Aidan O'Brien is already looking forward to another mouthwatering clash in the Coolmore Coronation Cup, with last year's winner Jan Brueghel set to be joined in the field by 2025 Derby winner Lambourn.
Not since Roberto and Lester Piggott won the Coronation Cup 53 years ago has a horse landed the Derby and Coronation Cup double the following season and if last year’s Betfred Derby winner Lambourn is to achieve the feat on Saturday June 6, he will have to overcome what promises to be one of the strongest fields the race has seen.
O’Brien has won the Coronation Cup – sponsored for the first time this year by Coolmore and with an increased prize money pot of £1million – a record 10 times in his career as a trainer.
He is also set to be represented in the contest by Jan Brueghel, who defeated Calandagan by half a length in the 2025 renewal.
Speaking about this year’s renewal, O’Brien said: “I think it is an unbelievable race. This year, it looks like it’s going to be very exciting.
“If Calandagan comes again, and hopefully he will, we will have the two runners (Jan Brueghel and Lambourn).
“The Coolmore Coronation Cup is right at the top of those mile-and-a-half races – it is that important. It takes place around Epsom and it’s a serious initiative to raise the profile of the race.
“It is a very, very good race. Lambourn is a Derby winner, Jan Brueghel is a Leger winner and Calandagan was considered the best horse in the world last year.
“Where are you going to get a race like that? It’s unbelievable.”
WATCH: Lambourn wins Huxley Stakes at Chester on seasonal return
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This year the race has been moved from the Friday of the Betfred Derby Festival to the Saturday to help create the most exciting 90 minutes in racing, with the Coolmore Coronation Cup, the Betfred Dash and the Betfred Derby staged back-to-back.
David O’Loughlin of Coolmore said: “The Coronation Cup has a rich tradition, having been won by horses like Mill Reef, Yeats and St Nicholas Abbey and the thoroughbred breed is built on high-quality middle-distance bloodlines, so for the Magnier, Tabor and Smith families, supporting the race is a natural fit.
“This year’s renewal looks to be a fantastic contest. Three of the leading contenders are by Galileo and two of his sire sons, Gleneagles and Australia, and going head-to-head in a £1 million race is exactly what racing fans want to see. Moving the race to Saturday makes for an unbelievable afternoon at Epsom, and we’re delighted to partner with The Jockey Club for it.”
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