As the British turf season nears its start, and with Ireland and France’s already underway, the master of Ballydoyle stands ready to unleash a band of feted two-turned-three-year-olds.
Albert Einstein
Ran twice as a two-year-old, winning both starts. The first was secured with a length and a quarter in hand and the second, May’s Marble Hill Stakes, in a three-quarter length romp.
“In terms of Guineas horses, the number one at the moment,” according to O’Brien, who described him as “big”, “powerful” and “very rapid” at a recent Ballydoyle press event.
O’Brien added that the colt’s “stride”, “pedigree” and “everyone” suggest he’ll get a mile.
Charles Darwin
Couldn’t open his account on his first start but made amends by winning his final three starts last season on the bounce, culminating in a two and a quarter-length Norfolk Stakes victory at Royal Ascot, where he was leading over a furlong from home.
O’Brien said he’ll continue to “go the sprinting route”, having run at distances no further than 6f in 2025.
Diamond Necklace
“Very like her dad,” was how O’Brien described the daughter of St Mark’s Basilica… and also a bit like Christophe Soumillon, who was “besotted” with her after hopping aboard for two of her three from three victories last year, the last of which came on Arc day in the Prix Marcel-Boussac.
Another trip to France could be on the agenda, with the Prix de Diane mooted.
Pierre Bonnard
In a story similar to that of Charles Darwin, Pierre Bonnard failed to fire on his first outing over 1m but went on to claim three prizes over that distance or slightly longer.
Unlike Charles Darwin, however, the subsequent prizes included the Group 3 Zetland and Group 1 Critérium de Saint-Cloud. The latter was secured by two lengths over A Boy Named Susie for O’Brien’s boy Donnacha.
He’s being trained for Epsom, according to O’Brien snr, though he might run a couple of races in Ireland beforehand.
Precise
What a smart filly she was last season, debuting with a runner-up finish at Fairyhouse before winning four races on the bounce, including two at the highest level (the Moyglare and the Fillies’ Mile).
Another trip to Newmarket, this time for the 1,000 Guineas, could be on the cards, followed by a run in the Oaks.
“There’s a chance she could get a mile and a half,” confirmed O’Brien, “even though she’s a Starspangledbanner.”
Hawk Mountain
Three consecutive victories last year after a slightly messy debut in which he ducked left at the start and bumped into a fellow competitor towards the business end of the 7f maiden.
Stepped up to 1m for his final three starts of the season, however, he won them all, the penultimate being the Beresford and the final the Futurity at Doncaster.
O’Brien has left both Epsom and Chantilly on the table for now, the colt’s objective dependent on routes taken by his stablemates.
Gstaad
Raced six times in four countries last year, his successes topped by victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, though he also laid claim to a Coventry and had near misses in the Morny, Dewhurst and National Stakes.
It seems there’s a possibility he could add an Australian stamp to his passport towards the end of this year, with O’Brien suggesting it “wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if he was a Cox Plate type of horse” as “he’s quick and he stays.”
Puerto Rico
Even more heavily raced than Gstaad last season, but it took until his sixth start to get off the mark. The breakthrough, however, came at Group 2 level on Leger day and he subsequently landed both the Jean-Luc Lagadère and Critérium International.
Sounds like the 2,000 Guineas will be his first target in 2026.
True Love
The Cheveley Park was her only Group 1 victory at two, though she also annexed two Group 2s on either side of the Irish Sea, namely the Railway Stakes at the Curragh and the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.
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