Aidan O’Brien Planning Royal Ascot Assault

You don’t have to be a big racing fan to know who Aidan O’Brien is. He is one of the biggest, most high profile trainers in the game. When the big meetings come around, not only does O’Brien generally have a runner in them that is fancied, but he usually has multiple runners. You only have to look back at the Derby, where he ran seven horses and finished with five of those in the first six home.

He has also won the Breeders Cup with St. Nicholas Abby which was ridden by his son Joseph, who is now a trainer in his own right. In other horse racing news, he is also on the verge of making history if he too, can win the same race. It will make him only the second person ever to have achieved the feat of both riding and training a winner in the Breeders Cup.

Now the O’Brien focus turns to Royal Ascot. O’Brien and his stable jockey Ryan Moore could be in for a very profitable week. Back in 2015, Moore had an incredible nine winners at the meeting. And there is a chance that he goes close to replicating that, and remarkably, could even beat it. He has the power of Aidan O’Brien behind him. But he can add in rides for other yards, with Sir Michael Stoute being one of those. Another likely contender to have a winner or two as the week develops.

If Moore picks up two winners from somewhere else during the week, he needs seven of the O’Brien runners to win to tie with his previous record. Or eight to go one better and beat it! That number may seem big but with the potential runners from the yard, it is certainly possible.

There are currently 22 races priced up through Royal Ascot. O’Brien has the favourite in the betting for eight of those. Those 22 are the bigger races of the meeting, with many of the group races as part of that list. These are the races that O’Brien will target. It is the other races where Moore will be looking to pick up rides from elsewhere to increase his target.

All of that points to a potentially fruitful week for Moore, thanks to the O’Brien string looking so strong. Not forgetting the rides he will pick up in the other races which are not currently priced up yet.

Things could get off to the perfect start on the opening day. The first race of the meeting Aidan O’Brien sends Le Brivido to the Queen Anne Stakes. We have seen him in the UK once already this season when he finished 5th in the Lockinge Stakes. He has been well backed ahead of the Royal meeting, so it seems a better run this time around is expected.

Those looking for the Ballydoyle banker at the meeting will probably be focusing on Hermosa. She has already shown just how good she is in the Guineas earlier this season. Another win for her at Royal Ascot could well be on the cards.

The best of the best are all on their way to this fantastic meeting, but it looks as though they could all have to play second best to Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore, who could be in for a great time.