Aidan O'Brien becomes all-time leading trainer at Royal Ascot 2023

20 June 2023 , 17:32

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Paddington races to Aidan O'Brien's 83rd Royal Ascot victory (Image: Dave Shopland/REX/Shutterstock)

Aidan O’Brien became the most successful trainer in Royal Ascot history after winning the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes on Tuesday.

The brilliant Ballydoyle trainer needed two victories to overtake Sir Michael Stoute by wins at the royal meeting.

He hit the landmark on the first day of the five-day fixture, drawing level with Stoute after winning the Coventry Stakes with River Tiber.

Then 75 minutes later Paddington’s success in the three-year-old mile race took his score to 83, 26 years after his first Royal Ascot win.

Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Paddington proved himself the best three-year-old miler in Europe by defeating Chaldean, winner of the 2,000 Guineas, under Frankie Dettori, by three and three-quarter lengths. He was jockey Ryan Moore’s 75th Royal Ascot winner.

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O’Brien said: “Paddington is very exciting. John [Magnier] said to me that this horse would get further than a mile if you wanted him to, no problem. Ryan gave him a lovely ride – I thought he was excellent on him.

“Obviously, when Frankie is in front, it is always very dangerous, but Ryan gave him a masterful ride. He didn’t panic, produced him and he quickened. He is able to quicken very well – that is the big thing and what makes good horses great.

“The lads will have to think about whether they want to go to Goodwood for the Sussex Stakes.

"We will tell them after 10 days how he is, and then they will decide between themselves what they want to do. But he has all the options, because he has the speed to be a top miler, like we see, so it’s very exciting.”

Jon Lees