Aidan O’Brien

Unrelated to the original ‘Master of Ballydoyle’, the late, great Vincent O’Brien, Aidan O’Brien nevertheless succeeded ‘The Boss’ as private trainer to his son-in-law John Magnier at the Co. Tipperary facility in 1996. Initially, he made his name in the National Hunt sphere, succeeding his wife, Anne-Marie, as Irish Champion National Hunt Trainer in 1993/94 and retaining the title for the next five seasons in a row. Even after his move to Ballydoyle, O’Brien remained in charge of the family yard at Piltown, Co. Kilkenny and famously saddled Istbraq – still the joint second highest-rated hurdler in the history of Timeform – to victory in the Champion Hurdle in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Of course, O’Brien has since become a force majeure in Flat racing, especially at home, where he has won the trainers’ title every year since 1998. On the opposite side of the Irish Sea, he has also won the trainers’ title six times, in 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2016 and 2017. He is the leading trainer in the history of the 2,000 Guineas, with ten wins, and the Derby, with nine wins. Indeed, his career total of 43 British Classic wins is bettered only by his record in his native land, where he has chalked up 44, not including seven winners of the Irish St. Leger, which, unlike its British counterpart, is open to horses beyond the ‘Classic’ generation.

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