'I feel very privileged' - Aidan O'Brien inducted into Qipco British Champions Series Hall of Fame

Aidan O'Brien has become the fourth trainer after Sir Michael Stoute, Sir Henry Cecil and Vincent O'Brien to be inducted into the Qipco British Champions Series Hall of Fame.

The 54-year-old sends out hot favourite City Of Troy in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday and will be presented with a medal before racing starts to mark his induction.

"It's incredible and a privilege for us as it's something we would never have expected," said O'Brien. "I feel very privileged to have worked with some of the people and horses who have gone before us."

Since sending out his first runner in 1993, O'Brien has been a dominant force on the Flat but he first made his name over jumps. He was crowned champion jumps trainer in Ireland five times and won numerous Grade 1s, including three Champion Hurdles, with the mighty Istabraq.

On the Flat, O'Brien has won the Irish trainers' championship every year since 1999 and is a six-time British title winner. He has won the Derby a record nine times, starting with Galileo in 2001.

Galileo: Aidan O'Brien's first Derby winner in 2001Credit: Gerry Cranham

Nominating a highlight from his illustrious career, O'Brien said: "Galileo was my first Derby winner and it was Sadler’s Wells' first Derby winner, so that was very special. To win a Derby was something out of this world and it's something we thought would never happen. That will be a day we'll remember for a long time.  

"Galileo would come out every morning and never mind what happened yesterday, he would be like ‘just tell me what to do today’. He was so genuine, and if you watched him race, he would race with his head out and down and he never stopped trying no matter what. Whether he was in good or bad form, he gave his all on the day, every day.  

“I think that made him very special and it's a trait that's going to be carried through in a lot of his bloodlines for a long, long time.”

Read these next:

Aidan O'Brien 'couldn't be happier' after champion stayer Kyprios returns to winning ways at Navan 

'He hasn't put a foot wrong over the last few weeks' - 2,000 Guineas favourite City Of Troy continues to impress Aidan O'Brien 

Racing Post Members' Club: 50% off your first three months 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.