'We had to do unnatural work with Luxembourg - it was a massive risk'
David Jennings finds the Ballydoyle maestro in fine form ahead of Sunday's Arc
These first few paragraphs were supposed to be about the Arc. The plan was to take a direct flight to Luxembourg and suss out the scenery straight away, to find out all about the favourite for Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and whether he can give Aidan O'Brien his third win in the race. We will reach that destination in a moment, but a quick detour first.
Tell me this, Aidan, if there was one thing you could change about racing right now, what would it be?
"To get people to go is the thing, isn't it?" he begins, shuffling forward in his seat. "To get people in the gates and, especially, to get young people in the gates. I don't think having a bet is a bad thing. I think having a bet is an interest. Really what you want is for everyone to have a little bet, because that's an interest for them and it allows them to develop an opinion outside of their own jobs. Then, when you have an opinion, you have an interest. I think it should be encouraged.
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- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’
- 'He must have his breakfast earlier than Willie does' - Patrick Mullins goes behind enemy lines at Gordon Elliott's yard