replica of Tattenham Corner at Ballydoyle. Aidan is seeking a record-equalling seventh Derby success but has yet to win the French version, which is run over a mile and a quarter and would require Sir Dragonet to drop in distance.

O’Brien said Broome, the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner, and Circus Maximus, the Dee Stakes winner, were on course to run at Epsom. He also intimated Japan, fourth in the Dante at York last week, would join them.

But he stopped short of committing any of his other possibles, including Anthony Van Dyck and Cape Of Good Hope, who also won traditional Derby trials, plus such as Mohawk, runner-up in the Dee Stakes when conceding 5lb to Circus Maximus.

Japan was once considered the No 1 Derby hope at Ballydoyle and O’Brien took encouragement from his run on the Knavesmire.

“We were very happy with him. We felt if he was going to run in Epsom he had to run,” he said. “The plan was to get a run into him without bottoming him because it was close enough to the Derby and he hadn’t had a run this year.

“It was a good race run at a good gallop and the first two got away. It was always going to be tough on the second group following.

“Ryan [Moore] was very happy with him and nursed him as long as he could. We felt he would come forward a nice bit for it.”

Earlier, O’Brien had said his 1000 Guineas winner, Hermosa, prominent in the Investec Oaks betting, would miss Epsom and instead run in the Irish 1000 Guineas en route to a tilt at the French Oaks.

He cited that the latter race, which he has never had the winner of, was worth twice as much as its English equivalent.

“We were thinking originally of going for the Oaks with Hermosa – but it’s less than a week between the Irish Guineas and the Oaks,” he said. “We decided we’d go to the Irish Guineas, and from there on to the French Oaks.

“The French Oaks is worth nearly twice what the English Oaks is worth, and we thought it would be a nice stepping stone to go from a mile up to a mile and a quarter.”

Other O’Brien inmates heading to the Curragh next weekend for Group One assignments are Magna Grecia and Magical.

Aidan O'Brien Derby runners and the best prices available: 7-2 Sir Dragonet; 9-2 Broome; 5-1 Anthony Van Dyck; 14-1 Japan; 20-1 Circus Maximus; 33-1 Cape Of Good Hope; 50-1 Mohawk; Norway; 66-1 Western Australia; 200-1 Sovereign; Sydney Opera House.

Ferretti brings up Ballydoyle 4 timer at Naas 

Healy Racing Photos (c)

Stunning Group 3 winning debut for Etoile 

Pistoletto digs deep to keep his 100% record & Aidan update

Healy Racing Photos (c)

At the finish just a length and three parts split the four participants in the Coolmore Gustav Klimt Race with Pistoletto (1/5) coming out on top in the second event at Naas.

The Ballydoyle victor came back with a bloodied mouth and though it wasn't smooth it's to the War Front colt's credit in the circumstances that he was able to upstage first-time blinkered Red Epaulette by half a length.

Ryan Moore's mount got upset in the stalls and had to be re-loaded after being checked over before being given the all-clear to take part.

Paddy Power and Betfair go 14/1 first show about Pistoletto for the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“He banged his hip going into the stalls and then got unset and kicked off both his back shoes. There are plenty of marks on his back legs so he did well really. It wasn’t a good experience for him," said successful handler Aidan O'Brien.

“All being well he will go to Ascot and five or six wouldn’t be a problem. He laboured today and we thought he’d win easier but there are plenty of reasons for it.”    

News From Aidan Magna Grecia, Hermosa and Magical are on course for their Group 1 targets at the Curragh next weekend Hermosa will target the Irish 1000 Guineas and the Prix Diane (French Oaks) instead of the Epsom Oaks.  

Aidan said Pisteletto did not have a nice experience today he hit head lost 2 hind shoes and bite his tongue.

Capri will still be aimed at the Ascot Gold Cup and that race as could be Southern France that or a drop back in distance in the Hardwicke Stakes.

Happen & Just Wonderful to join Hermosa in 1000 Guineas Fairyland will go sprinting & Fleeting to the Oaks 

Ballydoyle duo Hunting Horn & Magic Wand failed in their attempt to land Aidan O'Brien his first Man O' War stakes at Belmont Park last night. 

It looked like front running Hunting Horn had stole the race but was swamped late on but stuck on for 4th. Ridden as a closer Magic Wand failed to get into the race but stayed on late to pass her stable mate to finish 3rd even though she never looked like winning.