Joseph O’Brien lining up double raid on Doncaster Classic in season to remember

Having placed a focus on success in Britain during 2026, Joseph O’Brien is preparing a two-pronged assault on the Betfred St Leger, as he bids to continue his dream season at Doncaster.

The Owning Hill handler has not only scooped Oaks success with Thundering On at Epsom on UK soil this year, but also proven a force to be reckoned with across all the major festivals, enjoying a five-timer at Royal Ascot and walking away with the leading trainer prize at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

He is now set to saddle both Enceladus – a winner for O’Brien at both the Royal meeting and Goodwood – and improving Vinnie Roe Stakes scorer Highwayman on Town Moor, in a race he has won both as a jockey with Leading Light in 2013 and then a trainer when Galileo Chrome landed Classic gold in 2020.

O’Brien said: “Enceladus and Highwayman might both run and Enceladus obviously has been progressive and goes there on the back of a career best (in the Gordon Stakes).

“It looks like being a good renewal of the race, but Enceladus is an obvious contender and I think that the extra couple of furlongs will suit him, I don’t see it being an issue and he’s a good horse.

“It’s the same for Highwayman, to be honest, and he’s come a long way pretty fast and this will probably tell us what we do towards the end of the season with him. He’s a nice colt going the right way fast.”

Enceladus is seen as the most likely danger to the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of Derby winner Christmas Day and Pierre Bonnard according to the bookmakers, as the younger O’Brien once again attempts to prove his father’s Achilles’ heel in the year’s biggest races.

He is also set for what will be numerically his best season in terms of winners as he enters the autumn within €1million of the master of Ballydoyle in the Irish trainers’ championship.

However, there is no desire to topple the long-time standard setter in world racing, as he describes his philosophy for success.

“We just focus on our horses and try to put them in the best race we can and if you get stuck up on numbers, prize-money and things, there are so many variables that you will just drive yourself nuts,” explained O’Brien.

“We just focus on our horses and wherever that leaves us numerically and prize-money wise at the end of the year, so be it.

“This year we have focused on competing at the festivals in the UK as well as Ireland and that is something that has gone well, we’ve had a good Ascot, Goodwood and York. That is something you can focus on, but in terms of big targets on prize-money and winners at home, you just have to take it as it comes.

“It’s been very rewarding this year, but every year you are trying to beat your previous best and it does not always happen that way. This year has been a strong year for us and we’ll try to beat it next year.”

A trusted ally at O’Brien’s side throughout the campaign has been reigning Irish champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle who continues to thrive in the saddle but is currently sat on the sidelines after a crushing fall at Bellewstown that left him hospitalised.

The 23-year-old is reported to be recovering well from the incident and while no timescale on his return is yet clear, O’Brien is delighted to see his number one jockey escape relatively unscathed and well on the way to a comeback.

“Dylan is recovering well and it looks like his recovery is going a little bit quicker than what it might,” said O’Brien. “I’m not sure when he will be back yet, but he’s going the right way.

“It was a bad fall and luckily there isn’t too many falls on the Flat, but when there is it can be pretty serious as you have a lot of speed to contend with. It was a nasty fall and it gave everyone a fright, but he’s making a good recovery, thank God.”