Horse trainer O’Brien’s firm’s profits hit €366,685

The racehorse training and bloodstock firm operated by horse trainer Aidan O’Brien last year enjoyed a bumper year recording profits of €366,685.

New figures lodged with the Companies Office show that O’Brien’s Whisperview Trading Ltd increased its accumulated profits by €366,685, from €5.624m to €5.99m in the 12 months to the end of January 31 last.

The increase followed profits at the firm of €1.269m in fiscal 2013.

Training wizard O’Brien, 45, oversees the Ballydoyle stable at John Magnier’s Coolmore empire in south Tipperary and a highlight of the year under review was the O’Brien-trained Ruler of the World romping home to win the English Investec Derby in June 2013 and scooping £782,314 (€985,777) in prize money.

O’Brien’s Australia —ridden by his son, Joseph —completed a hat-trick of Derby wins last June for O’Brien-trained houses, making it the first time that a trainer ever saddled the flat racing Classic winner three years running.

Whisperview Trading Ltd’s cash pile during the year decreased sharply, from €1.14m to €234,609.

The strong performance by the firm coincided with horses trained by O’Brien scooping prize money totalling £6.6m in 2013 and this followed O’Brien-trained horses winning £6.2m in the UK and Ireland in 2012.

In 2013, O’Brien-trained horses scooped £3.8m in prize money in the UK, with Ballydoyle horses winning £2.86m in Ireland.

Over the last five seasons, O’Brien horses have won £32.94m in prize money in Ireland and the UK.

The value of the firm’s tangible assets totalled £11.68m.

The value of its financial assets increased from €800,800 to €980,001.