Peerless O'Brien out on his own in Classic lists after Tuesday strikes in Oaks

When Aidan O'Brien secured his record-breaking 41st British Classic victory in the Oaks with Tuesday, it may have been the greatest achievement of his career.

He beat John Scott's trainers' record of 40 British Classic wins that had stood for 159 years, and which O'Brien equalled when Snowfall ran away with the Oaks last June. The late Lester Piggott holds the jockeys' record with 30.

O'Brien had his first victory in this category with King Of Kings in the 1998 2,000 Guineas, and his score of 41 has been achieved with 38 different horses, his dual winners being Camelot, Minding and Love. He holds the trainers' record for both the 2,000 Guineas (ten) and the Derby (eight).

He already holds the Irish Classic record, with 46 victories and he has won 96 European Classics.

O'Brien has claimed many other distinctions, including a world record number of Group 1 victories and a unique 1-2-3 in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but this latest feat ranks with any of them.

Ironically, his top-rated Flat horse, Hawk Wing (RPR 134), was beaten into second place by stablemates Rock Of Gibraltar and High Chaparral on his two Classic starts in 2002.

Scott was based at Whitewall stables in Malton and achieved his 40 Classic victories between 1827 and 1863, most famously with the very first Triple Crown winner, West Australian in 1853.

Scott's seven wins in the 2,000 Guineas constituted a record for the race until O'Brien came along, and he also won five Derbys and a record 16 St Legers.

At the time the St Leger was a parochial northern affair. The difficulties of travelling horses long distances meant that horses trained in the south rarely ran so far afield.

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