Aidan O’Brien Breeders’ Cup Runners 2024 Revealed As Ballydoyle Plans Take Shape 5k2op

Ballydoyle have lifted the lid on their intended 2024 Aidan O’Brien Breeders’ Cup runners – including his big Breeders’ Cup Classic hope City Of Troy, plus what Del Mar races other big names like Whistlejacket and Lake Victoria will run in.

In total, the Aidan O’Brien Breeders’ Cup runners will see TEN horses entered for 2024 as the champion trainer looks to add to his already impressive haul of eighteen success at the biggest horse racing meeting in America.

The most amount of horses O’Brien has sent to the Breeders’ Cup was 14 in 2018, so he might just fall short of that tally in 2024.

Breeders’ Cup 2024 Entries and Runners for Aidan O’Brien 3g5q50

Note: The final Breeders’ Cup Aidan O’Brien runners and entries will be confirmed 48 hours before the races on 1st and 2nd November.

The horses NOT travelleing that had been considered to be runners are – Bubbling, Monumental, Continuous, Illinois, River Tiber, Henry Longfellow, Mountain Bear and Aesops Fable. While Ylang Ylang was declared a non-runner on Wednesday.

WATCH: Aidan O’Brien Talks To Emmet Kennedy About His Final Breeders’ Cup Runners 2y2w5p

Aidan O’Brien names his likely runners for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup on the Final Furlong podcast and which races they will run in.

At this stage the Ballydoyle maestro looks to have twelve horses heading to the US.

Aidan O’Brien Breeders’ Cup Runners 2024 Mapped Out, Including City Of Troy 2zu2

Ballydoyle maestro Aidan O’Brien is starting to reveal which stable starts will be heading to the Breeders’ Cup on the 1st/2nd of November and in what races.

No prizes for knowing that his current stable star City Of Troy will have the Breeders’ Cup Classic as his target – a race O’Brien is still to win.

The Classic last saw a European winner in 2008, with the Gosden-trained Raven’s , who was ridden by a certain Frankie Dettori – with O’Brien going close with the runner-up that year Henrythenavigator.

City Of Troy is currently propping up the market with racecourse gallop at Southwell the City Of Troy hype-train is in full steam.

This year’s Epsom Derby winner was flown over to Southwell to work on their All Weather track in preparation for his US trip (watch below) – with Ballydoyle even flying over American-style starting stalls to get the full stateside racing experience – albeit in Nottinghamshire.

While being bred by US Triple Crown winner Justify, City Of Troy has also attracted plenty of interest in America – where he’s also the favourite in their markets.

WATCH: Aidan O’Brien Discussing City Of Troy’s Southwell Gallop 12c5d

What Date Is The Breeders’ Cup 2024? 162x28

📅Date: Friday 1st November and Saturday 2nd November 2024
🏇Racecourse: Del Mar, San Diego
📺 TV: Sky Sports Racing / ITV

Other Aidan O’Brien Breeders’ Cup Runners 2024 184r64

See below the intended Aidan O’Brien Breeders’ Cup runners and which races they are expected to feature in.

Diego Velazquez: Breeders’ Cup Mile 2l6v4n

Winner of four of his eight career starts and last seen landing the G2 Solonaway Stakes at Leopardstown on Irish Champions weekend.

Before that Diego Velazquez took the Meld Stakes (watch below) – winning by an easy 7 lengths.

O’Brien has revealed his next target will be the Breeders’ Cup Mile on November 2nd – a race Ballydoyle have won just once in the past when Order Of Australia landed the spoils in 2020.

Whistlejacket: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint g3s2m

Whistlejacket has been a busy Ballydoyle 2 year-old – running seven times to date and winning three of those outings.

Flopped in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in June (4th) but has since bounced back to run the classy Babouche second in the Phoenix Stakes in August and won the Group One Prix Morny in in August (watch below).

However, in a topsy-turvy season he was beaten again last time out, when 4-lengths second in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

O’Brien has never won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, while he could also run Ides Of March in this race.

Luxembourg: Breeders’ Cup Turf 661g1s

Now aged 5, Luxembourg has been a Ballydoyle stalwart for the operation for the last three seasons – winning seven times from 18 runs.

Won the Group One Coronation Cup at Epsom back at the end of May and despite running down the field in the King George at Ascot next time, certainly wasn’t disgraced in the Irish Champions Stakes last time – beaten just 2 1/2 lengths to Economics (watch below).

This will be the first time Luxembourg has run at the Breeders’ Cup but is now stranger to running abroad. Having been runner-up in the 2023 Hong Kong Cup but is expected to love the faster ground.

The Breeders’ Cup Turf has also been a top US race for Aidan O’Brien. Winning it seven times in total, with his first High Chaparral in 2002 and his most recent Auguste Rodin only last year (2023).

This tally is more than any other trainer – while no Breeders’ Cup stable has won ANY race more than seven times either.

O’Brien could be mob-handed here too as he’s also got Content and Wingspan as possible entries too.

 

This 3 year-old filly is expected to have the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf as her next engagement.

Content ran second to You Got To Me in the Irish Oaks in July and backed that performance up with a win over the same horse when winning the Yorkshire Oaks at the end of August (watch below).

In total she’s raced 14 times and won three of those – was last seen running 11th in the Fillies & Mares at Ascot on Champions Day.

O’Brien has won this Breeders’ Cup race just once in the past (Tuesday, 2022).

The horse could also have an option in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, while Wingspan could turn up in this race too.

Ylang Ylang was also an intended runner here, but was scratched on Wednesday.

Lake Victoria: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Fillies 6a205h

This exciting juvenile filly has improved with every run this season and will head to the Breeders’ Cup unbeaten from her first four races.

Lake Victoria’s last two wins were at the top table too, when taking the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh and then backed that up with a fine victory in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket (watch below).

She’s going to be all the rage with the best betting sites in the UK and looks one of the more likely O’Brien Breeders’ Cup winners for 2024.

Heavens Gate also holds entries in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Fillies for Ballydoyle.

Henri Matisse: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Colts 5p5u63

This Wootton Bassett colt won his first three races in impressive fashion, but the bubble has burst a tad in Henri Matisse’s last two outings. Being a beaten favourite both times.

He was runner-up in the Group One National Stakes at the Curragh in September.

Then failed to bounce back when only 5th in in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere in early October behind his stablemate Camille Pissarro, who isn’t heading to the Breeders’ Cup.

On a plus, Aidan told Emmet Kennedy on the Final Furlong podcast that Henri Matisse has a lot more class that people think – while he just got a bit scared with the blinkers and softer ground the last day in .

 

Aidan O’Brien Has 18 Breeders’ Cup Winners (and Counting) To His Name 4y1o56

Trainer Aidan O’Brien is the most successful European handler at the Breeders’ Cup – with 18 past wins to his name.

The first of these came in 2002 with his Epsom Derby winner High Chaparral, who landed the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

While his most recent was Auguste Rodin when taking the same race in 2023.

O’Brien’s most successful Breeders’ Cup races over the years have been the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf with six wins and the Breeders’ Cup Turf with seven victories.

Aidan O’Brien’s Breeders’ Cup Winners 1e3q6d

Del Mar Racetrack Will Host The Breeders’ Cup 2024 h3514

The Breeders’ Cup meeting moves around to different tracks each year and after being staged at Santa Anita in 2023 will head to Del Mar for the next two years – 2024 and 2025.

The California coastal track last held the Breeders’ Cup in 2021 and in total has hosted the event just once prior to that (2017).

Santa Anita holds the record currently for holding the Breeders’ Cup the most times – with eleven.