Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore capped off another outstanding week at Royal Ascot by securing the top trainer and jockey honours once again.
For Moore, this marked his 11th title, while O’Brien celebrated his 13th, both achieving their third consecutive wins. Throughout the five-day event, milestones were reached by both, with Moore surpassing Frankie Dettori as the most successful current rider at the prestigious meeting when Port Fairy claimed the Ribblesdale Stakes. Meanwhile, O’Brien achieved his 400th Group/Grade One victory when Auguste Rodin triumphed in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
The dynamic duo’s partnership flourished, culminating in six wins each for O’Brien and Moore, boosting their cumulative Royal Ascot tallies to 91 and 85 victories respectively.
Reflecting on their achievements, O’Brien expressed his awe at the difficulty and prestige of winning at Royal Ascot, describing it as an unparalleled atmosphere with exceptional facilities and enthusiastic crowds.
When asked about his standout moment of the week, O’Brien highlighted Auguste Rodin’s impressive performance on Wednesday, praising the horse’s exceptional qualities and the decision to keep him in training rather than sending him to stud.
Recalling Kyprios reclaiming the Gold Cup title was another memorable highlight for O’Brien, contributing to Coolmore partners clinching the leading owner prize.
Paul Smith, speaking on behalf of Derrick Smith’s family, expressed immense pride in their success, describing Royal Ascot as a fantastic event and praising the team’s ability to capitalise on multiple opportunities throughout the week.