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O'Brien 11/8 For Group Success In First Training Year

Gavin Beech for Bookies.com

Gavin Beech  | 3 mins

O'Brien 11/8 For Group Success In First Training Year

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Irish betting operator Paddy Power has come up with a number of Donnacha O'Brien specials after the sudden announcement that he was quitting the saddle at the tender age of 21 to focus on a career in training.

Donnacha who, like Joseph, won two Flat jockeys' championships in Ireland, has a training base already established in Longfield, County Tipperary.

In a whirlwind few years in the saddle, Donnacha rode 10 Group 1 winners, the last of which came, rather fittingly, aboard Magical, the superstar filly that he rode out every morning at Ballydoyle, in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

He said in a statement on Twitter over the weekend: “After thinking about things for a while I have decided to concentrate on training next year.

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“Riding has been very good to me and I owe everything to the people around me. I want to give special thanks to the Magnier, Smith and Tabor families along with my own family for all their support.

“I look forward to training a small group of horses next year and will hopefully build from there.”

Donnacha is a 20/1 chance to land a Group 1 prize in his first season with a license, while he is 33/1 to do so in one of the classics, and 16/1 to saddle a winner at Royal Ascot.

For those that think Donnacha is sure to get off to a flying start, then the 20/1 about him training more Flat winners than his brother in 2020 might make some appeal.

Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: “Donnacha is by a champion trainer, out of a champion trainer and is a full-brother to a classic-winning champion trainer-in-waiting. So, no pressure, Donnacha…”

Joseph O’Brien got his training career off to a slick start when Intricately, ridden by Donnacha, won the Moyglare Stud Stakes in 2016. That was a real family success as it was Joseph's first official Group 1 win as a trainer, Donnacha’s as a jockey and the 25/1 outsider was bred by their mother, Anne Marie.

But things were to get even better for Joseph - he won the Melbourne Cup with Rekindling the following year before Latrobe gave him a first classic success in the 2018 Irish Derby.

Joseph has also trained a number of high-profile winners on the National Hunt stage so has quickly established himself as one of the leading dual-purpose trainers.

About the Author

Gavin Beech for Bookies.com
Gavin Beech
Gavin Beech has worked in the betting industry for almost 20 years and is an experienced sports betting writer and tipster. He has worked for MailOnline and the Racing Post.