Youngest O'Brien Aiming First Starters at Dundalk

The next installment in Donnacha O'Brien's career is likely to come at Dundalk Jan. 10, with the dual Irish champion jockey aiming to have his first runners as a trainer.

O'Brien, 21, announced his decision to retire from the saddle in November after winning his second jockeys' title earlier that month, with his focus instead switching to his training base in Longfield, County Tipperary, where David Wachman used to operate from. 

The youngest of Aidan O'Brien's four children, O'Brien has followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Joseph, and both intended Dundalk runners, Flower Garland and Mythologic, are owned by Donnacha's mother Annemarie.

O'Brien should be familiar with both horses, having ridden them when they were trained by his father.

Flower Garland is a four-race maiden but was runner-up at Leopardstown last out. Mythologic is yet to hit the target in eight starts, but has been a runner-up twice on turf.

The pair feature among 29 entries for the one-mile maiden, while Flower Garland also has an entry for the apprentice handicap over a furlong shorter.

"We'll have to see if they get into the race but the plan is to run both of them," O'Brien, who rode four Classic winners and 10 group 1s during his short but spectacular career in the saddle, said Monday.

Should O'Brien have a runner Friday it will be a fitting start for his training career, given his first winner as a jockey came as a 16-year-old at the track in September 2014 when he partnered Quartz for his father.

One exciting horse he has to look forward to is the unbeaten Fancy Blue, who Aidan O'Brien confirmed was under Donnacha's wing after she won for the second time at the Curragh in October.