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Vincent O'Brien Dies Aged 92 - 06-02-09
June 2 - Yesterday (June 1, 2009) was a sad day for horseracing with the passing of Irish horseracing legend, Vincent O'Brien, at the age of 92. As one the finest racehorse trainers in Ireland, if not the world, O'Brien left his mark on the sport and will be remembered for a multitude of great horses and wins.
In his latter years, O'Brien, and his wife Jacqueline spent most winters on Australia's west coast with their son David. However, with his health failing and sensing that the end was nigh, the trainer and his wife returned to Ireland last week. There he was reportedly surrounded by family and friends until the end.
Vincent O'Brien was born and bred in Churchtown, Ireland in 1917, and the legend goes that as soon as he could walk and talk, he fell in love with horses, wanting to work with them. That childhood dream turned into reality when aged 26, O'Brien chalked up his first winner, Good Days, at Limerick Racecourse.
That victory cemented what O'Brien had known all of his life - that his calling was to train racehorses, and train them he did. In his first years as a trainer, O'Brien worked mainly with national hunt or jump horses, and his top charge Cottage Rake won the coveted Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1948, 1949 and 1950.
But that was just the beginning, as O'Brien's reputation began to precede him. Horsemen from across the British Isles and beyond heard stories about the intrepid Irishman who 'had the touch'. Under O'Brien's guidance, Hatton's Grace won the prestigious Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 1949, 1950 and 1951.
The trainer then delivered a horseracing coup that has not been repeated before or since. He won the Grand National - arguably the most important and prestigious jump race in the world - three consecutive times with three different horses. They were Early Mist (1953), Royal Tan (1954) and Quare Times (1955).
In the late 1950s, O'Brien turned his attention to flat horse racing, proving just as successful. During his career he won 3 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphes, 27 Irish Classics, 16 British classics, 6 Epsom Derby's, and many more. Although he retired in 1991, by then his legend was set in stone. He will be sorely missed.
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| | 2009/11/20 11:35:17 AM |
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