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Trainer: Aidan O'Brien
Aidan O’Brien was born on October 16, 1969. He was apprenticed to top Irish trainer Jim Bolger for three years and Was Irish champion amateur jockey over jumps before he started his training career. He was a five time champion jumps trainer in Ireland; he Won his first trainer’s title on the flat in 1997, repeating that title again in 1999 and every year since. In 2001, he won 22 Group I races in Europe and was champion trainer in England as well as Ireland, a feat he repeated in 2002 and 2007. So far in 2008, O'Brien has 16 Group I winners, thanks to such stable stars as
Henrythenavigator, Duke of Marmalade, Yeats and Mount Nelson.
O'Brien has saddled three Arlington Million starters including 2005 victor Powerscourt, who was also first through the line in 2004 but disqualified
and placed fourth.
Jockey: John Murtagh
Murtagh is one of the world's top jockeys and was appointed as the Coolmore operation's number one jockey in 2008 after the suspension of Arlington Million winning rider Kieren Fallon. He excels on the big occasion having won many of the big races around the world. His haul includes five Irish Oaks, three Yorkshire Oaks, four Ascot Gold Cups, two Tattersalls Gold Cups, three Epsom Derbys, two Irish Derbys, three King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, two English and Irish 2000 Guineas a piece, an English and an Irish Champions' Stakes and wins in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Breeders' Cup Turf, Breeders' Cup Mile, and The Hong Kong Vase. He is a jockey to follow particularly at Royal Ascot where he has scored at least once in all of the Group 1 races staged there (Ascot Gold Cup x4, Prince of Wales Stakes, Queen Ann Stakes x2, St James Palace Stakes x2, Coronation Stakes, King's Stand Stakes, Golden Jubilee Stakes x3).Owner: Tabor, Smith, Magnier
Michael Tabor was the principal shareholder in the Arthur Prince chain of betting shops in the United Kingdom until selling the business in 1996 for $50 million. In 1972, he purchased his first Thoroughbred and 23 years later his Thunder Gulch won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He has campaigned many runners, such as Galileo and Giant's Causeway, in partnership with Susan Magnier, wife of Coolmore Stud owner John Magnier and daughter of renowned Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien.Breeder: