Aidan O'Brien's Top 20 Racehorses

The top 20 racehorses that Aidan O'Brien has trained in my opinion. He's trained so many Group 1 performers that picking just 20 is difficult. I'm sure they'll be plenty of horses missing from this video that people think should be here.
Not saying anything new here but for me Giant's Causeway is the toughest in this list. Hawk Wing & George Washington the most naturally gifted. All round Galileo probably the best.
In Alphabetical Order:
Australia
Camelot
Dylan Thomas
Excelebration
Found
Galileo
Giant's Causeway
George Washington
Hawk Wing
Henrythenavigator
High Chaparral
Johannesburg
Minding
Mozart
Rock of Gibraltar
Rip Van Winkle
So You Think
St Nicholas Abbey
Stravinsky
Yeats

[@bordercollie1140]

Giant's Causeway is the toughest horse I've ever seen. Him and Frankel are my 2 favourite flat horses. He just refused to let any other horse by him.

[@harpalchauhan428]

And one of giants causeway first crop was one of my all time favourites in shamardal

[@suemaher5282]

Loved watching this. Aidan O'Brien is a horseman first trainer second. He understands this beautiful animal and it shows. Long may this great man and his family grace our racecourses.

[@christophebonhoefferofbelg9846]

Sue Maher ...Well said Susan..👍

[@tomashorvath6323]

jeez Galileo was out of this world. Thank you Aidan.

[@richfairclough123]

Jo’burg was a total sensation. So rare for a European horse to go over there and win a breeders cup on the dirt. Out of this world training performance, everything is different, the way horses break from the gate, the way they finish their races, even the way they run and the kick back. To go to America and smash Officer is just mind blowing..... only horse to do it before or since was the insane Arazi...

[@davidmcmahon5234]

A legend in his own lifetime lives and breeds racing met him once absolute gentleman in the Curragh 😊

[@jewingewing3040]

Thank you for this

[@contrail__]

We need to update the list to include magical, st.mark's basilica and auguste rodin

[@peterwarnock6101]

Rock of Gibraltar was a money making machine for me in the early noughties,paid for my holidays 3 years in a row,,best horse o brien ever had

[@boogiestreet594]

Rock of Gibralter got DEMOLISHED when he came up against a REALLY good miler in Dubai Destination, he got absolutely SLAMMED by him. He was amazing in the Breeders cup mile though man, It wasn't even Mick Kinanes falt like everyone says, he went at the PERFECT time to catch them and win, and he would have won it fairly easily, but JUST as he kicked into gear and started running, poor Landseer, his Stable mate and the Grade 1 Holywood Cup winner MASSIVELY broke down right infront of him and DESTROYED his canon bone, literally nearly causing the rock to have to slow down and manouver around the dying horse and trying to get back up to speed again, and he STILL whooped them all bar 1 and it was so close. So im saying as you probably saw, Landseer severely hindered him when he broke down. Tragic. He'd be rated the best horse in the world, or even top 5 maybe had Landseer not died and got in his way JUST as he started his electric run :(

[@pauriclane3249]

Imagine there was a horse with the ability to smash Rock Of Gibraltar on the bridal. There was Hawking with a decent draw would have beat ROG 4 lengths or more in The Guinea's. O Briens best imo

[@jamesrichardson3500]

Hugely underrated, Hawk Wing wasn't anywhere near ROG, history still isn't giving ROG the credit he deserves

[@JohnJones-ji1um]

That un or gal for me 👍

[@paulcook8660]

Aidan obrien is a masterclass of training the best flat horses in the business but my favourite racehorse of all time that he has trained is Australia 👍👍👍

[@daxashah1506]

Arguably one of the greatest trainer of Ireland n England.Highly bred fleet of horses he possessed.Great scholar.

[@GBeret83]

For my money he's as good as any trainer in the business anywhere, and he's not a scholar, he's a damn Irish horse whisperer, LOL.

[@befairish]

Thanks for this; had forgotten how many brilliant horses he has trained

[@burlesummers6539]

Great finish!

[@g871]

Good video and some great horses but you forgot Istabraq,the horse that put Aidan on the map.

[@irishcowboy42]

Galileo was the greatest on what he achieved and subsequently sired (stunning breeding, out of Sadler Wells through the Northern Dancer line), Hawk Wing the unluckiest (in all races should have been on the front foot, no mind distance), Giants Causeway (they could never go fast enough for this fella, always open to a finisher in a slow paced race), Found (name a better filly with guts of the O' Brien yard, Magical maybe) and lest not forget Istabraq, the greatest hurdler of all time (my opinion).

[@GBeret83]

Most of these are spot on and belong here. Respectfully, and also in my opinion, where you went sideways was on Excelebration and most definitely on Rip Van Winkle, for my money perhaps the most over-hyped, under-performing horse Aidan O'Brien has trained in years. He was always hyped to the gills but rarely delivered. I'm not saying he belongs on this list, but given the choice of owning Rip Van Winkle or Mastercraftsman to race, I would've taken Mastercraftsman seven days a week and twice on Sunday. That said, I don't know how in the world Highland Reel could be left off of this list? A 7-time G1 winner who traveled and logged more hard frequent flier miles for those victories than just about any horse I can remember in modern times. Another high level performer who also did a fair amount of traveling and winning was Cape Blanco, who I would remind folks galloped Rip Van Winkle & Twice Over absolutely bowlegged in the Irish Champion Stakes a month after they'd finished 1st & 2nd respectively at York against a deep Juddmonte International field. Cape Blanco was also an Irish Derby winner who between August & October, 2011 jetted back and forth from Ireland to America on three separate occasions. Two of those defeating America's top turf horse Gio Ponti over 11F in the G1 Man O'War Stakes and again a month later over 10F in the G1 Arlington Million before then defeating Deans Kitten over 12F in the G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic showing a tremendous amount of guts and fortitude to be able to hold on in that race having suffered a career ending slab fracture during the running.

[@davidmcmahon5234]

Peeping fawn was another superstar backed it a few times 😊

[@johnjoyce341]

Order Of St George,Highland Reel and Alexandrova worthy of a mention

[@neilhogarth8449]

John Joyce great shout

[@pearlyman8790]

Bit of a long shot but do u have the full race of peeping dawn winning the 2007 Yorkshire oaks? And if so would you upload? Haven’t seen the race since that day n have looked everywhere to see it again! Regards great video by the way!

[@user-vq6bb8wq2y]

Yessss. At his best Galileo by a furlong at middle distances.... but best performance ever Frankel guinea race. I believe he would of won over 5f 6f 7f 1mile 1mile 1f that day any race .. Even A Obrien was of awe of him ... when Excelebration a on at Ascot. Obrien not ru against Frankel. Pure Respect

[@tommymac1062]

Yeats ran in Navan a few weeks before he won the Gold cup in Ascot he was 4/5 and was beaten by half the track.He then breezed up in the Gold cup at 7/2.The Navan run was just a trot out in the sun so either O'Brien is a genius or a crook .

[@jewingewing3040]

Omg I remember this race 1 Darby his brother bm also.

[@jamesobrien8044]

Assembly line in Coolmore means he will always be leading trainer Put him in charge of small stable and find out true picture Multiple runners in same race a turnoff for punterd

[@davidmcmahon5234]

Giants causeway backed him in America when he was chinned mick dropped his whip ten to one thats raceing man is a genius no doubt about that 😊

[@tooraktoff]

St Nick is my personal fav

[@boogiestreet594]

Hawk Wing man, that locking he won over a mile and just OBLITERATED the breeders cup mile winner and the awesome tillerman etc.

[@Pinkpanther100x]

Never forget the Johannesburg win great day at the breeders cup

[@smartyjones594]

Yeah..it sure took the smug look off Bafferts face that day

[@jewingewing3040]

A few left out. P. Fawn.. Highland Reel.

[@yutengli1162]

Turf club result 🏝 plus ➕ configures realisations feature form for these improvements further

[@jamesbaker6834]

Best horse AOB ever trained in my eyes was a 3 time champion hurdler then rock of Gibraltar only time he lost was at the breeders cup when he couldn't get tho but the best looking horse he trained was g.washington

[@blueknight6645]

My favourite giant causeway

[@samcaney7200]

🐐

[@suemaher5282]

in my praise of Aidan I forget to say Istabraq surely in consideration and my fave flat George Washington Nicholas Abbey.

[@johndoyle5892]

Aidan O'Brien - genius

[@dereklynch1815]

The horses this man had nd has is off the wall he the greatest a king no1 will ever be as gud as him no more to say

[@jewingewing3040]

The brilliant Adian .

[@fahadsm7029]

Add to the list the great horse in2021 sant mark Baslica. It is a mazing and strong horce

[@shamshams8961]

Best trainer on the flat ever.. Galieo best for me.. I won 25 g on him

[@Nautilus1972]

Vincent O' Brien. And it's not close.

[@keithmcintyre7815]

Left out peeping fawn

[@jimotoole3724]

I taught the very same was waiting for her to pop up but then cant argue too much with his selections

[@pauriclane3249]

Rip Van Winkle and So You Think were very beatable. Peeping Fawn top 10 surely

[@stuartmurphy3391]

The 1,2,3 in the Arc!

[@TheLancashireLadPodcast]

How is Peeping Fawn or Duke of Marmelade not including in that top 20?

[@pauriclane3249]

Came here to write those 2 names. 2 top class horses

[@jamesrichardson3500]

Behind hawk wing....lunacy isn't it.

[@bobbyknox9258]

​@@jamesrichardson3500 Hawk wing is Aidens highest rated horse to date on 136👍

[@panaceainternationalpteltd654]

So you think wasn't his horse. They bought it...and it was already a champ. A Cox plate winner.

[@mjmurphy1775]

Where’s Dukeofmarmalade

[@wheretheresawilltheresaway7752]

peeping fawn left out she was his best mile and a half filly also got retired when she was still improving

[@andrewnelis9791]

The ballydoyle supremo

[@anthonyreeves7425]

Still Nickolas abbey George Washington 2 of o Brien s best all class and a big change of gear

[@DeLtAVeTeRaNz]

May have missed the best he trained Istabraq

[@johncahill3903]

DeLtAVeTeRaNz flat horses not jumps

[@GBeret83]

I agree with most of this list, but I'm not sure how you put Rip Van Winkle on this list and not Fame and Glory, or how you have Found on this list but not Highland Reel? Found beat Highland Reel by 1-3/4 lengths in the Arc, but he came back and defeated Flintshire by 2 lengths and Found by 2-3/4 lengths easily being eased down by Seamie Heffernan at the wire on their next start in the Breeders Cup Turf. If not for being eased down that day by Heffernan at Santa Anita inside the final furlong, Highland Reel could've easily beaten both, a two-time Arc 2nd and an Arc winner by 4 or 5 lengths on the bridal. Highland Reel was a 7-time G1 winner of the Secretariat Stakes & Prince of Wales's Stakes over 10f, plus the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Coronation Cup, Breeders Cup Turf, & Hong Kong Vase x 2 over 12f. Found was only a 3-time G1 winner of the Prix Marcel Boussac at a mile and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe & Breeders Cup Turf at 12f, but was beaten into 2nd or 3rd place countless times in races where more often than not, she was the best filly in the race on paper or otherwise. Fame and Glory was a 5-time G1 winner of the Criterium de Saint-Cloud & Tattersalls Gold Cup over 10f, the Irish Derby & Coronation Cup over 12f, and the Ascot Gold Cup over 2-1/2 miles, while Rip Van Winkle was also only a 3-time G1 winner of the Sussex Stakes & Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at a mile & Juddmonte International Stakes over 10-1/2f. For that matter, why isn't Cape Blanco on this list? He galloped Rip Van Winkle & Twice Over both bowlegged in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes over 10f after they'd just finished 1st & 2nd on their start prior to Leopardstown in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York. Cape Blanco also won the Irish Derby over 12f, and lest we forget, he made 3 straight trips back and forth from Ireland to the states winning 3 straight G1's in America. He won the Man O'War Stakes over 11f, & Arlington Million over 10f(defeating American turf champion Gio Ponti in both of those races, no slouch himself on turf or synthetics), plus the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic over12f, holding on to win that race with what was later found to be a slab fracture. Just sayin...........................

[@phobsdsr4326]

Kind of annoyed not to see Gleneagles here. I know he had his losses but on pure ability, he was some horse. The race he got DQ’d from in France was a farce, he was interfered with and still won. A very good horse

[@MrJoey1498]

How good was Stravinsky wow

[@electriclightlynnetrex6346]

Have you never heard of Istabraq ?

[@GBeret83]

No offense at all meant, because Aidan O'Brien's had more than a handful of all-time greats, but any list that doesn't begin with Rock Of Gibraltar, Yeats, Minding, Highland Reel, & Magical, Aidan's five different 7-time G1 winning horses that he's trained, would be an inaccurate list to me, IMO. But I do respect your opinion on your own list. All were great horses in their own right.

[@michaelkelly1855]

Gleneagles

[@johnjoyce341]

I know the subject of this piece was flat only but surely Istabraq should be on here and Footstepsinthesand would have been a good horse if he wasn't injured after the Guineas

[@glenn8272]

as an australian So You Think is possibly the best middle distance horse we have ever produced in the past 20years. A lot better than Winx in my opinion and I honsestly dont think you got to see him at his best as he had to sort of got retrained to suit the european way the races are run

[@PATRIARCA173]

Giants Causeway

[@mickfromkerry]

Istabraq ???

[@theredzone3695]

YEATS

[@boogiestreet594]

Hawk Wing. Apart fro George Washington, he was also THE most beautiful horse i've ever seen

[@bigbird7667]

Galileo deserves to be 1st he was the most consistent

[@mylifesamessandashamblesade]

Ehhh Istabraq ?? Peeping Fawn ?? Highland Reel ??

[@jamesrichardson3500]

Fallon v Spencer.....just showed the utter difference in class Fallon would have won on either horse.

[@Zarkava8]

O'Brien's best horse was Galileo.

[@stuartmurphy3391]

Magical?

[@Nautilus1972]

Take away the northern Dancer line and he's just an amateur NH rider training handicappers for Listowel. Fact. He knows it's all about the bloodline, not anything to do with him. He just drives his car around with his arm out the window asking riders how they are. Literally that's all he does. Then come race day, other people pack up the horses, off they go and win their races. AOB has fuck all to do with it. Vincent O'Brien was the real genius - built Ballydoyle and had to handpick the horses to win the derby, no two horses related.

[@roughhabit6496]

Lol every horse has Northern Dancer influence.

[@davidmcmahon5234]

Think nautilus is smoking 🚬 something funny talking out your arse man is the greatest trainer in the 🌎 world a long time 😊

[@aidanjoyce3248]

Excelebration doesn't deserve to be in this list. What about duke of marmalade.

[@robertfarrell6479]

Well if Frankel wasn't there, he would a been a multiple grade 1 winner

[@nightowl7459]

@@robertfarrell6479 True, but Frankle was there and vastly superior, good horses win and don't mainly keep finishing second to a good horse.

[@peterhuber8510]

grüsse an den deutschesten unter den DEUTSCHEN !!!