O'Brien continues domination of juvenile division at Royal Ascot
All seven winners at Royal Ascot on Thursday were Irish-bred
Thursday, 19 June 2025
Trinity College brought up a three-time for Aidan O'Brien at Royal Ascot, moving him to the top of the trainer standings (Racing Post Photos)
One day at a time! It’s great, delighted for everybody really. A lot of hard work goes in for each of those horses.
You win nothing with kids, it was famously claimed, but don't tell that to Aidan O'Brien, writes James Toney.
Ballydoyle's grip on the juvenile races at Royal Ascot continued as Charles Darwin justified favouritism to win the Norfolk Stakes, meaning the meeting's all-time leading trainer is now three from three in this week's two-year-old contests.
After Gstaad's victory in the Coventry Stakes and True Love's soaraway success in the Queen Mary Stakes, there was perhaps little surprise in the manner of this promising colts comfortable two length victory.
His winning time over five furlongs on rattling good to firm ground was 58.87 seconds, just seven hundredths slower than his sire No Nay Never's 2013 success in the same race. Like father, like son.
“Charles Darwin is very fast – a big, powerful, strong horse," said O'Brien, the victory earning him entry to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in Del Mar later this year.
"He has a very good mind as well, so he is very exciting. Ryan has always loved him – and everyone at home loves him. He looks like a four-year-old racing against two-year-olds.
“We were hoping that he would get a lead. He never sees the front at home in his work. He is always very happy to sit but, but he is very strong and very quick. Ryan does his own thing always. The gates open and he decides, so he was very happy. Ryan said he powered through the line.”
“Albert Einstein was always something that we have never seen before," he added.
"Charles Darwin is a sprinter and I don’t know how far he is going to get, whereas the horse [Gstaad] on Tuesday looked like he could get a mile.”
O'Brien was also full of praise for Garden Of Eden, who took her form to a new level with a dominant success in the Group Two Ribblesdale Stakes. Paddy Twomey's Catalina Delcarpio stayed on strongly to finish third, another place for the in-form Tipperary trainer.
It was a predictably textbook ride from Ryan Moore, who hit the accelerator with two furlongs to go and surged clear to win by three and a quarter lengths.
“I was impressed with that," added O'Brien. "Garden Of Eden is getting better, which is great. We always thought stepping up in trip would help her. We stepped her up to a mile and a quarter the last day and she improved a lot.
“She is by Saxon Warrior and, when they go up in distance, they do get better. The Irish Oaks would be a possibility, but she could also go to America for a Grade 1 over there – we will have to see.”
Meanwhile O'Brien hinted Trinity College could be sent campaigning in the States after his victory in the Hampton Court Stakes, a success that took the Ballydoyle trainer to within four wins of an unprecedented century at Royal Ascot.
“There’s an American Derby – it’s only a couple of weeks, that’s the problem, we will see how he is," he added. "We always thought he was a good horse, and obviously that’s a big step up as he’s only starting to really progress now.
O'Brien is locked in a battle with John and Thady Gosden for the meeting's top trainer title after three of five days highly-competitive action in Berkshire. The 12-time winner of the prize has five wins and three seconds to sit just ahead on placings.
Moore leads the jockey standings but Ireland's Oisin Murphy sits second, while all seven of the day three winners at Royal Ascot were bred in Ireland, including new Gold Cup champion Trawlerman.
Ballydoyle's grip on the juvenile races at Royal Ascot continued as Charles Darwin justified favouritism to win the Norfolk Stakes, meaning the meeting's all-time leading trainer is now three from three in this week's two-year-old contests.
After Gstaad's victory in the Coventry Stakes and True Love's soaraway success in the Queen Mary Stakes, there was perhaps little surprise in the manner of this promising colts comfortable two length victory.
His winning time over five furlongs on rattling good to firm ground was 58.87 seconds, just seven hundredths slower than his sire No Nay Never's 2013 success in the same race. Like father, like son.
Ballydoyle edge ahead as Aidan O'Brien moves to 96 career #RoyalAscot winners after a three-timer.
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) June 19, 2025
“One day at a time! It’s great, delighted for everybody really. A lot of hard work goes in for each of those horses," he says.#GreenTeam pic.twitter.com/4YpERooCuU
“Charles Darwin is very fast – a big, powerful, strong horse," said O'Brien, the victory earning him entry to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in Del Mar later this year.
"He has a very good mind as well, so he is very exciting. Ryan has always loved him – and everyone at home loves him. He looks like a four-year-old racing against two-year-olds.
“We were hoping that he would get a lead. He never sees the front at home in his work. He is always very happy to sit but, but he is very strong and very quick. Ryan does his own thing always. The gates open and he decides, so he was very happy. Ryan said he powered through the line.”
However, when it comes to comparing his team of juveniles, O'Brien continues to sing the praise of the horse not here - resting back at home in Ireland following a minor injury, after starting the season tearing up the gallops.There's a new Magnificent Seven at #RoyalAscot#GreenTeam pic.twitter.com/SplHfdTcD6
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) June 19, 2025
“Albert Einstein was always something that we have never seen before," he added.
"Charles Darwin is a sprinter and I don’t know how far he is going to get, whereas the horse [Gstaad] on Tuesday looked like he could get a mile.”
O'Brien was also full of praise for Garden Of Eden, who took her form to a new level with a dominant success in the Group Two Ribblesdale Stakes. Paddy Twomey's Catalina Delcarpio stayed on strongly to finish third, another place for the in-form Tipperary trainer.
It was a predictably textbook ride from Ryan Moore, who hit the accelerator with two furlongs to go and surged clear to win by three and a quarter lengths.
“I was impressed with that," added O'Brien. "Garden Of Eden is getting better, which is great. We always thought stepping up in trip would help her. We stepped her up to a mile and a quarter the last day and she improved a lot.
“She is by Saxon Warrior and, when they go up in distance, they do get better. The Irish Oaks would be a possibility, but she could also go to America for a Grade 1 over there – we will have to see.”
Meanwhile O'Brien hinted Trinity College could be sent campaigning in the States after his victory in the Hampton Court Stakes, a success that took the Ballydoyle trainer to within four wins of an unprecedented century at Royal Ascot.
“There’s an American Derby – it’s only a couple of weeks, that’s the problem, we will see how he is," he added. "We always thought he was a good horse, and obviously that’s a big step up as he’s only starting to really progress now.
O'Brien is locked in a battle with John and Thady Gosden for the meeting's top trainer title after three of five days highly-competitive action in Berkshire. The 12-time winner of the prize has five wins and three seconds to sit just ahead on placings.
Moore leads the jockey standings but Ireland's Oisin Murphy sits second, while all seven of the day three winners at Royal Ascot were bred in Ireland, including new Gold Cup champion Trawlerman.
All to play for.
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) June 19, 2025
Leading jockey standings after three days at #RoyalAscot #GreenTeam pic.twitter.com/Y3ABHHbYAI