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2024 Royal Ascot News - Aidan O'Brien Stable Tour

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Last updated: 12 Jun 2024
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Conrad Castleton 12 Jun 2024
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  • We bring you the latest quotes from champion trainer Aidan O'Brien ahead of Royal Ascot 2024
  • This year's Royal Meeting kicks off on Tuesday 18th June
  • Auguste Rodin, Kyprios and Opera Singer feature in O'Brien's Ascot squad
aidan o'brien royal ascot
Aidan O'Brien at Royal Ascot. (Getty)
    Stable Tour
  • Day One
  • Henry Longfellow (St James's Palace Stakes)
  • Camille Pissarro (Coventry Stakes)
  • Tunbridge Wells (Coventry Stakes)
  • Day Two
  • Auguste Rodin (Prince Of Wales's Stakes)
  • Heavens Gate (Queen Mary Stakes)
  • Celtic Chieftain (Windsor Castle Stakes)
  • Treasure Isle (Windsor Castle Stakes)
  • Day Three
  • Kyprios (Gold Cup)
  • Whistlejacket (Norfolk Stakes)
  • Diego Velazquez (Hampton Court Stakes)
  • Day Four
  • Opera Singer (Coronation Stakes)
  • Fairy Godmother (Albany Stakes)
  • Truly Enchanting (Albany Stakes)
  • Day Five
  • Continuous (Hardwicke Stakes)
  • River Tiber (Jersey Stakes)
  • Bedtime Story (Chesham Stakes)

Aidan O'Brien has been the dominant force in flat racing over recent seasons. Last year, Ireland's Champion Trainer replaced Sir Michael Stoute as the winning-most trainer at this meeting and O'Brien is sure to build on his tally of 85 Royal Ascot winners in 2024.

Here are key quotes from Ireland's Top Trainer as he guides the Racing Post through his team for Royal Ascot.

*All quotes attributed to the Racing Post*

2024 Aidan O'Brien Royal Ascot Stable Tour


Day One


Henry Longfellow (St James's Palace Stakes)


Henry Longfellow will go for the St James’s Palace Stakes. His last run in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains was a bit of a mess. He got trapped back in the field in a slowly-run race and every time he tried to come out someone cut the head off him. It was a bit of a non-event, but he didn’t have a hard race as a result, and he seems to have come forward from it. We think he’ll perform an awful lot better at Royal Ascot. If the rain comes, that’ll be fine for him.

Camille Pissarro (Coventry Stakes)


The plan is for him to run in the Coventry Stakes. We have thought for quite some time that he is a Coventry horse. He works like a very good horse. He was just green in the Marble Hill last time. Ryan felt he was very babyish and would come forward a good bit again. We’re looking forward to him.

Tunbridge Wells (Coventry Stakes)


He’s another one that isn’t a certain runner at Royal Ascot. If he goes, it’ll be in the Coventry Stakes. If he doesn’t go, he’ll be one for the Railway Stakes. He galloped through the line very well at the Curragh and looks a nice prospect.

Day Two


Auguste Rodin (Prince Of Wales's Stakes)


He’s in great order and he has been trained for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. We were happy with his run in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. The hope going into it was that he’d win, but the rain sent the ground in a direction that wasn’t ideal for him. He also just had a little wobble when he got pushed out on the home turn which interrupted his rhythm for a few strides. Even though he was beaten, the run was always going to bring him on. Royal Ascot has been a big part of the plan with him, and we couldn’t be happier with where he is at the minute. We wouldn’t want rain for him and would much prefer faster ground.

Heavens Gate (Queen Mary Stakes)


We’re aiming her at the Queen Mary Stakes. It’s a possibility that she might find that test a little bit sharp for her, but we have to split them up and we hope she might get away with it as she had good pace. I could see her running over seven furlongs later in the season.

Celtic Chieftain (Windsor Castle Stakes)


I’d say he’s likely to run in the Windsor Castle Stakes. He was ready to run early, but he had a little hold-up that delayed him. We were delighted with what he did at Navan, and it was great to see him beat a horse in Red Evolution that had such a good run under his belt. Wayne liked him a lot. He was plenty green when he hit the front. He should sharpen up and come on plenty from that.

Treasure Isle (Windsor Castle Stakes)


He’s one for the Windsor Castle Stakes. He knuckled down well when winning at Naas last time and we think he’s come forward from that. He has plenty of pace and should enjoy Ascot.

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Kyprios (left) winning the 2022 Ascot Gold Cup. (Getty)

Day Three


Kyprios (Gold Cup)


He is bang on target for the Gold Cup. He has hit every marker we’ve set for him this season and it has all gone very smoothly. He’s never likely to be the type to stretch away and after what happened in France, where he veered left after hitting the front, we are never in a rush to deliver him to the front. We would always ideally like to get him a lead for as long as possible. After all the difficulties he faced last season, we are excited to see him back in the Gold Cup.

Whistlejacket (Norfolk Stakes)


He’s the one for the Norfolk Stakes. We thought he couldn’t be beaten on his debut, and he ran great, but he bumped into what looked a really good horse in Cowardofthecounty. He had no problem dropping back in trip for the First Flier Stakes and was impressive there. The form has worked out well since then. His full-brother Little Big Bear was beaten on debut and went on to win the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and we think this fella will go there with a big chance.

Diego Velazquez (Hampton Court Stakes)


It isn’t locked in yet, but at the minute it looks like he could go for the Hampton Court Stakes on the Thursday. We are inclined to forgive his run in the Prix du Jockey Club last time. He had a wide draw and Ryan wasn’t happy with the slot he ended up in from out there in what was a messy race. We think he’ll leave that run behind him and the Hampton Court looks a nice spot for him.

Day Four


Opera Singer (Coronation Stakes)


We’re really looking forward to seeing her in the Coronation Stakes. She had a hold-up earlier this year and we felt we had to run her in the Irish 1,000 Guineas if she was going to make it to Royal Ascot. She hadn’t been away for a work and really, we didn’t expect her to run as well as she did at the Curragh as we didn’t think she had nearly enough work done. It says plenty about how much class and ability she has that she ran so well. She looks to have come forward at home just as we hoped she would since then and she’s one to look forward to.

Fairy Godmother (Albany Stakes)


She’ll go for the Albany Stakes. She has always worked like a really good filly. We couldn’t see her being beaten on her debut at Naas, but when she got there to challenge, she started looking all over the place and was beaten. So, for her second start we set out with the intention of riding her much quieter and teaching her as much as we could. She quickened up really well from off the pace to win narrowly and for us she could be rated a fair bit better than the bare form. She seems to have come forward again and is a really lovely prospect.

Truly Enchanting (Albany Stakes)


We were delighted with her at Tipperary, and she handled the ease in the ground very well. She’ll be entered in the Albany Stakes, but isn’t sure to run.

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Ryan Moore riding Continuous (purple/white) win The Betfred St Leger Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse. (Getty)

Day Five


Continuous (Hardwicke Stakes)


The plan is for him to run in the Hardwicke Stakes. We are happy to send him there without a run as we didn’t feel there was a suitable lead-in race for him. He’s been away for two works, and he seems in good form. He ran great the last time we saw him on the track in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. We thought afterwards that maybe we rode him too quietly and that he would have run better with a more positive ride. We think there’s more to come from him and hopefully he can make a strong start to his season at Royal Ascot.

River Tiber (Jersey Stakes)


The plan is to run him in the Jersey Stakes. He ran very well in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and in fairness, you couldn’t say he didn’t get the mile, but he does show a lot of pace and we feel the Jersey Stakes is a nice spot for him. We’ll learn more about him there, but it wouldn’t be at all out of the question that he could go back up to a mile after the Jersey. We’ll be guided by what we see from him there. He’s a horse we’ve always held in high regard and we’ll looking forward to him.

Bedtime Story (Chesham Stakes)


The plan is to run her in the Chesham Stakes. We were delighted with her performance at Leopardstown. We didn’t really set out to try and force any of these two-year-olds into getting to the Chesham, we just let it happen if it happened. She put her hand up for the job at Leopardstown and looked a classy filly.

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