‘No grand masterplan’ - Joseph O’Brien plays down prospect of succeeding his record-breaking father at Ballydoyle

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He is enjoying so much success that he was compared to his legendary father last month, but Joseph O’Brien is refusing to countenance the possibility of succeeding record-breaking Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle.

Pricewise tipster Tom Segal showered the younger O’Brien with superlatives on the Racing Post YouTube show, Good Morning Royal Ascot, and said: "I think he's going to be as good as his dad."

O’Brien reflects on the glowing praise in a major interview in Sunday’s newspaper but, whatever he goes on to achieve in this game, he is adamant it will not be at Ballydoyle, where Aidan has taken the sport by storm since moving there in 1996.

Asked if he sees himself succeeding his father, he said: "Haha, I don't think so. Dad is 56. I'll be far too long in the tooth by the time he finishes!

"There's no grand masterplan. I didn't expect to be in the position we're in at the moment. That has completely exceeded any realistic aspirations we had a few years ago, so training at Ballydoyle isn't something that ever crosses my mind."

O’Brien also pointed out that he is training with a very different goal in mind to his father.

Joseph O'Brien: "I didn't expect to be in the position we're in at the moment"Credit: Matt Browne/Sportsfile via Getty Images

“Ultimately, Dad's job is producing stallions every year," he said. "Whatever happens, that's the main focus. Whereas, for us, our main focus is on the owner. 

"So, when an owner asks us to source a horse, or sends us a horse, everybody has different aspirations.

"For some people, it might just be to have a winner anywhere, a cheap horse they just want to win any race with. For someone else, it might be to have a winner at Galway. For others, it's to have a winner at Royal Ascot.

"Everything for us is tailoring the owner's experience, however good or not-so-good the horse may be, so when those owners have another horse, or want to buy another horse, we'll be high on the list of people they want to send it to. 

"Who knows where our next Group horses are going to come from?”

Read more from Joseph O'Brien in The Big Read, available in Sunday's newspaper or online for Racing Post+ Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday

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