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A P O'Brien

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Aidan O’Brien
Age: 56
Background:
Aidan O’Brien has a phenomenal list of big race victories to his name. In 2017, he eclipsed American training legend Bobby Frankel’s record for the most Group 1 wins in a season with 28 for the year, three more than Frankel’s mark. A champion amateur jumps jockey in Ireland, he was assistant trainer to Jim Bolger before taking out a trainers’ licence in 1993 – he sealed Ireland’s champion trainer title for a 23rd time in 2020 (22nd consecutively) before winning it again in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. He enjoyed remarkable success with jumpers before teaming up with John Magnier’s Coolmore operation at the legendary Ballydoyle training base in 1996; a year later, he became Ireland’s youngest ever champion trainer on the flat. O’Brien has trained a host of champions including super sire Galileo, High Chaparral, Giant’s Causeway, Rock Of Gibraltar, Yeats, Cape Blanco, Minding and St Mark’s Basilica, as well as the great hurdler Istabraq. He broke new ground in 2014 with his first winner in Australia, Adelaide, in the W.S. Cox Plate, and in 2015 Highland Reel gave him his first Hong Kong win. He has twice won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Dylan Thomas (2007) and Found (2016). He has astonishing numbers of wins in Ireland’s Classic races, namely the Irish Derby (17), Irish 2000 Guineas (12), Irish 1000 Guineas (11) and Irish Oaks (eight). He has also won the Derby Stakes at Epsom 11 times, including the last three renewals with Auguste Rodin (2023), City Of Troy (2024) and Lambourn (2025). In 2020 Mogul gave him a third win in the Hong Kong Vase, making him one of the most successful trainers in Vase history. He is enjoying a highly successful 2025, winning Group 1 races with Delacroix, Lake Victoria, Lambourn, Minnie Hauk, Precise, Whirl, Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse, Camille Pissarro, Diego Velazquez, Diamond Necklace, True Love, Jan Brueghel, Hawk Mountain and Scandinavia.
Achievements:
Irish Champion Flat Trainer (every year since 1999), British Champion Flat Trainer (2001, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2024 & 2025), Most Successful Breeders’ Cup Trainer (21 wins), Most Successful Royal Ascot Trainer (91 wins).
Notable Wins Include:
Hong Kong Vase (2015 & 2017 Highland Reel, 2020 Mogul), Derby Stakes (2001 Galileo, 2002 High Chaparral, 2012 Camelot, 2013 Ruler Of The World, 2014 Australia, 2017 Wings Of Eagles, 2019 Anthony Van Dyck, 2020 Serpentine, 2023 Auguste Rodin, 2024 City Of Troy, 2025 Lambourn), Breeders’ Cup Turf (2002 & 2003 [dead heat] High Chaparral, 2011 St Nicholas Abbey, 2013 Magician, 2015 Found, 2016 Highland Reel, 2023 Auguste Rodin), Irish Champion Stakes (2000 Giant’s Causeway, 2003 High Chaparral, 2005 Oratorio, 2006 & 2007 Dylan Thomas, 2010 Cape Blanco, 2011 So You Think, 2019 & 2020 Magical, 2021 St Mark’s Basilica, 2022 Luxembourg, 2023 Auguste Rodin, 2025 Delacroix).
Hong Kong wins (as of 1 December):
3

25/26 Season         Up to Race Meeting of 03/12/2025
Stakes won : - No. of Wins : 0 Total Runners : 0
No. of Wins in past 10 race days : 0 No. of 2nds : 0 Win % : 0.00%
No. of 3rds : 0
No. of 4ths : 0

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