OBITUARY VINCENT O'BRIEN:VINCENT O'BRIEN, the man who revolutionised Ireland's racing and breeding industries from the famous Ballydoyle stables near Cashel in Co Tipperary, was born in Churchtown in north Co Cork on Good Friday, 1917.

The fifth son of Daniel O’Brien, but the first child from his father’s second marriage, Michael Vincent O’Brien grew up in the birthplace of steeplechasing. In 1752 the first recorded steeplechase race took place five miles away, between the churches in Buttevant and Doneraile.

When he began training racehorses in 1943, it was after a spell as assistant to his father, but the financial strictures of wartime racing in Ireland meant O’Brien quickly realised the only way he was going to make a living was by preparing horses for gambles – and landing them.

Critical to his future success was a memorable double in 1944 when Good Days won the Irish Cesarewitch and Drybob dead-heated for the Irish Cambridgeshire. The capital gained from those successes allowed O’Brien search for a top horse and almost immediately he got a couple of them.

Cottage Rake was a good horse on the flat but exceptional when switched over fences and in 1948 won the first of three victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The horse, and his jockey, Aubrey Brabazon, became household names in Ireland and even had songs written about them. But for Cottage Rake’s trainer it was just a prelude to an unprecedented run of National Hunt success.

Hatton’s Grace won three Champion Hurdles in a row but even that paled in comparison to a barely believable three-in-a-row between 1953-55 as O’Brien won the Aintree Grand National with three different horses – Early Mist, Royal Tan and Quare Times.

It was an unprecedented achievement in the world’s most famous steeplechase but already the Irishman’s eyes were looking towards the more lucrative flat sphere.

In 1957 he trained Ballymoss to be placed in the Epsom Derby and win the English St Leger. The horse went on to land the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1958 and was the first top-class colt to go through the world-renowned Ballydoyle stables that the trainer had built up from scratch near Cashel. Also in 1958 O’Brien saddled the mare Gladness to win the Ascot Gold Cup.

He married Jacqueline Wittenoom from Perth in Australia in 1951 and they had five children. The eldest son, David, trained briefly but successfully as well and famously beat his father when Secreto edged out El Gran Senor in a memorable 1984 Epsom Derby.

But it hasn’t been all plain sailing. In 1960, the Turf Club suspended O’Brien’s training licence for 18 months over a failed dope test on that year’s Irish Derby winner Chamour. It threatened to break up the entire Ballydoyle operation.

Popular support never wavered for the trainer, though, amid a general belief that an injustice had been done.

O’Brien eventually got his licence back after almost a year during which friends and family helped keep his operation going. In 1961 he started a libel case which the Turf Club settled outside the High Court, apologising and paying all costs.

A year later came the first of six victories in the Epsom Derby with Larkspur and the colours of the American ambassador to Ireland Raymond Guest were also carried to Derby success in 1968 by Sir Ivor.

The American-bred colt was ridden by Lester Piggott, with whom O’Brien built up one of racing’s most famous partnerships.

Together they landed three more Derbys. with Nijinksy, Roberto and The Minstrel, as well as a pair of Arc victories with Alleged.

O’Brien’s success with yearlings bought in America resulted in the start of a syndicate with the English owner Robert Sangster and the Irishman’s new son-in-law John Magnier. Buying potential champions in the US, they took advantage of Ireland’s non-taxing of stallion revenue to build up the now world famous Coolmore Stud.

The syndicate dominated European racing in the late 1970s and early 1980s before finding it more and more difficult to compete with the financial muscle of Dubai’s Maktoum family.

Nevertheless there was time for a glorious final hurrah with Piggott who returned from retirement and a jail-term to team up for a memorable Breeders’ Cup success on Royal Academy in Belmont Park in 1990.

“It was Vincent that gave me my greatest thrill ever at Belmont,” Piggott said later. “He has been the outstanding trainer of my time. He was special.” In a sport where opinions are famously diverse, that is one verdict on which there will be unanimity.

Vincent O'Brien: Life of a Master

Name:Michael Vincent O'Brien

Born:Good Friday, April 9th, 1917 in Churchtown, Co. Cork.

Married:December 29th, 1951 to Jacqueline.

Family:Five children – David, Charles, Elizabeth, Sue and Jane.

First Winner:Oversway at Limerick Junction on May 20th, 1943.

Final Winner:Mysterious Ways at the Curragh on September 17th, 1994.

Champion Trainer in Ireland (13 times):1959, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1988 1989.

Champion Flat Trainer in Britain (twice):1966 and 1977.

Champion Jumps Trainer in Britain (twice):1952-53 and 1953-54.

Major National Hunt Victories:Cheltenham Gold Cup (4) – Cottage Rake (1948-49-50) and Knock Hard (1953). Champion Hurdle (3) – Hatton's Grace (1949-50-51). Aintree Grand National (3) – Early Mist (1953), Royal Tan (1954) and Quare Times (1955). Irish Grand National (1) – Alberoni (1952).

Irish Classics:2,000 Guineas (5) – El Toro (1959), Jazzerio (1978), Kings Lake (1981), Sadler's Wells (1984) and Prince Of Birds (1988). 1,000 Guineas (3) – Valoris (1966), Lady Capulet (1977) and Godetia (1979). Derby (6) – Chamier (1953), Ballymoss (1957), Nijinksy (1970), The Minstrel (1977), El Gran Senor (1984) and Law Society (1985). Oaks (4) – Ancasta (1964), Aurabella (1965), Gaia (1969) and Godetia (1979). St Leger (9) – Barclay (1959), White Gloves (1966), Reindeer (1969), Caucasus (1975), Meneval (1976), Transworld (1977), Gonzales (1980), Leading Counsel (1985) and Dark Lomond (1988).

British Classics:2,000 Guineas (4) – Sir Ivor 91968), Nijinsky (1970), Lomond (1983) and El Gran Senor (1984). 1,000 Guineas (1) – Glad Rags (1966). Derby (6) – Larkspur (1962), Sir Ivor (1968), Nijinsky (1970), Roberto (1972), The Minstrel (1977) and Golden Fleece (1982). Oaks (2) – Long Look (1965) and Valoris (1966). St Leger (3) – Ballymoss (1957), Nijinsky (1970) and Boucher (1972).

French Classics:Prix Du Jockey Club (1) – Caerleon (1983).

Other Major International Races include:Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (3) – Ballymoss (1958) and Alleged (1977-78). Breeders' Cup Mile (1) – Royal Academy (1990). Washington International (1) – Sir Ivor (1968). King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (3) – Ballymoss (1958), Nijinsky (1970) and The Minstrel (1977). Ascot Gold Cup (1) – Gladness (1958). Eclipse Stakes (5) – Ballymoss (1958), Pieces Of Eight (1966), Artaius (1977), Solford (1983) and Sadler's Wells (1984). July Cup (5) – Thatch (1973), Saritamer (1974), Solinus (1978), Thatching (1979) and Royal Academy (1990). Sussex Stakes (4) – Thatch (1973), Artaius (1977), Jazzerio (1978) and Kings Lake (1981). Benson and Hedges Gold Cup (2) – Roberto (1972) and Caerleon (1983). Dewhurst Stakes (7) – Nijinksy (1969), Cellini (1973), The Minstrel (1976), Monteverdi (1979), Storm Bird (1980) and El Gran Senor (1983).

Career total winners in Ireland (Flat and NH)– 1,529.

Royal Ascot winner tally– 25 including including seven winners from eight runners in 1975.

Cheltenham Festival tally– 23 including 10 Gloucestershire Hurdles.

Honorary doctorates:from National University of Ireland and Ulster University.