Modern day training great Aidan O’Brien has today been confirmed as the latest inductee into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame, the official Hall of Fame for British Flat racing, with his induction ceremony to take place during the QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket Racecourse at the weekend.
Launched in 2021, the Hall of Fame sets out to immortalise the stars of the sport, both human and equine, from 1970 onwards, and already includes people such as Lester Piggott and Sir Michael Stoute, and horses including Frankel and Galileo.
Ballydoyle master O’Brien is the first to be inducted in 2024, having been chosen by an independent panel of industry experts in recognition of his outstanding achievements within the sport, their decision understandably unanimous.
The 54-year-old joins Sir Michael Stoute, Sir Henry Cecil and Vincent O’Brien as the fourth trainer to be inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception by QIPCO British Champion Series three years ago.
O’Brien’s induction will be recognised with a medal presentation before racing at Newmarket Racecourse on Saturday, May 4th, which is day two of this year’s QIPCO Guineas Festival, and features the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, which is the first leg of QIPCO British Champion Series.
O’Brien said: “It is incredible, and a privilege for us, as it is something we would never have expected.
“The people, and horses, that have gone before us I feel very privileged to have worked with. I can’t say how delighted, and honoured, I feel.”
When it comes to breaking boundaries in the world of Flat racing there has simply been no other like O’Brien, who has swept all before him since saddling Wandering Thoughts to win a handicap at Tralee back on June 7th, 1993, on his first day as a trainer.
Although now best known for his exploits on the Flat it was over Jumps that O’Brien made his name after being crowned champion Irish Jumps trainer for five consecutive seasons from the 1993/94 campaign.
While the mighty Istabraq, winner of three Champion Hurdles, and 14 Grade One races in total still shone for him over Jumps, his attention began to switch to the Flat when installed as the new trainer at Ballydoyle in 1996 by leading owner John Magnier.
And the rewards were instant with O’Brien, just a year later, becoming the youngest ever person aged 26 to win the Flat Trainers’ Championship in Ireland – a title he has incredibly held every year since scooping it for the second time in 1999.
It is not just in his native Ireland that O’Brien has been the dominant force for over 25 years with his record on British soil equally impressive.
In total O’Brien has lifted the Trainers’ Championship in Britain a total of six times, while he has also won The Derby at Epsom Downs a record nine times – a total that was started by the mighty Galileo, a fellow Hall of Famer, back in 2001.
Multiples in the Classics are a recurring theme when it comes to the man whose drive off the track is matched by the determination of his horses on it.
He has secured the QIPCO 2000 Guineas a record ten times, the same number of times he has won The Betfred Oaks, while he has captured the QIPCO 1000 Guineas on seven occasions, as well as Britain’s oldest Classic, the Betfred St Leger, an impressive six times.
Arguably one of O’Brien’s greatest achievements was set in 2017 when training a world record 28 Group/Grade One winners in a calendar year to eclipse the previous record of 25 set by legendary American trainer Bobby Frankel.
It is not just Europe where the O’Brien effect has been felt with top level victories in America, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates all on his CV.
But outside of Europe it is America’s biggest meeting, the Breeders’ Cup, where O’Brien has really excelled with a record seven victories in the Breeders’ Cup Turf and record six triumphs in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf next to his name.
Aside from being the man to beat in the Classics, there is one meeting that O’Brien has made his own in recent seasons – Royal Ascot.
And last year saw O’Brien become the most successful trainer ever at the world-famous meeting when achieving his 83rd success there via Paddington in the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes.
Before the meeting was out, Warm Heart and Age Of Kings moved him on to 85 winners at the meeting, to further extend his lead over previous record holder Sir Michael Stoute.
For a man that has achieved pretty much all there is to offer, O’Brien secured one of the most significant moments in his career when saddling the 4,000th winner of his magnificent career following the victory of Henry Longfellow in the National Stakes at the Curragh.
And with the likes of red-hot QIPCO 2000 Guineas favourite City Of Troy, and last year’s Derby hero Auguste Rodin, among an impressive armoury to go to war with this year, the prospect of O’Brien continuing to raise the bar for years to come looks a safe bet.
For more information about the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame, visit horseracinghof.com
Or visit the Hall of Fame exhibition in person at the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket, Suffolk
