With a degree of inevitability, Aidan O’Brien has reclaimed the world #1 spot on Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings for trainers from Charlie Appleby.
Frankly, it was only a matter of time. Having usurped O’Brien at the start of the year thanks to his exploits in Dubai and beyond, the writing had been on the wall for the Godolphin trainer when he drew a blank at Royal Ascot.
O’Brien, of course, closed the gap with another starring role at Britain’s most prestigious meeting where he landed the 400th G1 Flat winner of his extraordinary career – and last weekend, on home turf at the Curragh, the Ballydoyle maestro took over at the top.
With City Of Troy odds-on for the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday [July 6], he is unlikely to be relinquishing the lead any time soon, though Appleby may scent some relatively easy pickings in Saratoga later this month.
O’Brien (#1 from #2, +90pt) saddled four Group-race winners across Irish Derby weekend to end Appleby’s ten-week stint at #1. Chief among them was a stout performance from Los Angeles (#79 from #272, +207pt) to claim a record-extending 16th victory in the main event.
Taking command after turning for home off a strong gallop in the set by his Ballydoyle teammates, the winner reversed Epsom form with Ambiente Friendly, who faltered later on, evidently failing to stay the mile-and-a-
half distance.
Los Angeles scored by three-quarters of a length over Sunway, who took second with a late charge as Ambiente Friendly cried enough.
O’Brien’s success in the €1.25 million showpiece was supported by further Group wins for Truly Enchanting, Jan Brueghel and Henri Matisse for O’Brien, resulting in his 193rd week overall at #1 in our trainers’ listing.
Indeed, only five trainers have ever led the charts, the others being Chad Brown (158 weeks), Todd Pletcher (109), Appleby (78) and Chris Waller (11).
For good measure, the legendary Galileo (#5 from #6, +8pt), sire of Los Angeles, re-enters the Top 5 three years after his death, while Ryan Moore (stays at #2, +34pt) has moved within 20pts of current world-leading jockey James McDonald.
Also in Ireland over the weekend, Bluestocking (#19 from #117, +230pt) ran down Emily Upjohn to record her first G1 success in the Pretty Polly Stakes. Further G1 targets are on the agenda for the filly in the shape of the Nassau Stakes and Yorkshire Oaks; trainer Ralph Beckett moves up to #38 (from #48, +31pt).
Globe-trotting six-year-old Dubai Honour – twice a G1 winner in Australia on his visit to Sydney in 2023, finally landed the first European G1 of his career in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud – where he challenged between horses and held on gamely in the final furlong to beat Feed The Flame by a length and three-quarters. The winner re-enters the Top 20 at #18 (from #135, +261pt).
Kingsbarns (#26 from #131, +224pt) landed the sole G1 of the weekend in the US with an emphatic success in the Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs. The race is a ‘Win and You’re In’ contest for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on November 2.
Godolphin’s Ottoman Fleet (#35 from #80, +111pt) is another mover after landing the G2 Wise Dan Stakes on the Foster undercard beneath the twin spires.
• Unlike traditional methods of racehorse rankings, TRC Global Rankings are a measure of an individual’s level of achievement over a rolling three-year period, providing a principled hierarchy of the leading horses, jockeys, trainers, owners and sires using statistical learning techniques. Racehorse rankings can be compared to similar exercises in other sports, like the golf’s world rankings or the ATP rankings in tennis.
They are formulated from the last three years of races we consider Group or Graded class all over the world and update automatically each week according to the quality of a horse’s performances and their recency, taking into account how races work out.
View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires