The China Mail - O'Brien's royal century reward for sacrificing all for racing

The 56-year-old Irishman's efforts have been rewarded with a whole host of landmarks including a record 12 Epsom Derbies and in 2017 the most Group/Grade One wins in a season.

On Thursday, the remarkably humble O'Brien, who did not even have a honeymoon, achieved another landmark -- the first trainer to bring up the century mark at Royal Ascot.

Appropriately for such a feat it came in the meeting's most historic race the Ascot Gold Cup, Scandinavia winning a thriller.

One of six children he caught the racing bug off his late father Denis, who was primarily a farmer but trained a few horses in County Wexford in the southeast of Ireland.

After a successful start to training jump horses, O'Brien caught the eye of John Magnier.

The owner of the powerful Coolmore Stud operation in County Tipperary chose him in 1996 as the successor to his namesake and Magnier's father-in-law Vincent O'Brien, arguably the greatest trainer of the 20th century.

O'Brien, who is a non-smoker and abstains from alcohol, has more than rewarded his judgement.

His handling of horses is impeccable but so too is his management style with the stable staff which has ensured a happy ship over the last three decades.

Indeed on Thursday, as always, he paid tribute to a host of staff connected with the winner rather than talk about himself.

Legendary Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, never one to dole out praise freely, saw O'Brien up close when he enjoyed great success with Rock of Gibraltar which he part-owned.

"When I go round Aidan's stables and I see him addressing every member of staff by name it takes me back to the time when I was in charge of Aberdeen," Ferguson told AFP at Longchamp racecourse in 2002.

"It's the same sort of tight knit operation."

- 'Find holidays stressful' -

This begins at the top with his family -- mum Stella he rings immediately after every major race win and his wife Anne-Marie is an integral part of the team.

"There is no doubt Anne-Marie changed my whole life," he told The Irish Times.

"I couldn't believe the first day she spoke to me and then she came back and spoke to me again, I couldn't believe it."

Their sons Joseph and Donnacha, along with daughters Sarah and Anastasia, have unsurprisingly fallen in love with the sport.

Indeed both the boys have forged successful training careers after impressive stints as jockeys -- in 2012 Joseph, then just 19, and Aidan made history as the first father/son trainer/jockey combination to win the Epsom Derby when Camelot prevailed.

However, life does not just revolve around the Tipperary bubble at the Ballydoyle Racing Stable as O'Brien cares deeply about a sport which he feels should be talked up not down.

"We're all in this world at this time, enjoy it and get together and have a great time," he told Racing TV last year.

"Try not to be negative, be positive!"

There is a lighter side to him too.

"I was so stupid, they (the children) definitely got their brains from their mother's side," he told the Irish Times displaying a self-deprecatory sense of humour.

His attention to detail is understandable given the pressure his job brings in what is not only a sport but also a multi-million pound business.

However, it extends to his home life too, down to where he places his toothbrush.

"It's a mindset," he said.

"I suppose all the way along, with everything, whether it's sweeping the floor or anything else, there's a way to do it and there's a right way to put your toothbrush back.

"I am sure it drives Anne-Marie mad."

This intensity even affects his and Anne-Marie's annual holiday, although he insists he can lie on a beach without researching a horse's pedigrees.

"I'm probably a very weird person in that if you take me away I get stressed," he said.

"I find holidays stressful but that's just the way I'm made."

H.Ng--ThChM