Being the son of a legend isn't easy but Joseph O'Brien is making a good fist of it - and his fine year could continue at Royal Ascot

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It may be only the start of June but if a trainer with the surname O'Brien isn't trainer of the year then something is seriously wrong. The one I have in mind isn't called Aidan.

Being the son of a legend is never easy but Joseph O'Brien is making an extremely good fist of it and is well on the way to joining his father in the racing Hall of Fame.

Just look at what he's achieved in the last six months. He went within a nostril of back-to-back King George VI Chase victories at Kempton with Banbridge, he won the Stayers' Hurdle with the 11-year-old Home By The Lee and might have landed the Grand National too, if Jordans had been ridden with more restraint. Things went to another level at Epsom last weekend, when Thundering On was a fantastic winner of the Oaks and cheap purchase James J Braddock ran third in the Derby.