Legendary Vincent O'Brien, 92, passes away
 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009...nt-obrien-dead

Vincent O'Brien, perhaps the greatest trainer of all time, died earlier today, aged 92, at his home in Straffan, Co Kildare, Ireland.

O'Brien secured 16 English and 27 Irish classic victories, 25 Royal Ascot wins and 23 Cheltenham Festival successes during an amazing career which spanned 51 years.

He retired from training in October 1994 and had been spending his winters in Perth, Australia.

O'Brien began training in 1943 and quickly graduated from winning moderate races to sending out the likes of Cottage Rake to win the Irish Cesarewitch, the Leopardstown Chase, the King George VI Chase and three Cheltenham Gold Cups.

The trainer also masterminded the career of triple Champion Hurdle winner Hatton's Grace before buying the Ballydoyle yard in 1951 from where he sent out Early Mist, Royal Tan and Quare Times to win consecutive Grand Nationals.

However, O'Brien eventually switched his attention to the Flat and handled the likes of Nijinsky, Sir Ivor, Alleged, Sadler's Wells, Golden Fleece, The Minstrel, El Gran Senor, Ballymoss and Roberto during his stellar career.

O'Brien was also the original purchaser of Coolmore Stud and he set the wheels in motion for their worldwide breeding operation when he recruited John Magnier to run the farm.

The later recruitment of owner-investor Robert Sangster sealed Coolmore's place as one of the world's most important stallion stations.

O'Brien is survived by wife Jacqueline and five children including David, who trained the Derby winner Secreto and now lives in Perth, and Charles, who trains in Ireland.

Just about everyone I know in European racing identified Vincent O'Brien not as "A" trainer but as "THE" trainer. Surely, he will be missed, but his influence on racing will live on for some time.

27 Classic victories is incredible.

Vincent O'Brien

Vincent O'Brien, who died on June 1 aged 92 , was arguably the greatest racehorse trainer in the history of the sport.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obit...nt-OBrien.html

Nor is it easy to imagine anyone surpassing his achievements under the two codes of racing: in National Hunt, O’Brien won four Cheltenham Gold Cups, three Champion Hurdles and three consecutive Grand Nationals; when he turned his attention to the Flat, at the age of 41, he went on to take 27 Irish Classics, three Prix de l’ Arc de Triomphes and 16 English Classics, including six Epsom Derbies.

When his former stable jockey, Lester Piggott, was invited to locate O’Brien in racing’s pantheon, he replied simply: “Of course Vincent was the greatest — look at the figures.”

O’Brien’s career spanned an era in which racing changed from being merely a sporting pastime to a multi-million-pound industry, and it was a change in which this Irish trainer played no small part through his association, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with Robert Sangster and John Magnier.

RIP Vincent O'Brien. He was certainly responsible for making Ireland one of the dominant forces in horse racing. He was years ahead of his time with some of his training methods. I do believe that the Irish Times listed him as the number 1 Irish sportsman of the last century, a simple measure of how highly people thought of him on this island!

Not that it matters but I didn't realize that Sue Magnier was his daughter.

RIP

He was the greatest trainer of all time, and I doubt anyone will take that rank over.

To do what he did, is quite unbelievable.

Rest In Peace, Dr O'brien