Aidan O'Brien equalled his own record for the number of top-level wins in a calendar year as Benvenuto Cellini stormed to Breeders' Cup Turf glory at Keeneland on Saturday night.
On an otherwise difficult night for the Europeans the Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf went to O'Brien who took his G1 tally to 28 for the year, equalling his world record with races in Japan and Hong Kong still to come.
He also took his Breeders' Cup wins to 24, a record for the meeting, and he has put clear daylight between himself and Bob Baffert who is in second place with 22.
It was achieved under a brilliant Ryan Moore ride, the son of Frankel showcasing an electric turn of foot late to seal the deal from Map Of Stars and his own stablemate Diamond Necklace.
Well backed after Moore chose him over Diamond Necklace, Benvenuto Cellini was sent off the 3/1 favourite with the UK bookies as he emulated his dam, Newspaperofrecord, who won the Juvenile Fillies' Turf by almost seven lengths at the 2018 Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs.
Benvenuto Cellini could himself get the chance to set a new record for O'Brien in Hong Kong in December.
O'Brien said: “We thought he ran a brilliant race and Ryan gave him a brilliant ride. I’m so delighted for everybody. What can I say? We didn’t know what was going to happen with the pace and Ryan was relaxed and cool on him.
"Christophe (Soumillion) gave his filly a brilliant ride too. We weren’t sure about the mile and a half with her. At a mile and a quarter she’s going to be brilliant. But (Benvenuto) he got the trip well. With fast pace and good ground, he’s the class.
“Ryan was super cool on him. He was okay at the three-eighths but he wasn’t that quick. But Ryan is so good. He worked it out. I thought he was brilliant on him. He had that explosion that we thought he could have and he had to have.
“That was the plan to come here and go to Hong Kong. He’s going to be some four year old.”
Aidan O'Brien G1 Wins 2026 (28 - joint-record (with himself))
- Benvenuto Cellini - Breeders' Cup Turf
- Haffner - Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf
- Sun Goddess - Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf
- Drumbeat - Criterium de Saint-Cloud
- Queenstown - Prix Royal-Oak
- Giant Sequoia - Futurity Trophy
- Minnie Hauk - British Champions Fillies & Mares
- Darkness Falls - Dewhurst
- True Love - Prix de la Foret
- Sun Goddess - Cheveley Park Stakes
- Scandinavia - Irish St Leger
- Sun Goddess - Moyglare Stud
- Darkness Falls - Golden Fleece
- Sun Goddess - Phoenix
- Diamond Necklace - Nassau
- Scandinavia - Goodwood Cup
- Constitution River - Coral-Eclipse
- Benvenuto Cellini - Irish Derby
- Precise - Coronation Stakes
- Scandinavia - Ascot Gold Cup
- Mission Central - King Charles III
- Diamond Necklace - Prix de Diane
- Christmas Day - Betfred Derby
- Constitution River - Prix du Jockey Club
- Precise - Irish 1,000 Guineas
- Gstaad - Irish 2,000 Guineas
- Diamond Necklace - Poule d'Essai Des Pouliches
- True Love - 1000 Guineas
WHAT A RIDE! 🤯
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 31, 2026
Benvenuto Cellini soars late to land the Longines @BreedersCup Turf! 🏆🇺🇸
#BC26 pic.twitter.com/3nNZp9xVOT
Aidan O’Brien’s Breeders’ Cup Winners (24 - record)
- Benvenuto Cellini, Breeders' Cup Turf (2026, Keeneland)
- Haffner, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (2026, Keeneland)
- Sun Goddess, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf (2026, Keeneland)
- Gstaad, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (2025, Del Mar)
- Henri Matisse, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (2024, Del Mar)
- Lake Victoria, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (2024, Del Mar)
- Auguste Rodin, Breeders’ Cup Turf (2023, Santa Anita)
- Unquestionable, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (2023, Santa Anita)
- Tuesday, Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (2022, Keeneland)
- Victoria Road, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (2022, Keeneland)
- Meditate, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (2022, Keeneland)
- Order Of Australia, Breeders’ Cup Mile (2020, Keeneland)
- Mendelssohn, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (2017, Del Mar)
- Highland Reel, Breeders’ Cup Turf (2016, Santa Anita)
- Found, Breeders’ Cup Turf (2015, Keeneland)
- Hit It A Bomb, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (2015, Keeneland)
- Magician, Breeders’ Cup Turf (2013, Santa Anita)
- George Vancouver, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (2012, Santa Anita)
- St Nicholas Abbey, Breeders’ Cup Turf (2011, Churchill Downs)
- Wrote, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (2011, Churchill Downs)
- Man Of Iron, Breeders’ Cup Marathon (2009, Santa Anita)
- High Chaparral, Breeders’ Cup Turf (DH 2003, Santa Anita)
- High Chaparral, Breeders’ Cup Turf (2002, Arlington)
- Johannesburg, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (2001, Belmont Park)
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