IT is hard to believe that Donnacha O’Brien is just 22 years old.

A multiple classic and Group 1-winning jockey during a brief, but highly successful spell as a rider, Donnacha was also crowned champion jockey twice in 2018 and 2019, before he took out his trainer’s licence late in 2019.

When asked to reflect on what was a stellar breakthrough year in 2020, Donnacha said: “We set out last year hoping to win a stakes race but we ended up winning three Group 1s. Fancy Blue also gave me first classic winner when she won the French Oaks. Then we rounded off the year when Shale won the Moyglare at the Curragh on Irish Champions Weekend. We achieved far more than we thought we would achieve - to win three Group 1s last year was amazing.”

He added: “We have a very nice team of horses – most of them have needed their first starts this year but I’m happy with how the horses are and we we’ll run some nice horses next weekend at the Curragh. Shale runs in the 1000 Guineas and Masseto, who won his maiden at Navan, will go for the Marble Hill.”

Don Julio

2yo b c

Caravaggio - Remember Alexander

Atlantic Thoroughbreds

He is a grand horse, more a six- or seven-furlong type, and he starts off at Navan at the weekend. He should be up to winning his maiden.

Geoedsic

2yo gr c (5)

Caravaggio – Eccentricity

Mrs A M O’Brien

He had a good run the first day over six at the Curragh and he runs at Navan. He is probably more a seven-furlong horse. We’ll probably step him up in trip the next day and he should be up to winning his maiden soon enough. Hopefully we’ll step him up in class then.

Masseto

2yo b c (1)

Territories - Never Change

J Carthy

He was impressive when he won at Navan. He has always worked like a smart horse. The Marble Hill is the plan for him at the Curragh. Depending on how he goes there, we’ll possibly look at the Coventry for him. It’s hard to win first time out over here, as you don’t know how green they will be, but I wasn’t surprised that he won. I think six furlongs is a good trip for him.

Masseto - The Marble Hill is the plan and possibly a look at the Coventry Stakes \ Healy Racing

Orinoco Rover

2yo b f (-2)

War Front - Coin Broker

M Tabor & D Smith & Mrs J Magnier & Westerberg

She works like a very fast filly. She had a very nice run when second in Dundalk on Wednesday, where she ran into another very nice filly. I think she’ll go straight for the Queen Mary now and I think that’s a race that should suit her.

Simply Glorious

2yo b f (8)

War Front - Misty For Me

Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith

She works like a nice filly and was very green the first day. I’d expect her to improve a lot and she should be able to win her maiden on nice ground.

Silver Surfer

2yo bl c (422)

Caravaggio - Riskit Fora Biskit

Atlantic Thoroughbreds

He has had some good runs and he has just ran into one the last twice. He works like a smart horse and he looks up to winning his maiden. It’s arguable that his last run was probably his best run and if he managed to win his maiden beforehand, we’d look at the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot as he has a lot of speed.

He is a smart horse and he has just been a shade unlucky not to win before now. I’ll see how he is closer to the time, but he might run at Naas on Sunday. He likes a bit of nice ground.

Shinkansen

2yo bl c (54)

Atlantic Thoroughbreds

Caravaggio - Daidoo

He ran okay the first day and we ran him over six the last day, but he shows a lot of speed and I would have no doubt that he’ll be effective over five and we might drop him back to five the next day. He has always worked like a smart horse.

Unconquerable

2yo b c (8)

Churchill - Rien Ne Vas Plus

Atlantic Thoroughbreds

He is a lovely, big Churchill horse and he works like a nice horse. He ran at Leopardstown last evening.

Absolutely

3yo b f (0-9)

Uncle Mo - Bracelet

Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith

She is a grand filly, and she has been a bit little disappointing in her two runs. We liked her last year and we will step her up in trip now for her next start.

April Showers

3yo b f (4217-0)

Galileo - Butterfly Cove

Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor andDerrick Smith

I liked her a lot this year and I fancied her to run well at Navan but she ran below expectations. We will bring her back for a stakes race somewhere and I think 10 furlongs might be her trip, but I am not totally sure about that, as her last run didn’t tell us much about her.

It was a funny race at Navan and a lot of fancied horses didn’t seem to run well, so we’ll try her again. A little bit of juice in the ground won’t be any harm for her. I’d be hoping that she will leave her Navan form well behind her.

April Showers and Gavin Ryan win for owner Mrs John Magnier and trainer Donnacha O'Brien \ Healy Racing.

Easily

3yo ch f (-78)

Galileo - Beyond Brilliance

M Tabor/D Smith/Mrs Magnier/Mrs O’Brien

She had two okay runs and is more one for handicaps over a mile and a half on nice ground.

Emporio

3yo ch c (222-62)

Zoffany - Eirnin

Mrs A M O’Brien

He always works like a very classy horse. He needed his first run and he bumped into a very classy horse last week at Gowran. I think he is a stakes class horse and he should have no trouble in winning his maiden. A little bit of juice in the ground is no harm for him and I’d say a mile to 10 furlongs is his trip.

Fernando Vichi

3yo ch c (214-63)

Australia - Pernica

Mrs C C Regalado-Gonzalez

He is another lovely horse and he is stepping up with every run. I think he’ll improve again when we step him up to a mile and half. We’ll look at a listed race over that trip for him around the same time as the Epsom Derby and after that, he’ll go for the Irish Derby.

He wore the blinkers the last day at Leopardstown as he can race very lazily. It can be hard to get him into a challenging position early in his races but the blinkers seemed to help him achieve that.

Hazel

3yo b f (2261-00)

No Nay Never - Asteya

Mrs C C Regalado-Gonzalez

She has been disappointing as she works like a very nice filly at home. She has to yet bring her home work to the track and we’ll drop her in class and try her in a bit of headgear the next day and that will hopefully bring about some improvement in her. I’d say seven furlongs to a mile suit her well.

Igraine

3yo b f (6-0)

Camelot – Sea Picture

Mrs A M O’Brien

She is grand big filly which will in time be suited to a mile and a half. She likes a bit of juice in the ground. I would like to think that she can win her maiden and 10 to 12 furlongs will suit her. She runs at Navan.

Moon Daisy

3yo b f (655-8)

Australia - Holy Alliance

Mrs A M O’Brien

She is a grand filly and wants 10 furlongs and quick ground. She might be well handicapped and had a nice run the last day and she runs at Leopardstown on Friday.

Nicest

3yo b f (15-3)

American Pharoah -Chicquita

Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith

and Mrs John Magnier

She picked up blacktype at Chester but she came back a little bit sore behind so we’ll give her a bit of time. We’ll look for another 10-furlong stakes race for her.

Ones Are Wild

3yo ch c (71- )

Bated Breath - Bouvardia

J Carthy

He is just taking a little bit of time and he isn’t an easy an easy horse to place - he is a six or seven-furlong horses. Handicaps for horses like him are hard to find, but we have him on the right track now and he is about two weeks off a run.

On Tiptoes

3yo ch f (0-0)

Galileo - Nechita

Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier

She is one that will qualify for a mark and that might be the route that she’ll go.

Shale

3yo b f (611216-5)

Galileo - Homecoming Queen

Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor

She looks the standout three-year-old here at the moment. She has the Group 1 class already and she had a very good first run back in the 1000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown when she would have badly needed it. She has come out of that race in good form, and she’ll go straight to the Curragh next weekend for the 1000 Guineas.

She likes nice ground but I think she has a preference for quicker ground.

Having said that, she is pretty versatile, and I don’t think a bit of juice in the ground is any great disadvantage to her. She has improved since Leopardstown and we are looking forward to letting her take her chance at the Curragh.

Shale and Ryan Moore (left) beats Pretty Gorgeous (right) to win the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes \ Healy Racing

Shinsengumi

3yo b c (-6)

Galileo - Native Force

Toshihiro Matsumoto, Mrs J Magnier & M Tabor & D Smith

He is a grand, big horse which stays well, and I was very happy with his first run last weekend at Leopardstown. He wants a mile and a half plus and he appreciates a bit of nice ground. He should be capable of winning a maiden.

Snowy Owl

3yo ch c (2146-062)

Galileo - Californiadreaming

Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier

and Michael Tabor

He is a lovely tough and genuine horse, and he seems to be improving all the time and I thought he was bit unlucky not to win at Leopardstown. We’ll find something similar for him and he seems to be improving with every run.

Southern Cape

3yo bb c (21786-)

Galileo - Tiggy Wiggy

Michael Tabor

He picked up a little injury, so he is off at the minute but we hope to have him back for the second half of the year.

Torino

3yo b g (3-7)

Fastnet Rock - Sacrosanct

Mrs A M O’Brien

He has had two decent runs and I hope will be competitive in mile and a half handicaps.

Zozimus

3yo b c (3452231-734)

Footstepsinthesand - Comment

J Carthy

We were aiming him at the Britannia but he picked up a little injury so that will rule him out of that. We should have him back in a couple of months. He has plenty of ability and I would like to think that there are nice races to be won with him.

Older horses

Emperor Of The Sun

4yo ch c (13/452420-31)

Galileo - Zouzou

Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor

He has done well over the winter and was beaten by two Group 1 winners last year in Princess Zoe and Galileo Chrome. He has improved a lot and his mind has improved a lot too this year. We are hoping that he’ll develop into a classy stayer.

He was a shade unlucky not to win at Navan and he has improved for that. He was due to run in the Saval Beg at Leopardstown yesterday (won impressively). After that we can look at maybe the Ascot Gold Cup.

His form from last year was very solid and I would have thought that he wanted soft ground but he handled quick ground well at Navan so maybe he is just a more mature horse this year.

Lugnaquilla

4yo b f (4210-0)

Galileo - Wave

Mrs E M Stockwell

She is a lovely, big filly who won her maiden last year and we probably ran her too early at the start of the season. She has improved since and is a good bit fitter now and I think she will leave her early season form behind her as her work is a good bit better.

She is a very big filly and she moves like a filly which wants good ground but, as she is so big, she is probably more comfortable on ground with some juice in it.

Oh So True

4yo b f (3463160-0)

American Pharoah - Shawara

Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor

She ran better than her finishing position suggests at Leopardstown and we’ll look for something similar for her the next day.