Aidan O'Brien

Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) is an Irish horse racing trainer.

Aidan O'Brien was crowned England's champion trainer, the first Irishman to achieve the feat since Vincent O'Brien in 1971.

Anne-Marie's father, Joe Crowley trained horses at Piltown, County Kilkenny, where his tenure was interrupted in quick succession by his daughter Anne-Marie (Champion National Hunt Trainer during her brief time at the helm), his son-in-law Aidan O'Brien (who took over from his wife in 1993 but moved on to Ballydoyle in 1996) and then another daughter, Frances Crowley (who moved on to train on the Curragh for some years).

Joe then renewed his own training licence for some years before retiring.

Aidan O’Brien was champion Irish National Hunt trainer in the 1993/4 season and went on to lift the title for the next 5 consecutive seasons.

His most successful horse during this time was the famed Istabraq.

Since 1996, he has been the private trainer at Ballydoyle Stables near Rosegreen in County Tipperary for John Magnier and his Coolmore Stud associates.

He is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest horse racing trainers of all time.

In 1996 he was approached by John Magnier to train at Ballydoyle.

For a number of years he retained his Piltown yard.

O'Brien and Anne-Marie have four children, with Joseph, Sarah, Anastasia and Donnacha all jockeys.

2004 Proved to be a disappointing year for O'Brien.

It started off with the removal of Michael Kinane as stable jockey.

Kinane was replaced by the young Jamie Spencer who had developed a good reputation riding in the UK.

However the year ultimately proved disappointing on the track.

Spencer was replaced after a string of self-confessed mistakes on Powerscourt in the Arlington Million and on the same horse again in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Kieren Fallon replaced Spencer as Ballydoyle's stable jockey.

On the first classic weekend of the 2005 flat season the newly formed partnership of Aidan O'Brien and Kieren Fallon took home both the 2,000 Guineas (Footstepsinthesand) and the 1,000 Guineas (Virginia Waters).

More major successes followed with Oratorio (Eclipse Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes), Scorpion (Grand Prix de Paris, St. Leger) and juveniles George Washington, Rumplestiltskin and Horatio Nelson.

The start of the 2006 flat season saw George Washington confirm his juvenile promise by easily winning the 2,000 Guineas on Newmarket's Rowley Mile to give O'Brien his fourth win in the race.

While George Washington disappointed in the Irish equivalent, he redeemed himself in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.

Dylan Thomas also made his mark in the top middle distance races in Europe.

After going close in the Epsom Derby, he was found to be more effective under a patient Kieren Fallon ride in the Irish Derby.

Dylan Thomas also showed his battling qualities in the Irish Champion Stakes, where he beat the Champion mare Ouija Board by a neck.

Other 2006 highlights came through Alexandrova who dominated the middle distance fillies classics taking in The Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks.

The end of season saw the juvenile Holy Roman Emperor take the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère on Arc day at Longchamp.

In one of the races of the season he was beaten by a head in the Dewhurst Stakes by European Champion 2-year-old Teofilo.

Much anticipation centred on the expected rematch of these two colts in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket the following spring.

Aidan O'Brien was one of six children of Denis O'Brien (died 1 December 2008 ) and his wife Stella (née Doyle).

Denis was a farmer and small-scale horse trainer in the townland of Killegney, near Poulpeasty, in County Wexford, where Aidan grew up.

Aidan O'Brien attended Donard National School, located less than a mile from his parents' home.

He subsequently attended secondary school at Good Counsel College, New Ross, also located in County Wexford.

O'Brien is a member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association, meaning that he does not drink alcohol.

O'Brien first started working professionally with horses at P.J. Finn's racing stables at the Curragh, County Kildare, and then with Jim Bolger at Coolcullen, County Carlow.

Aidan O'Brien is married to Anne-Marie (née Crowley).

Joseph became apprenticed to his father and rode his first winner shortly after his sixteenth birthday, on Johann Zoffany at Leopardstown on 28 May 2009.

In 2012 O'Brien and Joseph, 19, became the first father-son/trainer-jockey combination to win The Derby, with Camelot.

As of 2023, Aidan O'Brien is the most successful Epsom Derby trainer of all time with 9 wins.

Desert King won the National Stakes to give Aidan O'Brien his first Group 1 success.

Desert King won the Irish 2,000 Guineas to give Aidan O'Brien his first classic success.