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A legend of the game who will be missed by many. He revolutionised the sport and injected so much quality into it. IMO racing would not be what it is today without Vincent.
Rest in peace.
He started training pointers in a water meadow and ended up beating the best the world could muster.
Sir you were a legand, you found horses in the sales with the potental too be legands among thousands, then made them into legands both on and off the racecourses, Nijinsky being a classic example of brillent horse who needed handling with a very delicate hand.
May you rest in peace sir.To his family I offer my sincerist condulances in your loss, may god give you the strength too come through this very sad time.
I dont know about any one else but i had tears in my eyes when after read the news of Dr O’brian.
The formative years of my interest in horse racing coincided with the great years in the 1970’s when O’Brien and Piggott combined to create one of racing’s great partnerships. Glorious memories.
Of course that was only one aspect of what was an unforgettable and brilliant career. His achievements were utterly fantastic.
Saturday’s Derby will hold special resonance and I truly hope one of the Ballydoyle contingent delivers.
Here’s a little extract I like from the Prologue in the Ivor Herbert book ‘Vincent O’Brien’s Great Horses’
‘In the centre stands a slim man, immaculate. His clothes – fawn cavalry twill trousers and neat waterproof jacket, a trilby hat and gloves – look not just made to measure but fresh that morning from the tailors. Even his knee-length brown leather boots gleam. Outside the barn’s sliding door stands that small bath of fresh water, carefully maintained, so that the master’s boots and shoes are unsullied when he has finished work.
He stands, head cocked a little to one side, eyes bold and quick, ears almost twitching to catch any sound of roughness in his horse’s breathing as they canter past. Not like a robin, for there is nothing cocky in the man’s stance. More like a wary finch, alert to dangers, poised to fly. But the glance is that of a hawk’As one of the more younger people on the forum i wont remember all of Vincent O’Briens big race wins but to look at his CV you cannot help but be amazed and proud of what one man can do with horses over a long period of time.
Like a lot of people i will always remember the Breeders Cup Mile at Belmont Park with Lester Piggott in what is still one of the best finishes you will ever see in a horse race anywhere in the world bar none.
A cracking performance and a great ride from two geniuses who showed what could be possible.
R.I.P. Vincent, I only wish i was born very earlier so i could marvel and this amazing talent.
Very sad news, he was without question the finest trainer of my lifetime.
It’s hard to imagine there has ever been a better one, ever.
Very sad news, he was without question the finest trainer of my lifetime.
It’s hard to imagine there has ever been a better one, ever.
…… nor is there ever likely to be again!!!
To achieve what he did in one code was enough to mark him out for greatness – to achieve the same high standards in both codes is something else.
Unarguably the most accomplished trainer and he also had a good innings as well.
His family should feel immensely proud as they remember him.
Very sad news, he was without question the finest trainer of my lifetime.
It’s hard to imagine there has ever been a better one, ever.
…… nor is there ever likely to be again!!!
To achieve what he did in one code was enough to mark him out for greatness – to achieve the same high standards in both codes is something else.
Unarguably the most accomplished trainer and he also had a good innings as well.
His family should feel immensely proud as they remember him.
His record his utterly staggering! Just think for a minute about what he won – it’s just quite incredible. His achievements in just 1 code is immense. However, he did it in both!!!
Add to that his building of Ballydoyle and then founding Coolmore – and you have 20th Century racing!
Most importantly, from what I’ve read and heard – he was a real Gentleman, as well – a humble, geniune person!!
RIP M V O’Brien.
I echo everyone else’s sentiments. There has never been his like in racing. To train one National winner is enough for many trainers, to do it three years running with three very different horses was remarkable. To produce a difficult and fragile horse like Knock Hard to win the Gold cup was just as big an achievement or Hatton’s Grace who won the Champion Hurdle in his veteran years and then to go on with Ballymoss, Sir Ivor, Nijiynsky, Roberto, The Minstrel and that brilliant night at Belmont. Lester on the comback trail after all he had been through gave a virtuoso performance at nearly 55 years of age on Royal Academy. Absolutely brilliant.
I hope Epsom and all other courses with fixtures this weekend pay proper tribute to the first legend of Ballydoyle who is gone but will never be forgotten.
The Greatest Trainer ever bar none! El Gran Senor made me realise the genius behind the man! A True racing Legend!
Perhaps one of his greatest gifts was his eye for a horse. Charles Englehard ,one of his American owners ,asked him to go look at a yearling in the States he was considering buying. Vincent went there,spotted a strong looking colt in a nearby paddock,and told Charles to buy that instead. That was Nijinsky and really introduced the Northern Dancer line to us. Incredible man.
Vincent O’Brien trained multiple winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Champion Hurdle and the Grand National and 43 British and Irish Classic winners.
No one has matched or is ever likely to match that achievement. Enough said.
R.I.P.
It’s a good idea of Epsom’s to have the Derby jockeys wearing black armbands in honour of the great man.
Jazzman Duke Ellington one said
‘there are certain people that are beyond category’
This would apply Vincent O’ Brien.
I doubt racing will ever see anyone ever get close what Vincent achieved.
R.I.P.
I think it would be a nice gesture if a lot of the people going to the Derby wore black armbands as well as the jockeys.
Some nice tributes on the RTE site…
He was a peerless genius and changed racing forever.
How fortunate that Sadlers Wells was under his care, and the guidance of his legacy of Coolmore.
The magic will live on in the capable hands of his namesake Aiden O’Brien, and what testament to his vision and skills that ten of the thirteen remaining entries in this years Derby are immediate or second generation descendants of the great horse.The fairytale would be Black Bear Island, a product of the stallions of Dr O’Brien’s generation, taking the crown.
A truly great, great man.
We are the poorer for his loss.
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