Trainer Profile

County of origin: Tipperary

First winner: Flower Garland (Gavin Ryan) Dundalk, February 21, 2020

First Classic winner: Fancy Blue (Pierre-Charles Boudot)(Prix De Diane) Chantilly, July 2020

First winner in Britain: Fancy Blue (Ryan Moore)(Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes) Goodwood, July 2020

First Group 1 winner in Ireland: Shale (Ryan Moore) (Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes) Curragh, September 2020

Significant horse: Fancy Blue, Shale

Assoc. jockeys: Gavin Ryan, Ryan Moore, Wayne Lordan, Declan McDonogh

Did you know:

Donnacha O'Brien enjoyed a brief but hugely successful career as a jockey and made an immediate impact in the training ranks when enjoying Classic glory just months after taking out his licence in December 2019.

Donnacha sent out his first runners in January 2020 and saddled his first winner on February 21 of that year when the Gavin Ryan-ridden Flower Garland won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Dundalk.

At 21 years and 349 days old, he became the youngest trainer from Ireland or Britain to win a Classic when the Pierre-Charles Boudot-ridden Fancy Blue landed the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly on July 5, 2020, his filly leading home a 1-2-3 for Irish trainers. Fancy Blue narrowly beat the Jessica Harrington-trained Alpine Star and the Aidan O'Brien-trained Peaceful to become the first Irish-trained winner of the race since 1970. O'Brien's success came three weeks short of his 22nd birthday and he joined his father Aidan, his older brother Joseph and his aunt Frances Crowley as Classic-winning trainers. 

Donnacha was a winner with his first runner in Britain when the Ryan Moore-ridden Fancy Blue won the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on July 30, 2020. The Moore-ridden Shale gave Donnacha his first Group 1 winner in Ireland in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh in September, 2020. 

At Leopardstown on Thursday, August 6, 2020, Donnacha (Shale), his father Aidan (Military Style) and his brother Joseph (Thundering Nights and Tonkinese) all trained winners on the same card for the first time. 

Donnacha's jockey profile can be found HERE