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Wayne Bailey makes case for Aidan O’Brien’s ‘routine’ genius to be honoured
YOU’D think it ought to be easy to come up with reasons why Aidan O’Brien should be named the Irish Independent Sportstar of the Year and, if it were purely about listing his achievements, it would. I could simply copy and paste a results table onto this page and let it speak for itself.
The difficult part here is trying to put those accomplishments into context – and emphasise just how much he’s achieved in this year alone when he wins so much every year.
Because the truth is, we’ve become so accustomed to associating O’Brien with top-class success, we almost let it pass us by.
Boring would be the wrong word, but perhaps we’ve become immune to his accomplishments as an Irish sports figure.
When there’s always biscuits in the tin, where’s the fun in biscuits?
But we simply can’t let his amazing feats pass us by because racing is a so-called minority sport, even though the combined annual attendance figures at race meetings would put some popular sports to shame.
It’s also a testament to the man that his remarkable achievements have become commonplace and, therefore, unremarkable, by definition.
CHARACTER
Of course, the main reason I’m arguing for O’Brien here is because Saxon Warrior won the 2017 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, giving the Master of Ballydoyle a record 26th top-level (Group or Graded) win in a calendar year.
The record of 25 had previously had been set by the late American trainer Bobby Frankel, a very different character to the reserved O’Brien, but very much a genius, too.
Yet if you look up ‘modest’ in the dictionary, I’m sure there’s a picture of O’Brien there.
Afterwards, as usual, O’Brien gave all the credit to the team around him.
It’s become fashionable to mock anything that appears untrendy or old-fashioned in Ireland.
But here is a man – like Jim Bolger and Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh – who proudly wears a pin to say he’s a member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association, a Catholic group of teetotallers.
In these days of excess, cynicism and self-promotion, wearing that pin in itself deserves an award!
To see sportspeople stand up for their values, show a mind-blowing work ethic, and lead by example in a modest, dignified way is a breath of fresh air.
It’s that work ethic and attention to detail which has brought O’Brien well-deserved success.
I mentioned cynicism and, after Saxon Warrior’s success, the predictable social media negative comments went up.
The gist of it was that it’s easy to win everything when you have the money and top horses behind you.
And, while it’s true to say that expensive horses generally perform better, it’s never that simple.
You can buy a certain amount of success but there are no guarantees. Every animal must be cared for, finely tuned and understood. It’s not something just anyone can do.
In the wrong hands, a top-class racehorse can be wasted. Money helps, but it doesn’t guarantee that you win the Epsom Derby three times in a row – as O’Brien did from 2012 to 2014.
It doesn’t guarantee that you have the first three home in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – as O’Brien had in 2016.
The pressure of having animals worth million in your care must be immense, and it’s not always plain sailing. In 2013, for example, O’Brien had just seven Group One winners in the UK and Ireland.
And who can forget the ill-fated
2,000 Guineas winner George Washington, which returned to racing following fertility problems only to fracture his cannon bone – a cruel reminder of the fragility of these beautiful animals.
Millions won, or indeed lost, every season.
It was the likes of O’Brien and his namesake Vincent before him at Ballydoyle who raised the bar for all Irish trainers and finally made Ireland the envy of the world in a sport.
Dermot Weld broke the Melbourne Cup mould in 1993 with Vintage Crop and that incredibly high standard was evident recently when O’Brien’s son Joseph won it with Rekindling.
Aidan’s Johannes Vermeer took the runner-up spot and Willie Mullins’ Max Dynamite came home in third. An incredible sporting achievement for a small island.
But it’s not just about fancied runners. According to the betting, O’Brien’s Wings Of Eagles had a 2.4pc chance of winning the 2017 Derby – the supreme test of a thoroughbred.
A fluke? Absolutely not. Look back
at the race and you’ll see a deserving winner at 40/1. Ballydoyle and Coolmore didn’t fall on his lap.
O’Brien was young when taking out a licence in 1993 but his supreme talent quickly became clear, initially in National Hunt, where he broke records including a 1-2-3 in the 1995 Galway Plate.
Then, of course, we had Istabraq, which won the Champion Hurdle three times.
I must admit I have a soft spot for that horse. My first large bet, one that would really hurt the pocket if it lost, was placed on Istabraq in the 1998 Champion Hurdle.
For better, or perhaps worse, he won – and I was hooked.
O’Brien has built on that success each year, especially on the Flat, and has been Irish champion trainer since 1999.
In summary, O’Brien packs into one season what others hope for in a lifetime.
To see that level off success for O’Brien may be the norm, but every now and then – and particularly in 2017 – it’s worth stopping and recognising it.
And celebrating it.