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Aidan O'Brien backs Minnie Hauk ahead of Breeders' Cup Turf bid

The three-year-old is favourite but will face stiff competition from last year's winner Rebel’s Romance

Thursday, 30 October 2025
Aidan O'Brien backs Minnie Hauk ahead of Breeders' Cup Turf bid

Aidan O'Brien is hoping Minnie Hauk will be his eighth Breeders’ Cup Turf winner

Aidan O’Brien has every confidence Minnie Hauk can handle the quick turnaround between the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Saturday’s Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, as the filly looks to get back to winning ways in California, writes Phil Campbell.

The three-year-old was beaten to the line by Daryz at Longchamp earlier this month which ended her run of three-consecutive Group 1 victories, a run that featured the Betfred Oaks in June.

She will now return to the track just 27 days after her outing in France, which is the shortest amount of time between races out of any of the 13 runners in the field, with none of the horses priced at 25/1 or below having run since at least the end of September.

But O’Brien, who has masterminded seven previous Breeders’ Cup Turf winners, including most recently with Auguste Rodin in 2023, was pleased with the way Minnie Hauk stepped up against the older horses in Paris – a race which showed the 56-year-old that Del Mar needed to be her next stop.

“We weren’t sure how she was going to come out of the Arc, so we were afraid to commit to anywhere really,” said O’Brien, who landed his eighth British trainers’ title last week.

“But she came out of the Arc very well. We were looking forward to it because we always felt that she was going to upgrade when she ran against the older horses in a stronger tempo race, and we felt that’s what she did.

“We were delighted with her run. Obviously, she just got beat. Her whole life when she goes to the front, she doesn’t do much, she always was like that.

"Christophe [Soumillon] gave her a brilliant ride. She went there, and the winner just followed her and nabbed her. She didn’t realise she didn’t win. She’s been very well since.

“We always thought fast ground, and a quick mile and a half round bends shouldn’t be a problem for her. And obviously, if she was well, the Breeders’ Cup is where the lads wanted to be with her.”

Minnie Hauk remains the favourite with the bookmakers ahead of the race, but the most likely potential challenge is set to come from last year’s winner, the seven-year-old Charlie Appleby-trained Rebel’s Romance.

And while O’Brien believes his charge has what it takes to deliver him yet another Group/Grade 1 victory in 2025 – he is just four wins away from breaking the record of 28 he set in 2017 - he won’t be looking past the Godolphin-owned Gelding who also won the race in 2022.

“He’s a great horse,” he continued. “Charlie has done an unbelievable job with him. He’s a big powerhouse of a horse. He’s very good, he’s quick around bends, he gets a mile and a half well and he’s very classy. We wouldn’t take him for granted for one minute.”

Another strong prospect of victory at the prestigious American meet lies with Precise, the favourite in the Grade 1 John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Since finishing second in her debut race, the two-year-old has looked imperious this year, winning four of her last five races including two Group 1s in the form of the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh and the bet365 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket most recently.

“To win the Fillies’ Mile the way she did, she’s very impressive,” said O’Brien. "Christophe got her organised in the Fillies’ Mile and she more or less won on the bridle going to the line. We think she’s an exceptional filly. She’s been drawn wide, it’s a tough draw, but Christophe will be thinking about that, and we’re very happy with her.

"Ever since [she got beat first time around], every run, she’s upgraded. We think she’s an incredible filly. We’re delighted that the lads have allowed her to come.”

Friday’s one miler also pits O’Brien against his sons Joseph and Donnacha, who have Queen Of Hawaii and Balantina respectively in the race.

As the master takes on his two apprentices, O’Brien is hoping that regardless of the result, the pair are the ones who will pick up the next restaurant bill.

“Listen, I hope they do that for me anyway,” he joked after being asked if either of his sons won, would they have to buy him dinner. “I’ll have to find them a lot of dinners at this stage.

“I always hope that they beat us in any race, to tell you the truth. I think they’re happy with their horses. We’re always delighted if they beat us. We know how tough it is and I’m delighted that they have runners.

“Joe’s filly is very good. She beat one of ours at the Curragh and she looked very good that day. Donnacha’s filly has had some very good runs too. Hopefully they run big races for them.”

O'Brien also has great chances of further Grade 1 success as both True Love and Gstaad are the favourites in their respective races, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.



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