Aidan O’Brien with the leading trainer award. (Megan Coggin)
Coolmore, Aidan O’Brien & Ryan Moore retain leading owner, trainer and jockey titles
Royal Ascot Release
ASCOT, U.K.—Six victories across the week saw Coolmore, Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore sweep the leading owner, trainer and jockey titles at Royal Ascot for a second successive year.
Coolmore partnerships that included Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Westerberg, Moyglare Stud Farm and Peter Brant helped clinch the leading owner award for a fifth time since its introduction in 2017.
O’Brien received a 13th leading trainer award at the meeting and increased his lead as the most successful current trainer at the meeting, ending the week on 91 career victories.
Moore, leading jockey at the meeting for an 11th time, surpassed Frankie Dettori as the most successful current jockey at Royal Ascot. His career haul of 85 places him second on the all-time list behind Lester Piggott, who rode 116 winners at the meeting.
Highlights across the week included Auguste Rodin, who secured a sixth top-level success in Wednesday’s feature contest, the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes – a card that also saw Illinois beat stable-mate Highbury in the G2 Queen’s Vase.
Outstanding stayer Kyprios created history as he became only the third horse to win the G1 Gold Cup in non-consecutive years, coming out on top in a thrilling battle with Trawlerman. Port Fairy also demonstrated her tenacity on Thursday with a hard-fought success in the G2 Ribblesdale Stakes.
Coolmore-owned juveniles produced two of the most exhilarating performances of the week. Fairy Godmother overcame significant trouble in running to take Friday’s G3 Albany Stakes, while fellow filly Bedtime Story won Saturday’s Listed Chesham Stakes by a remarkable nine and a half lengths.
Paul Smith, son of Derrick Smith, said: “It’s an absolute honour to win it. It’s such a fantastic event, a difficult event to get even one winner, let alone six, so we feel really privileged. The weather has made it for everybody, we have just had a brilliant time and are so pleased to be here.”
Aidan O’Brien said: “It’s very special. We feel grateful and privileged, we are just so lucky to have so many special people. The lads obviously at the top run the whole show and that’s where it comes from, but a lot of people put in a lot of hard work day in, day out – there are so many names I can’t mention – they are the people that make it happen.
“It is a real privilege to be here with such great horses. The atmosphere, the track, the people, the facilities, are just absolutely unbelievable. You have to come here to see it to believe it. It’s like nowhere ever could be in the world.”
