O’Briens dig deep
Flat season dominated despite bugs
THE AIDAN O’Brien Ballydoyle operation had a tough year, with the heart ripped out of the season as all three yards were laid low by what O’Brien described as the worst bout of virus and bugs they have ever had to deal with, but it did not stop the family from posting remarkable figures.
In the British trainers’ table for the flat season just ended, Aidan finished second to the all-conquering John Gosden who won £8.3m from his 157 winners, while O’Brien picked up £6.3m. from just 24 winners.
O’Brien won 14 Group 1s worldwide, half his total from the previous season, and won three of the five Classics in England, the 2000 Guineas (Saxon Warrior), the Oaks (Forever Together, both ridden by son, Donnacha) and two St. Legers in 24 hours with Kew Gardens in England and the Irish with Flag of Honour, his only Irish classic win of the season.
He won his 21st Irish trainers’ title with a record-breaking 154 winners and €6.8m in prize money.
All these figures represent what looks like an average season for O’Brien given his ammunition. Beneath the surface, however, I think O’Brien and his team can feel very proud of their work this year considering the problems.
It will be interesting to see how they face the challenge of Gosden and the resurgent Godolphin operation next year.
Aidan’s son, Donnchadh, won his first jockeys’ title to complete the big double and other son, Joseph, was second in the Irish trainers’ title race with 85 winners and almost €2.5m in prize money.
Jessica Harrington was thirdbest trainer with 43 winners, just over €100 behind Joseph, thanks mainly to now retired super mare, Alpha Centauri.
It seemed at times that Jim Bolger was having a quiet season but he still came in fourth with €1.45m and 46 winners.
Perhaps he did not have a major star but he most certainly has not lost his touch and, uniquely, many of his winners were home-bred and owned.
The Stobart Flat jockeys’ championship in Britain ran from May 5 to October 20 and includes both flat and all-weather.
Champion again is Silvestre De Sousa with 148 winners, but P.J. McDonald from Taghmon did well. He finished in joint 15th with 68 winners from 471 rides, and earned just over the £1m mark in total prize money.
Pat Dobbs from Enniscorthy has carved out a very lucrative winter career in the Arab and only has a limited programme in Britain. He ended with 17 winners from 146 rides, which has him in the top half of the table.
The Racing Post keeps statistics for the calendar year and in that table McDonald is in tenth place at this stage with 111 winners despite losing nearly two months through injury a while ago.
To put his achievements in perspective, there are almost 180 riders in the list with winners and just 13 riders broke the one hundred winners milestone.
Over the jumps in Britain, Tom O’Brien, son of Jim and nephew of Aidan, is really hitting his stride now and he had a top class double at Cheltenham on Saturday for Ian Williams, with First Assignment (6/4f) in a £40k listed hurdle and Speedo Boy (4/1) in a £25k handicap hurdle. On Tuesday he had won on Martyn Meade’s Cascova.
At Cheltenham, Daryl Jacob failed by just a neck to make all the running on Friday on Le Breuil (8/1), had no luck with two rides on Saturday, but his one mount on Sunday was a big winner – Alan King’s Sceau Royal (5/4) asserting near the finish to claim the £75k Grade 2 Shloer Chase.
The main Wexford emphasis on Sunday was on Cork rather than Punchestown, and there were a couple of successes.
It was a great day for Conor Murphy from Ramsgrange who won the Hunter Chase by nine lengths on Carrignagapple and landed a betting coup (from 20/1 early to start at 5/1) for Catherine Hamilton (Mullinahone) with her first track runner in Ireland.
‘I milk cows for a living; I did it this morning before coming racing but I got out of it for tonight!’ she said with a smile.
Seán Flanagan won the €17k maiden hurdle on the Noel Meadetrained Laverteen (3/1) for Gigginstown, while Paul Nolan’s Rooster Byron (5/1) was third in the €27k handicap hurdle.
Earlier in the week, J.J. Slevin won quite a valuable handicap hurdle at Clonmel on cousin Joseph O’Brien’s Thermistocles (5/1).
At Punchestown on Sunday, Jamie Codd travelled up from the Tinahely point-to-point to ride Gordon Elliott’s Malone Road (5/6) to a really impressive win in a high class bumper.
The Cheltenham Festival will be the next stop for this one.
Benny Walsh (Murrintown) was second over the banks on Peter Maher’s Mtada Supreme (20/1).