Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien hits 4,000 career wins

Watch any YouTube video of trainer Aidan O’Brien being interviewed after his horse has won a race and the self-consciousness and discomfort is striking. He squirms at the plaudits and tries to deflect the glory to “the team”, using words like “we” and “us”.

He is always “delighted for the lads”, his broad ownership syndicate headed by Irish billionaire John Magnier. Any questions about critical decisions are deferred to the lads.

ALSO READ: Champion SA jockey Keagan de Melo starts Hong Kong adventure

Then watch a video of him at work at his Ballydoyle training base in County Tipperary, Ireland, and you see a quite different aspect – a steely-minded, strict general commanding a precision operation that is arguably the best racehorse factory in the world. It seems clear the lads don’t call the shots here.

O’Brien saddled his 4,000th winner on Sunday at the Curragh in County Kildare: Henry Longfellow, who doddled the Group 1 National Stakes.

Asked to comment, O’Brien had the usual surprised, modest response: “It’s incredible, really … I’m grateful to so many people … it’s all pure teamwork … it’s just incredible…”

Did he ever envisage reaching such a record in 30 years? “Uuuhh … no.”

Records and awards

A couple of months ago, he got another special award at the Curragh for posting 100 European Classic winners, with the victory of Auguste Rodin in the Irish Derby. That’s a record pundits say will never be matched.

These achievements come on top of 28 Group 1 wins in a single season (2017), seven wins at a Royal Ascot meeting, eight Epsom Derby triumphs, success just about all over the world and who knows how many champion trainer titles – on the flat and over jumps.

Through his hands have passed such legends as Istabraq, Galileo, Rock Of Gibraltar, Giant’s Causeway, High Chapparal, Dylan Thomas and Yeats.

In an interview earlier this year, O’Brien was asked how he relaxed in his off time. He looked baffled: “My hobby is my work.”

What is it about horse racing that is so compelling, then?

“It’s an amazing sport really because you’ll have all types of emotions. You’ll have joy, you’ll have sadness, you’ll have confusion. But it all goes down to an opinion. And believe me the person that thinks that they know are only kidding themselves,” replied O’Brien.

“So, I would advise people to watch it … people could have a very special gift for it; an opinion that others can’t see – and that’s when they’ll really flourish. Because it’s all about your own opinion and by watching it you learn and you develop that opinion. It’s the most amazing thing.

“I think that’s what makes it very different. It can happen for anybody: horses, trainers, owners, jockeys, people on the racecourse. It’s all about interest and it’s full of it.”