O'Brien's Royal Ascot Puzzle: When Success Comes Without the Ultimate Prize For the first time in over two decades, Aidan O'Brien left Royal Ascot 2025 without a Group 1 winner to his name. The master of Ballydoyle, who has made the Berkshire meeting his personal playground for years, found himself in unfamiliar territory despite another productive week that yielded five winners across the five-day festival. The Numbers Tell a Story O'Brien's haul of five winners would represent a dream week for most trainers, but by his own stratospheric standards, the lack of a top-level success marked a notable statistical anomaly. The last time he failed to claim Group 1 glory at Royal Ascot stretches back over 20 years, highlighting just how dominant his operation has become on the international stage. "I wouldn't be too worried about it," said racing analyst Emma Nagle, who attended three days of the meeting, on irishracing.com’s YouTube show The Irish Angle. "I suppose he had a few high-profile deflections in the lead-up, like the likes of Lake Victoria missing the meeting, and obviously Kyprios (now retired) has been a flag bearer there for the last few years as well." The Silver Lining While the missing Group 1 was notable, O'Brien's two-year-old contingent provided plenty of reasons for optimism. The young horses that did make it to Ascot, impressed racegoers with their quality and potential, suggesting the production line at Ballydoyle remains as strong as ever. Johnny Ward, who also appears on our weekly show, was particularly struck by the juveniles' performances: "I really enjoyed watching Aiden's two-year-olds this week. They were very, very exciting and it’s really exciting times for the stable." Nagle added: “I agree, the two-year-olds were really impressive, the Starspangledbanner Gstaad, Charles Darwin and True Love as well, so I don’t think there will be too many tears in Ballydoyle.” Watch Our Royal Ascot Review Show:
