A P O'Brien

The top-level record is where it gets really impressive. O'Brien has won 87 Class 1 races — the biggest, most prestigious events in British racing — at venues including Ascot, Newmarket and Chester. To put that in perspective, those are the races that matter most, the ones that attract the best horses and the largest prize funds. Winning 87 of them in just four years of training is a remarkable achievement. Three of those wins came in the space of a fortnight in October 2025 alone, with successes at Newmarket on consecutive days and then at Doncaster two weeks later — a run that speaks to a yard with horses in outstanding form.

Chester is worth highlighting specifically. O'Brien has sent out 4 winners from just 6 runners there, meaning his horses win 2 in every 3 races at the course. That is an extraordinary record at a venue known for its tight, unusual track, which suits certain types of horse and training styles far better than others. When O'Brien travels to Chester, it pays to take notice.

His most productive working relationship has been with jockey Wayne Lordan. Together they have combined for 49 wins from 204 races — a win rate of 24%, or almost 1 in every 4 rides. That consistency over more than 200 races is the kind of partnership that doesn't happen by accident; it suggests a real understanding between trainer and rider. Interestingly, O'Brien's horses also perform particularly well when conditions underfoot are slightly soft — winning 3 from just 8 races on wetter ground, which works out at 38%, or well over 1 in every 3. That is a noticeable edge when the rain arrives.

Not every partnership fires, of course. His four races alongside Signora have produced no wins at all, a reminder that even the sharpest operations have combinations that simply haven't clicked yet.