Horse trainer, born in Churchtown, Co Cork, S Ireland. He made an immediate impact on the post-war English National Hunt scene with Cottage Rake, which won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in three consecutive years from 1948. On the flat he trained, in 1966, the winners of the Oaks, the 1000 Guineas, the Eclipse Stakes, and the Champion Stakes. In 1977, his horse, The Minstrel, won the Derby, the Irish Derby, and the King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Dr. Michael Vincent O'Brien (born April 9, 1917 in Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland) is a retired Irish race horse trainer. He is of no relation to his namesake, Aidan O'Brien, another Irish race horse trainer. He trained six horses to win the Epsom Derby.
At first, he was a trainer of steeplechasers, and won the Grand National at Liverpool three times - Early Mist in 1953, Royal Tan in 1954, and Quare Times in 1955.
During the 1970s, he and owner Robert Sangster, along with O'Brien's son-in-law, John Magnier, established what became known as the Coolmore syndicate, which became a highly successful horse-racing and breeding operation, centred on Coolmore Stud in Co Tipperary, but also stud farms in Kentucky and Australia. One son of Northern Dancer was Nijinsky, probably the best horse O'Brien ever trained. He was eventually voted the greatest national hunt trainer of the 20th century, and was then voted the greatest flat trainer of the 20th century. Vincent O'Brien claimed 28% of the total vote.
O'Brien's son, David, became a trainer, and won the Epsom Derby in 1984 with Secreto, beating his father's horse, El Gran Senor, by a short head. David is the youngest ever trainer to win an Epsom Derby, an Irish Derby, or a French Derby. Vincent O'Brien retired from training in the late eighties; he was succeeded as "Master of Ballydoyle" by Aidan O'Brien.
Vincent O'Brien married Jacqueline Wittenoom, from Perth, Australia, in 1951 and had five children, Elizabeth (McClory);
Biography
Vincent O'Brien: The Official Biography by Jacqueline O'Brien and Ivor Herbert
User Comments Add a comment…