Comanche Brave’s Three Countries In Six Weeks
O'Brien's Debut Foray Into Middle East Racing.
How a small Irish operation navigated Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and the journey home, with Dubai World Cup night still on the horizon. That is the story playing out in real time for Donnacha O’Brien and his team, three days after Comanche Brave had run a gallant third in the US$2,000,000 Gr.2 1351 Turf Sprint on the Saudi Cup undercard. The instructions from County Tipperary to the skeleton crew stationed at King Abdulaziz Racecourse were plain. Walk him, keep him happy, get him on the plane Thursday.
For O’Brien, the 27-year-old son of Ballydoyle Stable’s head trainer and younger brother of Melbourne Cup winning trainer-Joseph, this was entirely new territory. Not the training of a good horse, but the logistical choreography of moving one racehorse from Abu Dhabi on February 7 to Riyadh on February 14, home to Tipperary by February 20, and then, if the invitation arrived, back to Dubai for the Gr.1 Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night.
Three countries, one horse, a small yard learning on the move.
A Good Dinner And A Quiet Walk
O’Brien sounded genuinely relieved when reflecting on how the horse emerged from the Saudi Cup meeting. “He seems great after the race. He recovered very well. He’s only going to be walking for the next few days before he flies home.” Pressed on the finer details, the trainer offered the kind of observation that betrays a horseman’s instincts. “He had a good dinner after the race and didn’t lose too much weight, so that’s reassuring before we restart his training programme.”
In the context of international racing, appetite and condition are everything. Horses who travel poorly stop eating; those rattled by unfamiliar climates lose weight and spark. Comanche Brave, it seems, is built for the road. “These are our first runners in the Middle East, and we’re learning all the time,” O’Brien explained. “We’re lucky that he travels very well and seems to take everything in his stride. Because he’s a sprinter, he doesn’t take a whole lot of work, which makes it easier when travelling.”
That low-maintenance temperament has proved invaluable for a skeleton crew working thousands of miles from home. “My travelling head man, Darragh Dwan has been out with him for the last two weeks along with our exercise rider, Paddy Harnett. They’ve been out in both Abu Dhabi and Saudi and done a fantastic job,” O’Brien said.
For Dubai, the trainer expects a similar arrangement. “It could well be both of them again, and then I’ll probably travel out myself a day or two ahead of the race.”
From Guineas Trial To Gulf Turf Sprinter
The road to Riyadh began at a maiden at Cork. Comanche Brave broke through there in September 2024 over six furlongs, before stepping up to win at Dundalk (Listed) over seven furlongs under Gavin Ryan. His 3YO campaign sharpened the picture. Returning at Leopardstown in March 2025, he finished a courageous second in the Gr.3 2,000 Guineas Trial, beaten just half a length by Henri Matisse, a colt who would go on to land the French 2,000 Guineas. O’Brien had spoken with quiet conviction beforehand. “He’s in great shape and has done really well over the winter. Whatever trips he ends up over, I’d be hopeful he can be competitive at Group level.”
He was competitive. A fifth in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, a third in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, a mile victory at Leopardstown in July, and a Group Two third at Leopardstown in September, all pointed towards a horse running consistently into the places behind the strongest colts in Europe.
O’Brien’s instinct, however, told a different story.
“We campaigned him at around seven furlongs to a mile last year, and I was keen to get him back to six furlongs this year,” he explained. “Ryan thought that distance, while he can be competitive at it, probably stretches him.” The inaugural US$1,000,000 Abu Dhabi Gold Cup over a mile had been the opening gambit. Comanche Brave ran a fine third behind Japan’s Strauss and Wathnan Racing’s Dark Trooper. Ryan Moore was succinct. “He ran super, I’m very happy with him.”
Then came the step back in trip for the 1351 Turf Sprint in Riyadh. Against specialist sprinters including Royal Ascot winner Lazzat, Comanche Brave finished a strong third behind the American raider Reef Runner, beaten three-quarters of a length and a neck. “I think it was probably a personal best from him,” O’Brien reflected. “We’re still not 100 per cent sure what his best trip is. He seems to be improving as we come back in distance, so it could end up being six furlongs.”
New Colours For A Fresh Gulf Chapter
Between the Abu Dhabi Gold Cup and the Saudi Cup, Comanche Brave changed hands. Having previously raced for Mrs John Magnier and Ann Marie O’Brien under the Coolmore umbrella, the colt was purchased by Muhaideb Abdullah Al Muhaideb, a Saudi-based owner new to O’Brien’s operation.
“He was bought by Mr Muhaideb after Abu Dhabi, ahead of the Saudi Cup,” the trainer confirmed. “We’re very grateful and excited to have him as one of our owners. It’s a relationship that can grow and prosper in the future.”
Comanche Brave is the only horse the new owner has with O’Brien, who was quick to acknowledge the trust involved. “I’m very appreciative of the fact that he allowed me to bring the horse back to Ireland. Hopefully he’s going to stay with me for at least a little while longer. Maybe long term he will end up in Saudi on a more regular basis.”
Rivals On The Track, Family Off It
There is something almost comically competitive about the O’Brien family descending on the same meeting from different angles. At the Saudi Cup, Donnacha had Comanche Brave in the 1351 Turf Sprint. His brother Joseph won the Gr.2 Red Sea Turf Handicap with Sons And Lovers. Their father Aidan loomed large as ever. And because all three shipped from Ireland, they shared quarantine facilities in Riyadh.
“I learned the best way to travel horses from my dad, who has been travelling with his horses for many years,” O’Brien said. “Because we came from Ireland, we were actually in the same quarantine facility in Saudi, which often ends up happening. We help each other as much as we can.” The picture he painted was one of mutual support shading into fierce ambition. “On the track, we’re rivals and there’s no quarter given. We want to beat each other the whole time. But off the track, we do our best to help each other.”
O’Brien trained at Meydan for the week before Abu Dhabi and came away impressed. “It’s an incredible facility. We were very well looked after, and the horses wanted nothing out there. We’re very appreciative of all three clubs for being so good to us. It just makes us want to go back in the future.”
Six Furlongs And A Leap Of Faith
The plan is to fly Comanche Brave home to Tipperary, retrain him through the Irish spring, and return to the Gulf for the Gr.1 Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night, run over 1200 metres on Meydan’s turf course. It would be the horse’s first time contesting six furlongs since his juvenile days, and O’Brien’s first runner on the sport’s most glamorous evening.
“He’s actually going to come back to Ireland,” O’Brien confirmed. “He’s going to fly back this Thursday, and then, hopefully, we will get an invite to go to Dubai. We’re hopeful he will get one. His rating should have gone up after Saudi. He’s going to train in Ireland between Saudi and Dubai.”
The drop to six furlongs represents uncharted territory. “That’s going to be his first time back at six furlongs since he won his maiden, so it’s a step into the unknown,” O’Brien acknowledged. “But it’s something I would like to try with him. I think the trip could suit and bring out some more improvement.”
The jockey booking remains open. Moore partnered the horse in both Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, and O’Brien was diplomatic when asked whether the arrangement would continue. “I’m not sure about that yet. But Ryan Moore is one of the best jockeys in the world, if not the best, and has been for a long time. If he wants to ride him, then I’m sure we’d be delighted.”
Two solid thirds, US$300,000 in combined prize money, and a horse who eats his dinner and holds his weight after racing halfway around the world. “The fact that we’ve had two good results now gives us confidence for travelling more horses in the future,” O’Brien said. “We want to be competing at the highest level. When we find horses good enough to compete at these big races, it’s fantastic. We’re growing our team the whole time. Hopefully in the future we’ll have even more to bring out.”
On Thursday, Comanche Brave boards a plane for home. In Tipperary, the spring grass will be coming through, and Madan will walk him on quieter ground before the preparation begins anew. Dubai is waiting.