Ruby Walsh gives verdict on latest ‘sub-standard’ crop of Aidan O’Brien horses but backs stable to recover quickly

Ruby says it won't be long before Ballydoyle is firing on all cylinders again

Aidan O'Brien

Ruby Walsh believes that Aidan O’Brien is currently short of good two-year-old prospects and the world-renowned trainer has run out of stars at Ballydoyle Stables.

However, the 41-year-old acknowledges that it’s only a matter of time before O’Brien’s hand is strengthened again while there are still plenty of Group 1 winners on the books.

When asked if O’Brien’s stable is out of form or out of star horses on the latest edition of Paddy Power’s From The Horse’s Mouth podcast, Ruby explained the cyclical nature of training.

Get over to PaddyPower.com for all the latest racing odds

It could possibly be the latter and that Aidan O’Brian is out of stars, but it wouldn’t be the first time they didn’t have a superb crop of horses.

You can bet your bottom dollar that they will find them again.

To me, their two-year-olds look a little sub-standard and even when you look at last year, they didn’t have a champion two-year-old.

The Aidan O'Brien trained Yucatan and The Cliffsofmoher (L) galloping on the all weather track during a Werribee trackwork session at Werribee Racecourse

It’s the same on the Flat as it is over Jumps. If you don’t have good two-year-olds, it’s very hard to have good three-year-olds.

If you don’t have bumper horses then you don’t have novice hurdlers. If you don’t have novice hurdlers you don’t have novice chasers and then you don’t have open horses either so it all starts at the very bottom.

I would say Ballydoyle have just had two average crops of two-year-olds – Love excepted.

Love Ebor Festival Yorkshire Oaks

We’re talking about the bulk, or mass of two-year-old’s that we’re used to Ballydoyle producing. The mass amount of good horses just isn’t there.

But they do have a couple of superstars. You still have Santiago, Serpentine, Peaceful. There’s a load of classic winners there, and Love is the real superstar.

Read More:

THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW