Aidan O’Brien is gearing up for the Qatar Goodwood Festival with a strong team of horses, led by his standout stayer, Kyprios. However, the Ballydoyle trainer has expressed some concern about the ground conditions.

Kyprios has made a triumphant return this year, recently reclaiming the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. This victory is especially remarkable considering the horse's near-death experience due to a joint infection that halted his career. The arduous rehabilitation process only made his comeback all the more rewarding.

Having won the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup in 2022, Kyprios is poised to defend his title at the Sussex Downs. O’Brien commented, “Kyprios is lazy in his work but we’re very happy with him. Everything has gone well since Ascot. He’s a very special horse and has a lot of class, more than most people think. He stays well but could easily be a Group horse over a mile and two furlongs. As he goes up in distance, he just gets better. Good stayers like him are rare.”

Point Lonsdale, another horse from O’Brien’s stable, might join or replace Kyprios depending on the ground conditions. O’Brien added, “Point Lonsdale could possibly join him. If the ground is very fast at Goodwood, we’ll need to consider whether to risk Kyprios. Hopefully, he will run, but even if he doesn’t, Point Lonsdale is an excellent substitute. He handles fast ground and shows he can cover one mile and seven furlongs well, maybe even two miles. He’s a horse with a lot of class and wasn’t far off in a Group One over one mile and four furlongs in his last run.”

The Qatar Sussex Stakes promises a rematch of the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, with Rosallion, Henry Longfellow, and Notable Speech all set to compete again. O’Brien, who has won this race six times, is one victory away from tying Sir Henry Cecil’s record of seven wins. Henry Longfellow, a runner-up at the Royal meeting, is a strong contender. O’Brien remarked, “We always thought he was special based on his performance last year. We were thrilled with his run at Royal Ascot. With a clearer run in France, we would have had more insight going into Ascot. There’s every chance he’ll continue to progress.”

Opera Singer is O’Brien’s contender for the Qatar Nassau Stakes after her second-place finish behind Porta Fortuna in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. O’Brien stated, “We were delighted with Opera Singer at Ascot. The pace was disrupted a bit, but she performed well. We always planned to step her up to a mile and two furlongs for the Qatar Nassau Stakes. We’re very happy with her progress since Ascot.”

Jan Brueghel, who is unbeaten, is set to run in the Group Three John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes and might compete in the final British Classic of the season at the St Leger in Doncaster in September. O’Brien shared, “The plan with Jan Brueghel is the Gordon Stakes. We always believed he would stay and perhaps even go further. He’s a relaxed and laid-back horse with two lovely runs this year, and this race fits well into his program.”

Grateful is aiming to bring the Lillie Langtry trophy to Ballydoyle for the first time. O’Brien commented, “She’s a Galileo filly and the last of the Galileo’s out of Tepin. She has an incredible pedigree. We were delighted with her last performance when she stepped up in distance. She was still green when she got to the front. Ronan Whelan rode her and believes she will continue to improve.”

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