Breeders’ Cup 2025 at Del Mar: Britain and Ireland’s Class Acts Amid a Truly Global Showcase

Under soft Californian light and the hum of the Pacific surf, Del Mar staged a Breeders’ Cup that belonged, fittingly, to the world. Japan made history, Ireland confirmed its depth, and Britain reminded everyone that its best can still travel with distinction. The 2025 meeting may be remembered for its internationalism, but for those following the British and Irish fortunes there was plenty to applaud - and the odd pang of what might have been.

Friday: O’Brien’s Empire Strikes Again

For the second generation running, the O’Briens turned the juvenile card into a family affair.

Aidan O’Brien, now almost institutional in his Breeders’ Cup presence, landed his 21st Cup victory when Gstaad swooped down the Del Mar straight to claim the Juvenile Turf. Christophe Soumillon, deputising in the absence of Ryan Moore, produced a masterclass of timing, guiding Gstaad from off the pace to collar the Americans inside the final furlong. The win moved O’Brien beyond D. Wayne Lukas as the meeting’s most successful trainer - a fitting milestone at a track where precision matters as much as power.

Not to be outdone, Donnacha O’Brien - still forging his own identity away from Ballydoyle - struck in the Juvenile Fillies’ Turf with Balantina, who burst clear at 14-1 to give him a first Breeders’ Cup triumph. It was the sort of result that felt both a family echo and a generational handover: Donnacha’s filly travelled sweetly and finished as if she’d been here before.

Earlier on the card, the Irish nearly pulled off a one-two-three in the Juvenile Turf Sprint: Aidan’s Brussels chased home the home-trained Cy Fair, with Aspect Island a closing third. The Europeans had to settle for the minor medals, but their presence across the board made clear that the juvenile turf divisions remain their natural hunting ground.

By the end of Friday, Ireland had two winners, two seconds, and a stack of near misses - a record that spoke less of dominance than of sustained excellence.

Saturday: British Precision, Irish Audacity

Saturday’s turf programme was where the British and Irish runners truly asserted themselves.

The headline came early with Notable Speech, Charlie Appleby’s grey stylist, who produced a searing burst under William Buick to capture the Breeders’ Cup Mile. After a season that had veered between brilliance and frustration, he rediscovered his rhythm on the biggest stage, slicing through the field with that trademark Appleby efficiency. It was a victory not just for Godolphin’s breeding programme, but for the modern British approach to international campaigning - targeted, data-driven, and ruthlessly well-timed.

Then came a result that even seasoned racegoers might have missed coming. Ethical Diamond, trained by Ireland’s Willie Mullins, a man more synonymous with Cheltenham than California, stunned Del Mar by winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf at 28-1. Ridden cold by Dylan Browne McMonagle, the gelding was unleashed wide into the straight and mowed down his rivals with a relentless run that left jaws on the rail. Mullins, wry as ever, said only: “He jumped the turf fine.” It was, in its way, one of the great modern Breeders’ Cup moments - a jumps trainer mastering the flat world’s most prestigious turf race.

Behind him, Europe filled the frame: Rebel’s Romance (Appleby) and El Cordobes (Aidan O’Brien) completed a clean sweep for the British-Irish alliance.
In the Filly & Mare Turf, France claimed the honours through Gezora for Francis-Henri Graffard, but the John & Thady Gosden-trained Diamond Rain stayed on for third, a creditable run on ground a touch quicker than ideal.

Elsewhere, Nysos dominated the Dirt Mile, Bentornato blitzed the Sprint, and Scylla proved untouchable in the Distaff - but even amid that home-soil success, the conversation on the Del Mar apron kept circling back to Appleby’s precision and Mullins’ daring.

The Classic: Japan’s Crown, Europe’s Shadow

When the gates opened for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the story was already half-written. Japan’s Forever Young, trained by Yoshito Yahagi, had carried global expectations on his shoulders, and he delivered in full - surging clear of Sierra Leone and Fierceness to become the first Japanese-trained winner of the Classic.
It was a victory that resonated far beyond Del Mar: the culmination of two decades of Japanese ambition to master dirt racing at its toughest. For the Europeans, watching from the barns, it was admiration tinged with envy - a reminder that while they dominate the turf, others are catching up fast elsewhere.

Europe’s Weekend: Polished, Profound, and Promising

When the dust settled, Britain and Ireland could claim three of the fourteen winners - Gstaad, Balantina, and Notable Speech - plus the defining underdog of the weekend in Ethical Diamond. Add to that a string of placed efforts from Brussels, Aspect Island, Diamond Rain, and El Cordobes, and it was a meeting that reinforced their collective depth.

There was artistry in Appleby’s precision, audacity in Mullins’ gamble, and continuity in the O’Brien dynasty. Between them they showcased the range of the British and Irish schools - from the regimental planning of Ballydoyle to the improvisational genius of Closutton.

Final Word

The 2025 Breeders’ Cup will be remembered for Forever Young’s trailblazing Classic and Mullins’ shock Turf, but from a British-Irish perspective it told a subtler story: of systems that still produce world-class horses, of trainers who can adapt across oceans and codes, and of a racing culture that continues to shape the sport’s biggest stage.

For Appleby, O’Brien, O’Brien, and Mullins alike, Del Mar was proof that British and Irish racing doesn’t just belong at the Breeders’ Cup — it remains one of its essential languages.