Aidan O’Brien is to receive the Outstanding Contribution to Sport Awards at The Irish Post Awards next Thursday, November 27. Aidan remains one of the greatest racehorse trainers of all time, dominating the sport from his Ballydoyle base in Co. Tipperary
A delighted AIDAN O'BRIEN pictured with the trophy for Champion Flat Trainer 2020, his 23rd time to achieve the feat . Also pictured is VAN GOGH in his stable admiring the trophy (Photo Healy Racing)
Aidan, a Wexford native, has been Irish Champion Flat trainer in every season since 1999. He was crowned Champion Flat Trainer for the 28th time when the turf season concluded in Ireland on Sunday November 2.
Aidan has also been crowed Champion Flat trainer in England on eight occasions.
(2001, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2024, 2025)
He began his career with Curragh trainer PJ Finn and was later assistant trainer to both Jim Bolger and Annemarie Crowley who he was later to marry.
Aidan took out his trainer's licence in 1993 and his first winner was Wandering Thoughts at Tralee in June of that year. In the early stages of his career, he broke all manner of records in National Hunt racing in terms of winners trained and became the first trainer to saddle a 1-2-3 in the 1995 Galway Plate when Life Of A Lord defeated Kelly's Pearl and Loshian.
He will forever be associated with Istabraq who he trained to win the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle on three consecutive occasions. However, both were denied defending the Champion Hurdle crown for a fourth time when the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 caused the Cheltenham Festival to be abandoned.
Aidan’s remarkable success continued when he moved to Ballydoyle in 1996 and he quickly established himself as one of the leading trainers in the world. O'Brien continues to enjoy tremendous success at home and abroad, winning the biggest races on a continuous basis. No trainer or jockey has enjoyed more success in the Epsom Derby.
O'Brien became the first trainer to win the Epsom Derby in three consecutive years when Australia won in 2014, following on from Ruler Of The World and Camelot. With Aidan's eldest son Joseph in the saddle, Camelot's success had been all the more remarkable as it was the first father/son trainer/jockey partnership to win a British classic. The pair repeated the feat with Australia in the same race in 2014 and they also landed the Doncaster St Leger with Leading Light in 2013.
In October 2017 he recorded a magnificent 1-2-3 in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly when the Ryan Moore-ridden Found led home Highland Reel and Order Of St George. All three were by the champion sire Galileo.
Aidan set a new record of 152 winners in a Flat season in Ireland when crowned champion trainer 21st time in 2018.
Aidan recorded his 40th British Classic success, equalling a 158-year-old record held by John Scott, when the Frankie Dettori-ridden Snowfall scored a 16-length success in the Epsom Oaks in June 2021.
In 2023 Aidan O'Brien hailed 'incredible' Paddington after becoming Royal Ascot's most successful trainer. He continues to hold that title and in total, has trained 96 winners at the Royal meeting.
Henry Longfellow gave Aidan his 4,000th winner (Flat and National Hunt) when winning at the Curragh on September 10, 2023. He is the third Irish trainer after Dermot Weld and Willie Mullins to reach that milestone.
Lambourn gave O'Brien his 11th English Derby win in the race in June 2025. The success saw O'Brien become the most successful trainer in the history of the race.
Aidan O'Brien is the most successful trainer in the history of the Breeders' Cup with 21 winners after this years 2025 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar Racecourse which saw Gstaad win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
In 2017, Aidan set a new world record of 28 Group/Grade 1 wins in a calendar year. The Ballydoyle maestro has had another great season with 26 Group 1 winners so far.
The Irish Post Awards return on Thursday, November 27
Venue: The Great Room, JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London
theirishpostawards.com
