As Ireland’s most successful sportsperson celebrates a landmark birthday tomorrow. Darren Norris counts down Aidan O’Brien’s 50 greatest moments.

Standing on the balcony of the hospitality building at Killarney Racecourse yesterday evening, Frankie Dettori addressed the gathered media and punters with the charisma and panache that has endeared him to the public since moving to England in 1985.

Writing off horses trained by Aidan O’Brien is a dangerous course to take, as Ten Sovereigns highlighted in emphatic fashion when giving the trainer a record-equalling fifth Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday.

In television interviews Aidan O’Brien strove manfully to explain how it could happen, but not even PR guru Alastair Campbell could spin this one!

The Daragh Ó Conchúir Interview He will watch them go to stalls for today’s DDF Irish Derby at the Curragh and, for a moment, wonder.

Few people outside racing fully realise Aidan O’Brien is Ireland’s greatest living sportsman and that Royal Ascot is his playground.

Robert Havlin retains the ride Mehdaayih as she faces 13 rivals in Friday's Investec Oaks at Epsom.

It was 100-30 the field yesterday for next Saturday’s Epsom Derby and that tells you all you need to know about the open nature of this Classic.

The National Hunt season that has just finished was a very strange one. At times it felt like the season would never get going as we waited and waited for the skies to open. For us in racing, they never really did, but hopefully for the flat season ahead they won’t open now.

Watching Aidan O’Brien’s Hermosa land last Sunday’s 1000 Guineas at Newmarket was a bitter pill to swallow.

We know there has been something of a cloud hanging over the Ballydoyle horses for a while now, with Aidan O’Brien reporting that the bug was “the worst we’ve had.’’

English trainer Martyn Meade dodged a bullet when his Advertise landed last Sunday’s Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.

On a day which provided across-the-card trebles for Aidan, Joseph and Donnacha O’Brien, progressive Ballydoyle colt Lucius Tiberius came from last to first to record a last-gasp victory in the Irish Stallions Farms EBF Nasrullah Handicap in Leopardstown.

Can Aidan O’Brien deliver for punters at the five-day Royal Ascot extravaganza, which starts next Tuesday? asks Pat Keane

Boasting a CV featuring six Investec Derby victories would be good enough for many - that is unless you are on the brink of claiming a record-equalling seventh and go by the name of Aidan O’Brien.

Aidan O’Brien has three runners as he bids to maintain his stranglehold on the Centennial Celebration-MBNA Chester Vase Stakes on the Roodee today.

Aidan O’Brien is hoping Magic Wand can shed her maiden tag in the Arkle Finance Cheshire Oaks at Chester today.

It is highly unlikely Ger Lyons will ever be champion flat trainer.

The Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, wants the horseracing industry to be exempt from workplace legislation that limits working hours for stable staff. He has made representations to cabinet colleagues.

Colm Greaves peers into his crystal ball in search of tips and talking points for the year ahead

"I started training at 42 with a six-month-old child, so it was total madness!"

Order Of St George makes his first appearance since the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot when he runs in the Comer Group International Irish St Leger Trial at the Curragh on Saturday.

Wings Of Eagles, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Padraig Beggy, is the surprise winner of the Investec Derby at Epsom.

If you backed the Kevin Prendergast-trained Himmah to win a five furlongs two-year-old maiden at Navan last Saturday then you were more than entitled to feel especially piddled-off with Irish racing.

Aidan O'Brien sends three colts into battle in a bid to extend his excellent record in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown on Sunday.

It might be an exaggeration to say it represented a changing of the guard, but that unprecedented six-timer by Gordon Elliott at Navan last Sunday was some statement of intent.

An extraordinarily successful year for Aidan O’Brien was recognised at the Dorchester Hotel in London last night as four Ballydoyle charges were honoured at the 26th annual Cartier Racing Awards while the master handler received the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit.

David Wachman’s announcement this week that he is to retire from training at the end of the season, after some 20 years, encouraged one to reflect on various aspects of this great game.

“I have to be careful what I say now, don’t I?’’, are the words Aidan O’Brien reportedly muttered in the wake of his Caravaggio enjoying no more than a leisurely stroll on the way to winning the Group 1 Phoenix stakes at the Curragh last Sunday.

Caravaggio oozed class as he romped to an impressive, four lengths win in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

The progressive Qatari Hunter justified favouritism in the €100,000 Nasrullah Handicap, completing a superb 1259/1 four-timer for Jim Bolger and stable-jockey Kevin Manning in Leopardstown last night.

IF sport can be a barometer of national well-being then these are indeed golden, halcyon days. 

Michael Stoute moved within one winner of the late great Henry Cecil’s Royal Ascot record as Frankie Dettori shone aboard Across The Stars in the King Edward VII Stakes.

Aidan O’Brien is one of a number of trainers left to ponder the effects of what looks set to be a soft-ground Royal Ascot.

Jaytee Jet gave trainer Paul Hennessy his first victory in the English Greyhound Derby when getting on top late in a thrilling climax to the £150,000-to-the-winner classic at Wimbledon.