Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes (Listed)

“Ibelieveicanfly is a very good filly. She’s a big, powerful, strong filly. She was a little bit keen and stronger than she should have been, so we had to race her to get her to settle. In the Debutante last time, I was hoping that if it was a case she didn’t win, that she’d finish fourth and not third, because if she was third she’d be ineligible to run in the Ingabelle Stakes.

“This falls perfect for her. If she was in the three, she’d have gone on to the Moyglare, but she had a good experience and hopefully it will help her progress too. She could be one who’s way better than a group filly. Madam Secretary finished second in a listed race at Cork last time and could go to the same race too.”

Golden Fleece Stakes (Group 1)

“Aix La Chapelle, who ran in the Tyros last time [when fourth], could go here, Sergei Diaghilev might as well, as a forward-going horse who won a listed race at Gowran the last day, and Shakespeare is in there too. We were delighted with him at the Curragh when he won his maiden.

“Wall Street might go, having won on his only start at Leopardstown in a maiden, and Darkness Falls has gone very strongly into the picture after winning at the Curragh last weekend. He was very impressive. It’s possible that two, three or four could run in this race and all seem to be in good form.”

Kilternan Stakes (Group 3)

“Piazza San Marco was back from a break when he had a lovely run at Leopardstown recently [finishing third in the Vinnie Roe Stakes]. We think he’ll be happier coming back down a couple of furlongs to a mile and a half here, though he is in the Leger too.”

Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes (Group 1)

“We’re thinking of running both Precise and True Love in the Matron. Obviously we’ve tried to split them up and go different places with them. True Love ran well the last day over six and a half [when fifth in the Prix Maurice de Gheest], but she’s going to go back up to a mile again.

“Precise went a few different places and ran against the older horses and had a few tough assignments, but for the last two months we were trying not to be too hard on the horses so when the autumn came we could lean a little bit harder on them. We’re very happy with her since, and True Love.

“Precise looks like she gets the mile stronger than True Love, but True Love has a lot of class, so it will be interesting and it will probably come down to where they’re drawn and who gets the run of the race.”

Tonybet Solonaway Stakes (Group 2)

“Isaac Newton could be the main one [after winning the Desmond Stakes on his latest start]. Expanded might come back to this race if there’s an ease in the ground - that’s what he’s been waiting on [since his last run in May] - and Charles Fort ran a nice race against A Boy Named Susie [when second] in the Royal Whip the last day. We think he’ll be happy going back to a mile too.”

Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (Group 1)

“Constitution River is in good form and seems to have come out of the Juddmonte International well. It was just a bit of a mess really the last day - everything that could go wrong went wrong.

“The horse we had in making the running ended up not being quick enough to make the running; he couldn’t get any closer than he was. We thought that John’s horse [Devil’s Advocate, trained by John and Thady Gosden] was going to go, but obviously they didn’t have any intention of going so it meant that Wayne [Lordan] got left in front with Hawk Mountain, which ended up being far from ideal. He didn’t like being in front. When Wayne had to squeeze him along to make the running, they ended up going a little bit quick.

“Constitution River jumped and was a little bit keen. He charged over the road and ended up in second. Obviously John’s horse spotted him and just kept him company for a little bit of the race.

“Then, coming down the straight, John’s horse was on his outside and started to hold his place, so Ryan [Moore] felt he had to get out of there. He ended up having to challenge Wayne too early, and then ended up there too early. It was just all a complete mess, really.

“Anyway, we’re hoping he’ll leave that run behind him. We’ve been very happy with him since, as we are with Hawk Mountain. We’d hope to have something else to make it for them, so Hawk Mountain won’t have to be as forward. We have horses that are not it but we could have to supplement. Hopefully we won’t make the same mistake twice.

“I have to ultimately accept the responsibility for York because I put in the pacemaker that wasn’t good enough. It just goes to show with one bad decision what can happen. I’m hoping we’ll be able to put that right.

“We’ve always thought the world of Constitution River and his only blip was the last day - I’d be very confident it wasn’t his fault. Anything else that went with him kind of finished out the back. It was a very good run considering how keen he was. The acid test will be at Leopardstown.”

Moyglare Stud Stakes (Group 1)

“Alpha has been trained for the Moyglare all the time. She’s a massive, powerful filly and we were happy with her the last day. She ran a lovely race [when third in the Debutante Stakes] and because it was only a Group 2 race on the way, we didn’t want to go all out with her. She gets the trip very well and the faster they go the better it will suit her.

“Sun Goddess seems to have come out of [winning the Harry’s Half Million By Goffs at] York very well. We probably learned plenty about her; we learned that she handles an ease in the ground and we learned that there’s every chance she could get seven furlongs, so she could go to the Moyglare on the way to the Cheveley Park. We’ll get a bit closer to it before we decide, but she did her first bit of work back at the weekend and we were happy with her.

“Alpha will go hard and drag the living daylights out of everything, and with Sun Goddess you’d be wanting to see if she’ll get the trip, so it’s going to be a hard one for Ryan. It will come down to whether the lads decide to let Sun Goddess run. It will be a hard call, but looking at Sun Goddess the last day it’ll be hard for Ryan to get off her.”

Bar 1 Betting Flying Five Stakes (Group 1)

“Over five furlongs, maybe we could have gone a little more forward with Mission Central in the Nunthorpe. It’s very hard to make up the ground from behind at York over the trip if you give them a chance. We think five furlongs at the Curragh should suit him well.

“Charles Darwin has been disappointing and we’re just hoping he could start getting it together a bit. Brussels could run and is a solid group horse.”

Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (Group 1)

“Everything has gone really well for Giant Sequoia. It was a bit tougher at the Curragh for him last time in the Futurity. Florida Bay was making the running, going a good, even gallop, and Wayne [Lordan, on Giant Sequoia] was to follow him, not to get there too early. Then I think the horse Seamus [Heffernan] was on is a big horse [Nola Soul] and started to lie on him a little. Wayne had to go a bit earlier than he wanted.

“He wasn’t as impressive as we thought he could be, but with the benefit of hindsight it could be good for him because he probably learned plenty. He’s a big, powerful horse and will get a mile well, a mile and a quarter next year and maybe further. He’s a classy horse.

“We were happy with Haffner the last day [when winning the Acomb Stakes at York]. He’s a lovely, straightforward, good-moving, typical Justify. He’s relentless with a big, long stride and keeps going. He seems to have come out of it well, so he could go there with Giant Sequoia. Ryan is going to find it very hard to get off Giant Sequoia, but I’d say Haffner is going to be a big danger and I know he loves him, so that isn’t going to be an easy decision.”

Comer Group International Irish St. Leger (Group 1)

“Scandinavia is our main one. He’s great and everything has gone well with him. He looks exciting, very straightforward. He’s got a high cruise and loves what he does. He’s got a great mind and a big, long stride.

We always felt he only does what he has to when he gets to the front – he’ll only work beside what he has to work beside at home – so what was interesting about him last time at Goodwood was he thought there was a jockey on the loose horse. He kept chasing after that horse. As a four-year-old at this stage of his career, I’m not sure we’ve ever had a stayer who looks as exciting as him, maybe.

“Jan Brueghel has had a break and could start back there as well. Queenstown, who won the trial last time, might run as well.”

Moyglare "Jewels" Blandford Stakes (Group 2)

“Classiest could run here in the hope of getting some blacktype, and it’s the same with Minerva. Simply Astounding is the class one there. She had a big hold up [absent since May 2025] and we’re not sure if she’ll be ready to run. We think she’s a good filly and is out of Minding. She got injured early but is back in full work.”

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Northfields Handicap

“Port Of Spain will go here. He’s in good form and any ease in the ground will help.”

Benvenuto Cellini

“He goes to France for the Prix Niel [tomorrow] and he could then go for the Arc if the ground was nice. If not, he’d obviously miss there and go on to the Breeders’ Cup, with Hong Kong and stuff like that in mind.”

Diamond Necklace

“We ran her back a little bit quicker this time than we did the last time and I didn’t want to go a mile and a half with her until we were exposed at a mile and a quarter. We thought if we went to the Prix Vermeille [this weekend] over a mile and a half and she had a hard race, and we decided to go to the Arc, it could come a little bit too quick for her, so that’s why we said we’d go to Deauville for an easier race at a mile and a quarter.

“But then that good older filly [Aventure] was in it, the ground went very bad and soft and I hadn’t trained her very hard either because if she was going for the Arc, we could start leaning on her. I think a combination of the ground, the older filly and me not being very hard on her could have just got her on the day. Maybe I was trying to be a bit clever and just got caught out because of it; I thought she might be good enough to win without being too hard on her.

“Where do we go next with her? It’s possible that she could be trained for Arc weekend and she would have the option of going to the Prix de l’Opera or the Arc. That’s what we’re thinking at the moment. She’s going to have a good, long run into either race and I think she should be fitter and tighter than she was going to Deauville the last day.”

Minnie Hauk

“The plan is to go to the Arc with her, that was the plan all the way. This year hasn’t been straightforward with her. She kind of went off the road a few times, but that often happens. Again we were trying to be a little bit clever and have her peaking at the end of the season.

“We ran her at York the last day [when third to Kalpana] and we were very happy with the run. We ended up last off a slow pace and she just got back a little bit, but she ran very well. Her feet give her a little bit of trouble sometimes. She gets corns and sometimes you have to be gentle with her in her work. That was kind of the story with her through the year, but we think we’re getting that sorted and the plan was always to only get serious with her for the Arc.”

His Betfred St Leger team

“The plan is for the horses who ran in the Voltigeur, Pierre Bonnard and Christmas Day, to go and what’s a little bit different is Amelia Earhart might go as well.

“We were preparing for the fillies’ race at Doncaster [Park Hill Stakes] and the boss [John Magnier] said ‘why not let her take her chance with the colts?’ There’s only one classic and she can go to France after that for the Group 1 fillies’ race [Prix de Royallieu] if it didn’t work.

“I always thought Christmas Day would outgun Pierre Bonnard over a mile and six furlongs, and over a mile and a half I thought Pierre Bonnard might be the horse.

“That’s the way it looked in York, but he didn’t have the 5lb penalty Christmas Day had.

“Both horses got a break and they were just ready to start back at York. They went a very strong gallop and it probably set up for the winner, but he is obviously a good horse as well. We were using the York race as a prep for the next day.”

O’Brien on...

Training his string to peak for Irish Champions Festival and beyond

“Everything leads to this weekend. We train the horses hard for the classics early and then we have Royal Ascot. Then there are the races in between where they have to compete because they need their racing miles, but we don’t be hard on them. Maybe that’s why some of them were running well without winning. We were leaving a bit for this weekend, which has developed into a seriously important meeting all over the world. We lean on them a little harder to try get them to peak for this as best as we can. It doesn’t always happen like that and it’s very competitive because everyone is trying to do the same thing.”

The Golden Fleece being raised to Group 1 level and upped in trip

“I think it’s unbelievable to get this race upgraded to Group 1 level this year and to have it run over nine furlongs [from one mile]. I think it’s a great initiative. A mile around Leopardstown can be very tricky and tactical, nine furlongs I think will be perfect. The ground will be nice and I think it’s a race that a lot of history will come out of. They have those races in France later on in the season but the ground is always gone; it’s heavy and that’s tough on them.

“Even at that time of year in France, it never does them any harm and I think it’s unbelievable to have a race of that calibre in Ireland. Like, nine furlongs at Leopardstown is easier than a mile at Doncaster [for a race like the Futurity Trophy]. There’s no doubt about that. Around a bend, they’ll skip along at Leopardstown easily. You go a mile down that straight at Doncaster in heavy ground and that is a Grand National. I think this is perfect and I’m looking forward to having runners in it.”