Trainer O'Brien Honored for Derby Victories

With Australia marking his third consecutive Epsom Derby (Eng-I) winner last spring, trainer Aidan O'Brien was honored at the annual Moyglare Dinner Jan. 3 in County Kildare, Ireland.

 

Each year at the dinner in County Kildare, the Irish Turf Club honors a person or an organization that had an outstanding year or has made an exceptional contribution to Irish racing, www.irishracing.com reports.

 

Australia's success in last year's Derby followed victories in the English classic by Ruler of The World in 2013 and Camelot in 2012.

 

In addressing guests at the Moyglare Dinner, Irish Turf Club senior steward Neville O'Byrne pointed out O'Brien's extraordinary achievements, including his unprecedented trio of consecutive Epsom Derby wins.

 

"Aidan O'Brien is no stranger to breaking records," he said. "He has already trained multiple group I winners, and in 2014 he trained his 11th winner of the Irish Derby (Ire-I) since 1997 (Australia).

 

"However it is not for the creation of that record that Aidan is receiving his presentation tonight but for another record he set in 2014 in relation to the Epsom Derby. The Epsom Derby was run for the first time in 1780. Since then it has been run on 235 occasions.

 

"In 2014 Aidan achieved something that no trainer has ever achieved before in the history of the race when he became the first person to train three consecutive winners of the race—an incredible achievement." 

 

"In the process he was recording his fifth Epsom Derby winner and his 21st classics win in the UK."

 

Also honored at the dinner was the organizing committee of behind the inaugural Irish Champions weekend Sept. 13-14 at Leopardstown and the Curragh. Qatari investment company QIPCO sponsored the Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-I) at Leopardstown for the first time, boosting purse money to €1 million. Total purse money for the weekend was more than €3.7 million.