HE HAS been dismissed as fortunate to have the best horses provided for him and that's obviously true. He has been accused of using illegal team tactics in big races, and the jury is out on that one. He has been called everything under the sun by jealous competitors, but yesterday Aidan O'Brien proved yet again that he is emphatically the best racehorse trainer of his generation.
Given a ride of sheer brilliance by Johnny Murtagh, O'Brien's Mount Nelson swooped on the line to win the £500,000 Coral Eclipse at Sandown and give the Irish trainer his 12th Group 1 winner of the season, halfway to beating his own world record of 2
3 Group 1s which he set back in 2001 – and we're not halfway through July.
At the age of 39, who is to say that O'Brien is at the peak of his powers? There may be more to come from the Maestro of Ballydoyle, who proved with Mount Nelson that he has the patience and guile to bring a horse back from injury – the colt missed most of last season – to win major races. It is arguably one of the finest training feats of O'Brien's career.
Mount Nelson went off the 7-2 second favourite behind Henry Cecil's Phoenix Tower, and it was the latter who looked to have won when he passed the fading Campanologist inside the final furlong. But Murtagh's timing was supreme as he brought the son of Rock of Gibraltar with a late run to pip Phoenix Tower, Pipedream running on late for third. Today in Hamburg, King of Rome will attempt to make it 13 Group 1s for O'Brien in the German Derby. On present form, you would not bet against the Maestro in any country.
Today is Family Sunday at Ayr, and the course is offering a Special Family Grandstand ticket for £19.50 which gives entry to two adults and up to four children - that's a real bargain, especially with the kids' entertainment which is being laid on.
Feature race on the card is the Campbeltown Bar Stewart Scott Memorial Handicap over a mile at 4.50pm. Len Lungo is better known for his jumps horses, but his Against The Grain was spotted staying on well after meeting interference in its latest outing eight days ago, and can take this race on ground which will suit.
Tomorrow is a red letter day at Musselburgh as entry to the racecourse is free thanks to the bookmakers and caterers at the East Lothian course. If you've never been to a racetrack, tomorrow is a good day to find out why horse racing has been Scotland's fastest growing spectator sport over the past ten years.
The full article contains 464 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
