Minnie Hauk and The Lion In Winter to race on next year

Aidan O’Brien confirmed both Minnie Hauk and The Lion In Winter will return next season after coming up short in their respective races at the Breeders’ Cup.

Winner of the Oaks at Epsom, the Irish Oaks and the Yorkshire Oaks before being narrowly denied by Daryz in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Minnie Hauk was all the rage to beat the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Turf but weakened to finish sixth behind the Willie Mullins-trained Ethical Diamond.

The Lion In Winter has failed to get his head in front as a three-year-old, but posted another fine effort in defeat in finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and like Minnie Hauk he will be kept in training as a four-year-old.

“Minnie Hauk will stay in training, along with The Lion In Winter. There was a messy pace in her race and she ended up getting into it too early,” said O’Brien.

The Ballydoyle handler left Del Mar with a solitary winner courtesy of Gstaad in Friday’s Juvenile Turf, leaving him on 26 Group One winners for the year – two short of his own record of 28.

While there are not many top-level events left in 2025, O’Brien is not giving up hope of adding to his tally, adding: “We haven’t much left, but still have some Group Ones to look at. Los Angeles for Japan and maybe The Lion In Winter for Hong Kong. We’ll see how Minnie is.

“We ended up with one winner (at the Breeders’ Cup) and most of them ran well. Gstaad was impressive, and will head to the (2000) Guineas.”