Aidan O’Brien leads a strong European contingent into the 2025 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar this weekend, where he needs just one more victory to claim the outright record for wins at the prestigious meeting. The Ballydoyle trainer, already tied on 20 wins with the late D Wayne Lukas, arrives with a formidable lineup spread across both juvenile and senior turf races.
The Irish maestro may not have a single superstar like City Of Troy this year, but his squad is packed with Group One winners. Minnie Hauk, runner-up in the Arc and a triple Group One winner this season, heads the market for the Turf. Juvenile stars Gstaad, Precise, and True Love are all expected to start as favourites in their respective divisions, making O’Brien’s camp the cornerstone of Europe’s challenge in California.
Other major European hopes include Francis-Henri Graffard’s Goliath, seeking to complete a treble of the world’s great mile-and-a-half turf titles, and Charlie Appleby’s Rebel’s Romance, aiming to become only the third horse ever to win three Breeders’ Cup races. Andrew Balding will also be represented, targeting his first Breeders’ Cup success with See The Fire, Jonquil, and Pacific Mission.
The Classic has lost some of its star power following the withdrawal of Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty due to infection, leaving Sierra Leone, Fierceness, and Japan’s Forever Young vying for top billing.
In the juvenile turf events, Christophe Soumillon partners the highly rated O’Brien runners Precise and Gstaad, though both face tough outside draws. Despite his limited Breeders’ Cup record, Soumillon’s class and tactical skill could prove decisive on Del Mar’s tight turns.
Among the potential dark horses, Joseph O’Brien’s Queen Of Hawaii stands out as a lively each-way contender from stall two. On the dirt, Percy’s Bar and Ted Noffey look strong in the Juvenile Fillies’ and Juvenile, respectively, with Ted Noffey expected to start as one of the shortest-priced favourites of the entire meeting.
With O’Brien’s dominance and the depth of European talent across multiple divisions, the 2025 Breeders’ Cup promises to deliver high drama and possibly another historic milestone for Ballydoyle.
