Trainer Aidan O'Brien previews his horses for the 2024 Ebor Festival, expressing confidence in their readiness and potential. City Of Troy is expected to perform well in the International Stakes, while Content and Port Fairy are prepped for the Yorkshire Oaks. Other horses like The Lion In Winter and Los Angeles are also set for significant races. O'Brien highlights each horse's unique strengths and the strategic plans for their races.
Key quotes from Aidan O'Brien ahead of the Ebor Festival 2024
O'Brien plans on taking a strong team to York this week
Read quotes on City Of Troy, Content, Los Angeles and more
Aidan O'Brien poses at York Racecourse. (Getty)
Aidan O'Brien York Stable Tour
City Of Troy (International Stakes)
Content (Yorkshire Oaks)
Port Fairy (Yorkshire Oaks)
The Lion In Winter (Acomb Stakes)
Los Angeles (Great Voltigeur Stakes)
Illinois (Great Voltigeur Stakes)
Camille Pissarro (Gimcrack Stakes)
Heaven's Gate (Lowther Stakes)
River Tiber (City Of York Stakes)
Queenstown (Ebor Handicap)
Point Lonsdale (Lonsdale Cup)
London City (Melrose Handicap)
With the 2024 Ebor Festival set to begin on Wednesday, Aidan O'Brien has provided quotes on the horses he'll be sending over to York for this fantastic meeting.
Here's the Aidan O'Brien Ebor Festival stable tour in full. All quotes are attributed to Sporting Life.
Aidan O'Brien Stable Tour - Ebor Festival
City Of Troy (International Stakes)
He's good. We've been happy with him since the Eclipse. He's always been a horse that's captured everybody's imagination. He's in very good order at the moment. He's strong in his work and everything's going good.
At Sandown, things maybe didn't work in his favour to show off his strengths, but we were very happy with what he did. We always thought York would be a track that suits him. It's a big, open, galloping track. Class usually outs at York and there's usually an even pace on. We've been looking forward to (the Juddmonte International) for a long time now.
He's kind of been unique all the way along. These top horses have so much ability, and that ability gets them a long way. To get them to the finished article you have to help them, show them things that they can do and not do. This horse is so strong and so powerful when he gets up into the gallop, you've got to try and have him so he can control himself a little bit.
Content (Yorkshire Oaks)
We weren't sure that she would stay, as she can be a bit keen. We dropped her in in the Pretty Polly and Ryan (Moore) was delighted with her. She was beaten by two older fillies and Ryan was confident that she would beat them when she met them again.
Ryan had to ride her patiently again the last day and it all happened a bit too late. When it all opened up for her, the race was over, but she was running home well and Ryan was delighted with her.
We're looking forward to the Yorkshire Oaks. Hopefully they'll go a stronger, more even gallop, which usually happens in those Championship races anyway. We'll ride her patiently again and we look forward to seeing that.
Ryan Moore riding City Of Troy (L) win The Coral Eclipse at Sandown Park. (Getty)
Port Fairy (Yorkshire Oaks)
She'll go forward again in the Yorkshire Oaks and she won't stop. She's a filly who gets a mile-and-a-half very well. She'll go forward again and if anyone follows her, great, if not then she'll just keep going.
The Lion In Winter (Acomb Stakes)
He's very well. He has a middle-distance pedigree and it's a sharp seven furlongs at York. It might be a little bit quick for him, but we think the experience will do him good.
He looked a very smart horse when he won his maiden. He's by Sea The Stars and they usually do stay very well. He's a nice medium-sized horse whose made like a two-year-old. It could be too sharp at York, but we will see.
Los Angeles (Great Voltigeur Stakes)
We've always had the St Leger in mind with him. He could even be an Arc horse. He won over a mile-and-a-quarter on soft ground as a two-year-old, so he was always going to stay very well.
We always knew he would be an Irish Derby horse, but we wanted to get a run in before then, that's why we went to Epsom. Wayne (Lordan) rode him forward at Epsom and we were happy with him, then he won very nicely at the Curragh and we've been happy with him since.
Illinois (Great Voltigeur Stakes)
He's a lovely horse. Wasn't beaten that far by Los Angeles (as a two-year-old). Better ground suits him, but he's still a baby. He was still very green when he won at Ascot. He's a half-brother to an Arc winner, so he has a very good pedigree for a middle-distance. We rode him forward at Ascot because we thought he'd see out the trip well. The St Leger would suit him.
The Great Voltigeur is the perfect prep race for the St Leger. It comes at the perfect time and the ground at York is usually perfect. Los Angeles would have a penalty (at York), where Illinois wouldn't, but it's still the perfect prep race (for Doncaster).
Camille Pissarro (Gimcrack Stakes)
He's a possible. We haven't seen the best of him yet. He's maturing all the time. We probably didn't do the right things with him. He's a horse with an awful lot of ability, who probably needs to be produced very late. He's going to be a much better horse next year.
Heaven's Gate (Lowther Stakes)
She's an unusual filly. She's out of a 22 or 23-year-old Danzig mare who didn't produce anything until her.
She's unique. She's a big, powerful filly with a lovely mind. Ryan (Moore) won on her at Naas and gave her a very uncomplicated ride. We were delighted with her the last day. She doesn't overrace. Hopefully she'll get a lead in the Lowther, she would be a lot better if something did lead her, and we can go up in distance after that.
Ryan Moore riding Los Angeles (L, blue/maroon) win The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. (Getty)
River Tiber (City Of York Stakes)
We haven't done a good job with him. Kind of messed him up by waiting too long. We ran him in the Guineas and then the Jersey Stakes, where they went slow and it was a bit of a mess. Then we went to the July Cup, which was the wrong thing, he hadn't the right preparation.
We still think he's a good horse. He could end up winning a Breeders' Cup Mile, so we're just trying to get back on the right road with him. Seven or a mile is his thing and we think there's plenty to come.
Queenstown (Ebor Handicap)
He was Kyprios' sparring partner, so he was getting it every day. Every day he was training, he was getting the brunt of the blows from Kyprios. The plan was to run at Royal Ascot, but he was after having a tough time and when we trotted him up, the vets weren't happy with him, so that's the way it was.
He came home after that and was taken away from Kyprios, and obviously, the smile is back on his face. He's in good shape, moving very well and everyone is very happy with him. Hopefully, we'll have him prepared well enough and we think he's running off a good mark.
Point Lonsdale (Lonsdale Cup)
We're very happy with him. He's a very nice horse. He's been in the holding bay a lot this season, and we kind of went to France just to get a run into him really.
We always thought that when he went over a mile-and-a-half that he was going to get better, and we saw that at Chester. He's just one of those kind, uncomplicated, genuine horses that's happy to wait when the others are racing.
London City (Melrose Handicap)
We think he's on a fair mark. The trip is going to suit him. The track is going to suit him. We think he's going to be better next season, but if we can mind his mark, let him win a big handicap and then step him into a Group race.
