Highland Reel Looks to Cap Ballydoyle Season

If Ireland's champion trainer Aidan O'Brien needs any reminder of the top season he has enjoyed in 2016, Horse Racing Ireland's celebration of the Irish flat season may have provided him with just that—an opportunity to reflect on exactly what the Ballydoyle team have achieved in a year in which he has left other trainers toiling in his slipstream.

There he collected the Flat Award, as well as seeing his five-time group I winner Minding crowned Horse of the Year at Ireland's season ending ceremony. This 2016 campaign has seen Ballydoyle collect a remarkable 22 group/grade I victories, and record an unprecedented 1-2-3 in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I)—thanks to Found, Highland Reel and Order Of St George.

His outstanding run of success may not be over yet. The Longines Hong Kong International Races offer the stable further opportunities to add to its remarkable season, when Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) hero Highland Reel attempts to defend his crown in the Dec. 11 Longines Hong Kong Vase (HK-I) and Cougar Mountain contests the Longines Hong Kong Mile (HK-I).

Highland Reel has been one of the stable's flag bearers in 2016 with group I wins in the July 23 QIPCO King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Eng-I) at Ascot and Breeders' Cup Turf, not to mention his brave runner-up effort in the Arc. On Sunday, the world-traveling son of Galileo is slated to make his 20th career start and his 15th outside his native Ireland, part of an odyssey that has seen him run in England, France, United States, Australia, Dubai and now Hong Kong for a third time. 

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"Highland Reel is a very good colt, we know that," O'Brien said. "He has tactical speed, he stays, and has everything you could want really. He's been a good traveler from early on in his career, he relaxes, he's adaptable, he doesn't overthink situations.

Owned by Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier and Derrick Smith, Highland Reel also captured the 2015 edition of the Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) in his North American debut. The 4-year-old colt has won seven of 19 starts with $7,279,362 in earnings.

Whether O'Brien has had time for his achievements to sink in and allow himself a small pat on the back is another matter. His habitual stance is to deflect any credit from himself and instead to pay tribute to the unstinting efforts of all those who make Ballydoyle such a formidable team.

"Yes, we have had a good year, it's true. It is down to a lot of hard work by a lot of people. We have been very lucky this season in that we have had some very good horses that have progressed throughout the year, and that has obviously been important in the year overall."