O'Brien and Moore at their brilliant best with double Epsom win
After Coronation Cup and Oaks success they could have two live Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe contenders
Minnie Hauk wins the Betfred Oaks - a 149th Group One success for the Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien combination (Racing Post Photos)
Ryan is a great fella with no ego, he's all about reality all the time. - Aidan O'Brien on Ryan Moore
Aidan O'Brien is used to enjoying an embarrassment of riches but now has two live contenders for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, writes James Toney at Epsom.
St Leger hero Jan Brueghel returned to winning ways with a gutsy victory in the Coronation Cup and then Minnie Hauk delivered a classy Classic - scoring O'Brien's 11th career win in the Epsom Oaks.
Neither started favourite but this is O'Brien and Epsom, a trainer whose record here betters them all; no mean feat considering they've been racing on this tumbling patch of Surrey countryside since 1779.
Ryan Moore knows how to pick them 🤌
— Epsom Downs Racecourse (@EpsomRacecourse) June 6, 2025
He guides Minnie Hauk to win the @betfred Oaks 💯 pic.twitter.com/S257Gpp9Qo
Minnie Hauk showed her quality when winning the Chester Oaks and battled stablemate Whirl all the way to the line, as Ballydoyle scored a 1-2 and odds-on Godolphin favourite Desert Flower come home third.
Moore's genius needs no explaining and this perfectly judged ride followed just 90 minutes after he'd brilliantly timed his charge on Jan Brueghel.
Together he and O'Brien have won 149 Group One races together - bringing up the 150 at the Epsom Derby, where Moore rides favourite Delacroix would be some story.
"It's one day at a time and that's all we ever do, let's just see about tomorrow," said O'Brien.
"Ryan is a great fella with no ego, he's all about reality all the time. All we can do is our best every day
"Minnie Hauk is a lovely filly and we knew she'd improve from her run at Chester. She ran a stormer but Ryan got her relaxed and gave her a lovely ride.
"We knew she could step up in class and we couldn't be happier. Ryan makes it happen every day for us.
"She was staying on at the line and I think she'll be very comfortable stepping up against the older horses when the time comes.
"There's every possibility she can be an Arc filly if she keeps progressing. The improvement from Chester to here is a bit abnormal."
Last year Jan Brueghel looked a gilt-edged chance to land O'Brien his first Melbourne Cup, only to fail a pre-race veterinary check.
He will likely head to Ascot's midsummer showpiece the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, while O'Brien didn't rule out Longchamp in Autumn too - though there will be no return to Flemington in a bid to finally crack 'The Cup'.
“His last race was a bit early in the year but we had to get him started somewhere,” said O’Brien, Jan Brueghel’s unbeaten record blemished by a second place on his seasonal reappearance at the Curragh in April.
“He's a very good horse, he wasn't beaten last season and would be unbeaten still if I hadn't had started him early.
“Ryan set him up lovely with a beautiful ride because the favourite was a very good horse too.
“He's very tough but he's good a big tank and he had a prick in his ears as he crossed line.
“We thought he was the biggest certainty ever for the Melbourne Cup last year, we thought he couldn't get beat really. He was unexposed with no weight on his back.”