Last week, the US hogged the racing headlines as the Breeders’ Cup Festival lit up Keeneland’s Kentucky track. With millions of dollars in prize money and international prestige on offer, the British and Irish challengers were strongly represented across the two days. As is so often the case in major global events, Aidan O’Brien made his presence felt. Arriving with 25 top-tier wins in 2026, a Grade 1 treble saw O’Brien equal his own world record of 28 Group/Grade 1 wins in a calendar year.
Elsewhere, the big headlines came in Ireland, with the retirement of a modern-day hurdling legend and the crowning of the oldest champion jockey in 48 years.
Keeneland Treble Takes O’Brien to the Brink of History
| Winner | Race | SP |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Goddess | Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | 17/20F |
| Haffner | Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf | 15/4 |
| Benvenuto Cellini | Breeders’ Cup Turf | 13/4F |
Always one of the most anticipated autumn events, the 2026 Breeders’ Cup Festival served up its usual Grade 1 feast. Among those arriving for the two-day celebration was Ballydoyle supremo Aidan O’Brien.
Despite being based on the other side of the Atlantic, O’Brien arrived in Kentucky tied with Bob Baffert as the most successful trainer in Breeders’ Cup history. With 25 Group/Grade 1 wins in 2026, he also had his own world record of top-flight wins firmly in his crosshairs. By the end of Saturday evening’s card, O’Brien had pulled clear at the top of the all-time Breeders’ Cup trainers’ table and equalled his 2017 record-setting tally.
The Ballydoyle maestro had one of the stars of 2026 to thank for his first success at the meeting. Already a three-time Group 1 winner, thanks to victories in the Phoenix Stakes, Moyglare Stud Stakes, and Cheveley Park Stakes, Sun Goddess started as the 17/20 favourite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Having cemented her status as the pick of the 2026 crop of British and Irish fillies, the big question was how she would handle the step up to one mile. In the end, the race played out much as it had in her previous efforts over six furlongs and seven furlongs – Sun Goddess was simply much too good for the opposition. Racing prominently throughout, she eased clear at the furlong pole and cruised to a three-length success.
Just over an hour later, the colts took their turn over the one-mile course, as a 12-runner field lined up for the Brown Advisory Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. The late withdrawals of Great Barrier Reef and Man’s Best Friend weakened O’Brien’s hand in the lead-up to the race, seeing Joseph O’Brien’s Folsom Blues work his way to the head of the re-formed market.
However, Aidan still had two live chances in Haffner and Florida Bay. While the latter faded out of contention to beat only one home, Haffner embellished his growing reputation with another tough performance. Ryan Moore again kept it simple in gaining a positive early position and never looked like being passed when taking over at the furlong pole. Haffner finished one and three-quarters of a length clear of runner-up Folsom Blues for an O’Brien family one-two.
With Friday’s juvenile-focussed fixture in the books, the big guns were out in force on a Saturday card loaded with star quality. The day began slowly for O’Brien, with Precise missing the target in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and Puerto Rico and True Love failing to trouble the judge in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. If O’Brien were to add to his haul, it would need to happen in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Thankfully, in Diamond Necklace and Benvenuto Cellini, he had two leading chances. The former arrived as a four-time Group 1 winner, but Ryan Moore opted to ride Irish Derby hero Benvenuto Cellini. Moore doesn’t have a 100% record when choosing between O’Brien runners, but on this occasion, he got it right. Despite missing the break and being repeatedly blocked in the straight, Benvenuto Cellini stormed through the gap when it opened to score by an easy three-quarters of a length.
Taking his Breeders’ Cup tally to 24, O’Brien moved three clear of Bob Baffert in the all-time table. Having matched his 2017 Group/Grade 1 tally, he may yet set a new world record, with major events in Hong Kong and Japan still to come.
Billy Lee Champion at Last
| Position | Jockey | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billy Lee | 99 |
| 2 | Colin Keane | 79 |
| 3 | Ben Coen | 65 |
| 4 | Dylan Browne McMonagle | 62 |
| 5 | Joey Sheridan | 57 |
In a year in which Billy Loughnane became the youngest British Champion Flat Jockey in over a century, another Billy showed it isn’t solely a young man’s game. Twenty-four years after his debut campaign, three-time runner-up Billy Lee claimed the Irish Flat Jockeys’ Championship for the first time. At 40, he became the oldest winner since a 42-year-old Tommy Murphy lifted the title in 1978.
With 103 wins, 2026 represented Billy Lee’s most productive year to date, bettering his 2024 total of 102. Crucially, 99 of those wins came during the official Irish Flat season, which began on Sunday 15 March and ended on Sunday 1 November. That tally of 99 was enough to finish 20 wins clear of six-time champion Colin Keane.
Rather than relying on a single powerful yard, Lee’s success reflects his much-admired work ethic. The consummate professional rode for over 70 trainers in 2026, with 23 of those supplying at least one winner. Paddy Twomey, for whom Lee rode 33 winners in 2026, was among those to pay tribute, stating, “When you put him up, you’re confident, you’re not wondering what’s going to happen. He gives the same service every time. He’s a world-class rider.”
Farewell to a Great as State Man Retires
The 21st century has witnessed a steady stream of star two-mile hurdlers. Starting with the greatest of them all, Istabraq, and moving on through Hurricane Fly, Faugheen, Honeysuckle, and Constitution Hill, fans of the speediest hurdling division have rarely been short of a hero or heroine.
Last week brought news that another modern great had run his final race. Last sighted surging almost five lengths clear to claim his third Punchestown Champion Hurdle in May 2025, State Man has failed to recover from the tendon injury which saw him miss the whole of the 2025/26 season. Unable to resume his racing career, the Joe and Marie Donnelly-owned star will head into a well-deserved retirement.
An incredible career comes to an end as State Man retires from racing, leaving behind a legacy like no other. A star for Willie Mullins, winning 14 races with 12 of them being G1 🌟
Thank you for all the memories! We wish him a long and happy retirement 💚
#RacingRunsInUs https://t.co/w7JBn3tXKI
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) October 27, 2026
During an outstanding career, State Man amassed an incredible 12 Grade 1 wins: that’s less than National Hunt record holder Hurricane Fly (22) and Istabraq (14) but one more than Faugheen “The Machine”, and four more than the mighty Constitution Hill. A three-time winner of the Punchestown Champion Hurdle and Irish Champion Hurdle, his finest hour in Britain came when mastering his rivals in the 2024 Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Ending his career with 14 wins from 20 starts and over £1.5 million in earnings, State Man was rightly hailed as a “fantastic servant to Closutton” by his trainer Willie Mullins.
