It's official! O'Brien is British champion trainer for a sixth time

Aidan O'Brien concluded a record-breaking 2017 by officially winning the British trainers' championship for a sixth time, although the Ballydoyle maestro had already picked up the prize on Champions Day at Ascot in October having galloped into an unassailable lead.

O'Brien previously topped the pile in 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008 and 2016, and there was no stopping him in 2017 as he finished the campaign with £8,335,028 in prize-money, over £2 million more than John Gosden, who was the last home winner in 2015.

O’Brien enjoyed a sensational 2017, winning four out of the five British Classics, with Churchill (2,000 Guineas), Winter (1,000 Guineas), Wings Of Eagles (Derby) and Capri (St Leger). Only the Gosden-trained Enable prevented the clean sweep in the Oaks. O'Brien also had six winners at Royal Ascot and broke the record for worldwide top-level victories in a year, notching 28.

The British trainers' championship is decided on prize-money and runs from January 1 to December 31.

It was also a terrific 2017 for Mark Johnston and Richard Fahey as both did an Alastair Cook and made it to a double century. Fahey reached the landmark on the final day of the year at Lingfield, while Johnston topped the charts in terms of races won for the 11th time, with a tally of 215. The record is 235, which is held by Richard Hannon senior (2013) and Richard Fahey (2015).

British Flat trainers' championship

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