Joseph O'Brien Stable Tour

Form profile

Rated 107, he won three of his five starts on the Flat for Barry Fitzgerald prior to joining O’Brien and he went on to finish a close second in the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh in September.

Trainer says

He joined us in the middle of last season and ran a huge race to finish second in the Irish Cesarewitch. We were hoping to aim him at the Red Sea Handicap at Riyadh, but he had a setback not long after his last race at the Curragh, so that was that plan scuppered. He’s on the way back and we have a few potential targets in mind for him both closer to home and on the international stage. He is still quite unexposed and hopefully has some big days ahead of him.

Form profile

Rated 97, he has won two of his four starts and most recently finished fourth in the Vinnie Roe Stakes at Leopardstown in August.

Trainer says

He didn’t debut until June last year but came a long way in four starts. You’d hope that there is more improvement in him and while he has won over further already, a mile-and-a-half might be a good trip for him. He could end up in one of the handicaps at Royal Ascot.

Form profile

Rated 120, he is a two-time Group 1 winner that finished a never-nearer third in the Neom Turf Cup at Riyadh on his seasonal return in February.

Trainer says

We were very happy with his run in the Neom Turf Cup at Riyadh. We treated it as a starting point for what will hopefully be a long season with him, and it was great to see him hit the line as well as he did. He’s been in great form since he came home and that run should put him spot on for the Sheema Classic at Meydan on April 5th where the longer trip and bigger track will play to his strengths. Looking further ahead, races like the Tattersalls Gold Cup and possibly the Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin in Hong Kong will be options for him. He’s a real flag bearer for us and we are hoping that he can win another Group 1 for us this season.

Form profile

Formerly trained in France, she has won three of her eight starts including the Prix Saint-Alary at ParisLongchamp in May 2024.

Trainer says

We are delighted to have Birthe join our team. She showed high-class form in France last season, winning the Prix Saint-Alary, and looks a really exciting filly for the season ahead. She has settled in well since joining us and has been pleasing us. There is a great programme of races there for a filly as talented as her and her first main target will be the Ridgewood Pearl Stakes at the Curragh on May 25th. From there, we’ll be hoping to bounce her onto Royal Ascot.

Form profile

Rated 103, he won the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2023 and the Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh in 2024.

Trainer says

Dawn Rising has been a wonderful horse and he’s ready to start back on the track. He is likely to run at Naas this weekend and hopefully he can show some of his old spark. He has run in the last two renewals of the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot and it would be great to get him back there, but he is getting older, and he’ll need to show he retains plenty of his ability between now and then if we are to point him there.

Form profile

Rated 105, he has won two of his nine starts and most recently finished fifth in a Group 2 contest at Meydan in March.

Trainer says

Galen is a talented horse that we don’t think has shown the full extent of his ability yet. We gelded him and sent him to Dubai for the winter where he shaped well on a few occasions, but didn’t quite get as involved in the finishes as we’d have liked. That whole experience will stand to him, and he has come back from there in great form. He looks ready for a mile-and-a-quarter now and firmer ground will always be a help to him. His next run could be in the Alleged Stakes at the Curragh.

Form profile

Rated 95, she showed significant improvement after joining O’Brien last season, winning the Galway Mile and being placed in three Listed races.

Trainer says

She did us some great turns last season and was really tough when winning the Galway Mile. She changed hands over the winter and is now owned by Paddy Burns of Loughtown Stud. She has scanned in foal to Mehmas, so is only likely to have a couple of runs this season before retiring to the paddocks. She will start off in the Gladness Stakes at the Curragh on March 29th and will look to back up in the Park Express Stakes back there a fortnight later. It would be great to win a stakes race with her as she was very much knocking on the door in that company last season.

Form profile

Formerly trained in France, she is a two-time winner that changed hands for €85,000 at Arqana in December.

Trainer says

She joined us after changing hands at the breeding stock sale in Arqana last December and has settled in well to our routine. We haven’t locked in specific race plans for her yet, but her form reads well, and she has a similar profile to fillies that have worked well after joining us here in the past.

Form profile

Rated 105, he was formerly trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam for whom he was placed in three Listed races last year.

Trainer says

He is a horse that joined us late last year having done very well when trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam. We gelded him and his work has been good so far. We haven’t a specific plan locked in yet, but he’ll be unpenalised in Listed races and he’s likely to start off in one of those. We’ll play it by ear as we go with him, but we could explore longer trips with him later in the season.

Form profile

Rated 98, he was formerly trained by Aidan O’Brien for whom he won two of his three starts last year.

Trainer says

He joined us from Ballydoyle last year and has been off the track for the better part of a year. We gelded him last year and he has been coming along nicely. He showed a smart level of form in three starts and hopefully we can get him to progress. We will look to start him off in premier handicaps and will see how he fits in.

Form profile

Rated 109, he won the Kilternan Stakes at Leopardstown in September.

Trainer says

He showed great progression when returning to the Flat last season and was only just touched off in a Group 2 in Italy. He ran a solid enough race on his return to action in the Neom Turf Cup and would have run better but for racing a bit more freely than ideal. He might have been finding the ground to be a bit firm too. He has come back from there in great form and is a likely runner in the Devoy Stakes at Naas on Sunday. He’s a versatile horse and is likely to go on his travels again at some point.

Form profile

Rated 103, he showed improvement to finish in the frame in both Listed and Group 3 company last season.

Trainer says

She progressed really well without managing to win last season, but hopefully she’ll make up for that this year. The main objective is to win a stakes races with her and she’ll be ready to start her season in April. An ease in the ground will always be a help to her

Form profile

Rated 108, he won the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot last year.

Trainer says

We trained him for the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot last year and he ran out the impressive winner of it. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury after that that meant we couldn’t run him again for the rest of the season, but he’s back on track now and progressing well in his training. The gaps between his runs tell the story that he isn’t the easiest horse to train, but he has loads of talent and hopefully we get a good run with him this year. We’d love to get him back to Royal Ascot, but we’ll take it day by day with him.

Form profile

Formerly trained in France, he won a maiden and went on to be placed in Group 2 company at Saint-Cloud in June.

Trainer says

Jean-Claude Rouget trained him to finish third in a Group 2 last year and he joined us over the winter. He has settled into his routine well and while we haven’t locked in any specifics with him just yet, we are working backwards from Royal Ascot with him.

Form profile

Rated 98, she won a maiden at Leopardstown and went on to finish a close second in a Group 3 at the Curragh in October.

Trainer says

She is a filly that progressed well last season and we hope can continue to improve this year. We have the Athasi Stakes at the Curragh on May 5th in mind for her return and the hope is that she’ll show enough to drive into the Irish 1,000 Guineas or perhaps the German equivalent.

Form profile

Rated 90, he twice shaped with promise prior to winning a maiden at the Curragh in October.

Trainer says

He’s a colt that progressed nicely in three runs last season. He had a little hold up, so won’t be out in the early part of the season, but he’s one that we hope can progress through the ranks later in the season.

Form profile

Unbeaten in two starts at Dundalk with him most recently winning a winners' race in February.

Trainer says

He’s unbeaten in two starts at Dundalk and we’re looking forward to getting him started on the turf in the coming weeks. The hope is that he’ll continue to improve and prove to be a smart performer. He has done nothing but please us so far.

Form profile

Rated 107, he won two of his six starts as a two-year-old including the Prix Francois Boutin at Deauville in August.

Trainer says

He’s a horse we’ve always been very fond of. He’s a big, rangy colt, the type that should do even better this year in physical terms. The plan is to start him off in sprints, with the Committed Stakes at Navan on April 26th being his starting point and the Lacken Stakes at Naas on May 18th likely to be his next step after that. From there, we’ll look to Royal Ascot and unless his first two runs tell us something different, the Jersey Stakes looks a good target for him. He’s a horse we are excited about.

Form profile

Rated 99, he made it third-time lucky when winning a maiden at Tipperary in October.

Trainer says

He progressed well at the backend of last season and has matured well over the winter, so he can hopefully drive on again this season. There’s a winners’ race at Cork for him on April 19th that looks like a good starting point for him.

Form profile

Made a winning debut in a maiden at the Curragh in November.

Trainer says

He did well to make a winning debut in a maiden at the Curragh back in November and that stamped him as a smart prospect. We have a winners’ race at Cork on April 19th in mind for his starting point and the hope is that he’ll work his way into stakes races before long.

Form profile

Shaped with promise in both his starts last season including when a close second in a maiden at Leopardstown in October.

Trainer says

He ran two lovely races in maidens at the backend of last season and is one we are looking forward to this season. We’ll most likely start him off in a maiden in April and there should be good progression in him as he steps up in trip.

Form profile

Rated 98, she won two of her six starts as a two-year-old including the Legacy Stakes at Dundalk.

Trainer says

She did really well last season. It’s a testament to how tough she is as she got quite a serious infection after her run at Tipperary, but roared back from it to show improved form to win a Listed race later in the season. She was badly interfered with early in the Mercury Stakes and is better than that run suggests. She’s nearly ready to start off and we’ll look to get her to either the Polonia Stakes at Cork or the Chelmer Fillies’ Stakes at Chelmsford in early-May.

Form profile

Placed in all three of his starts including in a maiden at the Curragh on his seasonal return in March.

Trainer says

He ran very well on his season return at the Curragh last Sunday and was a little unlucky not to win. He should be tough to beat in a maiden next time and can hopefully progress on from there. He’ll be one to step up in trip as the season goes on.

Form profile

Rated 98, she won a valuable maiden at Deauville on debut prior to running well without quite placing in two stakes races in Ireland.

Trainer says

She has matured well over the winter. I don’t think we’ll get her started until the ground dries out, but she’ll hopefully be worth the wait. She should find some improvement this year and will hopefully be competitive in stakes company.

Form profile

Made an impressive winning debut in a maiden at the Curragh in October.

Trainer says

He was impressive in his only start last season. I’d say we’ll start him back over six furlongs and feel our way with him from there. I’d imagine he’ll go up in trip sooner rather than later. The hope is that he’ll prove to be a stakes horse.

Form profile

Rated 116, he won two of his three starts as a two-year-old including the National Stakes at the Curragh.

Trainer says

He was brilliant last season and stamped himself as a top prospect when winning the National Stakes. He’d had a little setback before his second start, so we were chasing our tails a little bit with him from there. That he could come back and win a Group 1 on just his third start says a lot about him. As a type, he very much looks one that will be better as a three-year-old and stepping up to at least a mile should suit him well. We are training him for the 2000 Guineas and feel that the track there will play to his strengths. He has done particularly well over the winter in physical terms and looks fantastic. We are counting down the days to Newmarket and everything has gone smoothly with him so far.

Form profile

Rated 110, he won two of his four starts including the Criterium de Saint-Cloud in October.

Trainer says

We hope that he is our Derby horse. He took big steps forward with each start last season, making Hotazhell work hard in the Futurity Stakes before winning the Criterium de Saint-Cloud on ground that was much softer than he’d ideally like. He has matured particularly well over the winter and looks great. He got a good education on a variety of tracks and grounds last season and that will stand to him this year. The intention is to start him off in the Derby Trial at Leopardstown on May 11th and go straight to the Derby from there. The Derby is one of the greatest races in the world and to have a Group 1-winning two-year-old to aim at it is hugely exciting for all the team here.

Form profile

Rated 90, he made it third-time lucky when winning a maiden at Galway in October.

Trainer says

He’s a horse we like, and I’d say he’s likely to start off in the Tetrarch Stakes at the Curragh on May 5th. We’ll play him by ear from there, but the hope is that he’ll be good and competitive in stakes company.

Form profile

Finished second in a maiden at Leopardstown prior to finishing fourth in the Goffs Million.

Trainer says

She ran great in the Goffs Million and there should be more to come from her this season. She has the option of starting off in a maiden or a fillies’ handicap and we’ll make that call closer to the time. She has done well over the winter and looks a smart prospect.

Form profile

Rated 102, she won a maiden at Cork prior to finishing third in the Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown in October.

Trainer says

We liked the way she progressed last season and are excited about what she can do this season. We might well start her off over a slightly shorter trip and feel our way with her from there. We think she’s going to be a smart filly.