The Best Irish Trainers of the Last Decade
Ireland has long produced some of the most successful horse racers and jockeys in the sport’s history. One of the most important factors in the success of racehorses is the ability of the trainers to nurture the horses to guarantee that they perform well on race day. The commitment to producing the fastest and most agile horse has driven trainers in Ireland to reach the pinnacle of the sport. This article will analyse the trainers that have defined horse racing over the past decade. When analysing the best trainers, this article will consider several factors such as innovative training tactics, successful track record, picking and working with the right jockeys, and their record at significant races such as the Grand National and Cheltenham.
William Mullins
William Mullins is one of Ireland’s most successful and iconic trainers over the past decade in Irish horse racing. Originally a jockey, during his racing career Mullins was hugely successful in the sport and became a trainer in 1988 as an assistant to his father Paddy Mullins. Mullins has won almost every prize that is on offer in horse racing, including Cheltenham races, Champion Hurdle, and the Grand National. Mullins has earned the title of Champion National Hunter Trainer a record 8 times and Irish National Hunter Trainer 17 times! At the Cheltenham Festival in the 2018season, Mullins took his win record to a fantastic 61 wins. Mullins was also the first trainer to claim a 1-2-3 in the Champion Hurdle in 2015. In the National Hunt season of 2023/24, Mullins has been one of the top prize-winners in Irish racing and ranks highly when looking at odds at the betting sites in Ireland on Irish Betting Sites. Out of 113 races, Mullins has won 52 races and has brought in €472,790 in prize money so far.
Aiden O’Brien
Aiden O’Brien is another of Ireland’s most iconic trainers, being responsible for some of the most successful Irish racehorses over the past few years. Backed by John Maginer from the successful Coolmore Foundation, O’Brien has gotten some great wins throughout his career. O’Brien was the trainer of the great horse Istrabraq who won the Champions Hurde in Cheltenham for three years running from 1998-2001.
O’Brien also trained High Chaparral who was the champion of both the English and Irish derbies in 2002. While he experienced some lower years in the middle of the noughties, O’Brien’s resurgence in the sport has been fantastic in the most recent years. The trainer has won the Irish Derby on 14 different occasions, including triumphs in both 2019 and 2020. O’Brien also holds the record for the most Group 1 wins within a calendar year in the sport with a staggering 26. Overall, O’Brien is a legend of the sport and has been massively influential over his career and the past decade.
Gordon Elliot
Gordon Elliot is one of the most successful Irish trainers over the past two decades, winning a huge number of titles and prize money in the process. Elliot was originally an amateur Irish horse racer but turned his trade to horse racing in 2006. Elliot entered the Grand National for the first time in 2007 as a 33 to 1 outsider and managed to win the event with his horse Silver Birch. Since winning the event, Elliot has gone on to become an established name within the industry. Elliot is a serial winner when it comes to the biggest event on the racing calendar, winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2016, the Grand National in 2017 and 2018, also winning the Irish Grand National in 2018. Elliot is particularly successful when it comes to prize money, winning over €3.8 million throughout his career. Elliot has also been extremely successful in the 2023/24 season, winning the most prize money with a grand total of €590,205 so far.
Jessica Harrington
Jessica Harrington has been a successful horse trainer over the past three decades and has a reputation for training some of the most successful flat race and National Hunt racehorses. Before being a trainer, Harrington was an extremely successful jockey in the sport, representing Ireland at European Championships, at the world stage, and the Olympics! Harrington owns over 80 horses in her stables, including the serial winner Jambajukiba. One of Harrington’s best victories is winning Gold Cup at Cheltenham in 2017, becoming just the third woman ever to win the event. Harrington is also extremely successful in terms of prize money, winning more than iconic racer Dermot Weld in 2020 and 2021. Overall, Harrington is an icon in sports racing both as a jockey and trainer and is certainly one of the most influential trainers over the past decade.