Ruby Walsh: Jan Brueghel can land King George spoils

In truth, that boils down to Lambourn, who reigned supreme at Epsom and the Curragh, but he has been held in store for other targets with his Coronation Cup-winning stable mate Jan Brueghel flying the flag for Ballydoyle.

It was hardly a surprising decision as today’s race has looked the obvious place for Jan Brueghel since he outbattled Calandagan at Epsom. Still, it only highlights the sheer strength in depth at Ballydoyle and how big a stranglehold the Coolmore pedigrees have on the sport at the moment.

I can’t see how Calandagan can turn the tables today, and I don’t think he threw it away at Epsom either. I just believe Jan Brueghel is the better, tougher horse, and he will add to his impressive racecourse record this afternoon and move Aidan onto 12 Group 1s for the calendar year, thus putting him ahead of schedule in his bid to beat his world record for the number of Group 1 winners trained in a year.

It is hard to see him beating Field Of Gold in next week’s Sussex Stakes, but Whirl could win the Nassau on Thursday, Deauville is on the horizon before York at the back end of next month, so it is not impossible that Aidan could be close to 20 before September starts.

His success is phenomenal, and his thirst and appetite for more is unquestionable. However, when you factor in that he is only 55 years of age and could well do what he is doing for another 15 years, it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that he will leave a legacy in horse racing that will never be equalled.

He has possibly achieved that already but, globally, he will set records and standards against which racehorse trainers will be measured for as long as horse racing exists. World leader is a term bandied about for many things, but this man is it and just does it.

Gowran Park will fly the flag on the home front today, but Monday will bring a new feel when Galway kicks off.

Buzz and excitement will flow around Ballybrit as real noise and atmosphere circulate the enclosures. By tomorrow week, that will be a different feeling for many professionals as the week-long stay or commute to the one venue will have drained the enthusiasm out of those who are not winning.

The chance of a winner at a different venue will consume them but, whatever it is about Galway, no matter how much people want to see the back of it, time heals all wounds, and by July of 2026 everyone will want to go back to Ballybrit.

Galway in the last week of July holds a massive place in the racing calendar. With all its feature events being high-end and big-value handicaps, the meeting matters most for the jumpers in the summer.

Somehow, it is also the meeting that matters most to the racing public and the general public, as ticket sales surge and the meeting seems to grow year on year.

Anyone I walked into last week wanted one for Galway, and with the weather starting to warm up, all looks set fair for a good week on the west coast. Winners won’t be easy to find, but some yards will hit form next Monday, and I don’t mean Willie Mullins or Gordon Elliott.

Last year, Ross O’Sullivan had a week to remember, and Peter Fahey and Matthew Smith have done so in the past. Paul Gilligan always pops up with one, and Tony Martin will have something lined up for some race at some point in the week. 

Aidan O’Brien has been sending good two-year-olds west in recent seasons, too, so don’t get sucked into the chat that this is Dermot’s one for the week.

Avoid the ante-post markets for the Plate and Hurdle until you know what weight your horse is carrying. If you are going west, bring a pen, write on your hand what you hear on Shop Street after midnight because when it flashes by the line the following evening, it will be too late to back it.

And, if one catches your eye on Monday or Tuesday, follow it in on Thursday or Friday because this place breaks all the rules about space between races.

Above all, course form trumps all form at Ballybrit and that goes for the humans who can last the week, too!