Few trainers are as synonymous with Royal Ascot as Aidan O’Brien – he’s the most successful trainer in the meeting’s history, amassing more than 90 winners in his 30+ year career.
O’Brien’s Ascot achievements include winning both the Gold Cup and the St James's Palace Stakes 9 times each, the Prince of Wales's Stakes 5 times, the Queen Anne Stakes 4 times, and the Coronation Stakes 3 times.
His runners are once again set to dominate the headlines this year, with a powerful squad headed by Gstaad, Precise, True Love and Scandinavia.
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Gstaad
Age: 3yo (22Mar23)
Trainer: A P O'Brien
Owner: Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor
Entry: St James's Palace Stakes (1m)
O’Brien has four entries in the St James's Palace Stakes, but Gstaad offers the best chance of a tenth race victory for the trainer.
Date | Distance | Venue | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
23 May 2026 | 1m | Curragh | 1/9 |
02 May 2026 | 1m | Newmarket | 2/14 (Bow Echo) |
01 Nov 2025 | 1m | Del Mar | 1/14 |
11 Oct 2025 | 7f | Newmarket | 2/9 (Gewan) |
14 Sept 2025 | 7f | Curragh | 2/6 (Zavateri) |
Table: Recent Form of Gstaad
Precise
Age: 3yo (02May23)
Trainer: A P O'Brien
Owner: Derrick Smith/Mrs John Magnier/Michael Tabor/Westerberg
Entry: Coronation Stakes (1m)
O’Brien hasn’t won the Coronation Stakes since 2017 with Winter; he’ll be looking to retake the crown with Precise, the early favourite of the 1m race.
Date | Distance | Venue | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
24 May 2026 | 1m | Curragh | 1/11 |
03 May 2026 | 1m | Newmarket | 7/19 (True Love) |
10 Oct 2025 | 1m | Newmarket | 1/10 |
14 Sept 2025 | 7f | Curragh | 1/7 |
24 Aug 2025 | 7f | Goodwood | 1/7 |
Table: Recent Form of Precise
True Love
Age: 3yo: (05Apr23)
Trainer: A P O'Brien
Owner: Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier
Entry: Coronation Stakes (1m)
If Precise falls short, O’Brien has another entry behind, waiting to pick up the pieces. The fierce 3-year-old, True Love, takes the early second-place position.
Date | Distance | Venue | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
24 May 2026 | 1m | Curragh | 2/11 (Precise) |
03 May 2026 | 1m | Newmarket | 1/19 |
12 Apr 2025 | 7f | Leopsardstown | 1/13 |
31 Oct 2025 | 5f | Del Mar | 8/12 (Cy Fair) |
27 Sept 2025 | 6f | Newmarket | 1/9 |
Table: Recent Form of True Love
Scandinavia
Age: 4yo (09May22)
Trainer: A P O'Brien
Owner: Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier
Entry: Gold Cup (1m6f)
O’Brien looks to Scandinavia to reach double digits in the Gold Cup 9 times. He most recently won back in 2024 with Kyprios, but will be hoping that the 4-year-old can give him the elusive tenth.
Date | Distance | Venue | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
15 May 2026 | 1m6f | Leopardstown | 1/6 |
25 Apr 2026 | 1m6f | Navan | 1/7 |
13 Sept 2025 | 1m6½f | Doncaster | 1/7 |
29 Jul 2025 | 2m | Goodwood | 1/8 |
10 Jul 2025 | 1m5f | Newmarket | 1/5 |
Table: Recent Form of Scandinavia
Takeaway
Aidan O'Brien, with a record-breaking Royal Ascot tally and strong presence across divisions, is poised to dominate again, with many runners likely to feature prominently.
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