Aidan O’Brien at Royal Ascot: Runners, Winners, Stats and What to Expect in 2025

Harry Paterson | 13:22 Saturday 14th June 2025

When it comes to Royal Ascot, no trainer in history has come close to matching the achievements of Aidan O’Brien.

The Ballydoyle maestro has become synonymous with the five-day Flat racing spectacle, delivering year after year with elite-level runners across all divisions.

Aidan O'Brien is the most successful trainer in Royal Ascot history, with an incredible record of winners and and trainer titles to his name.

Based at Ballydoyle in Ireland, O'Brien has dominated the meeting for over two decades, consistently producing top-class horses for the sport’s biggest stage.

How Many Royal Ascot Winners Has Aidan O’Brien Trained?

Aidan O’Brien stands alone as the most successful trainer in Royal Ascot history, boasting 91 winners at the festival by the end of the 2024 meeting, eclipsing the long-held record of 82 by Sir Michael Stoute and going 25 clear of any other active trainer.

His first victory came back in 1997 with Harbour Master who won the Coventry Stakes in, and he has since recorded at least one winner at every meeting bar two (1998 and 2001).

Aidan O’Brien’s Royal Ascot Trainer Titles and Winning Record

O’Brien has been crowned leading trainer at Royal Ascot in eight of that last 10 years.

In terms of volume, he regularly sends 20-30 runners to the meeting each year, with average returns of 4-5 winners each year in the last 10 years.

He has a fantastic record in some of the biggest races of the week:

Queen Anne Stakes - 4 wins
King Charles III Stakes - 0 wins
St James’s Palace Stakes - 9 wins
Prince of Wales’s Stakes - 5 wins
Gold Cup - 9 wins
Commonwealth Cup - 1 win
Coronation Stakes - 3 wins
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes - 1 win

O’Brien’s two-year-olds have become a cornerstone of his Royal Ascot success. He’s won the Coventry Stakes a record 10 times, most recently with Sioux Nation (2017), and often targets the Queen Mary, Norfolk, Albany, and Chesham Stakes with highly touted juveniles from Ballydoyle.

Aidan O'Brien 2024 Royal Ascot Winners

Aidan O’Brien once again underlined his Royal Ascot dominance in 2024, saddling six winners to claim the leading trainer title for a remarkable 13th time.

The standout moment for the Ballydoyle maestro came courtesy of Auguste Rodin, whose authoritative display in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes embodied the brilliance O’Brien believes he's only just beginning to unlock.

There were also dazzling juvenile performances from Bedtime Story, who blew the field apart in the Chesham by nine and a half lengths and Fairy Godmother, whose electrifying finish lit up the Albany.

The week’s haul was completed by Port Fairy in the Ribblesdale, Illinois in the Queen’s Vase, and the returning Kyprios in the Gold Cup.

With Ryan Moore also crowned top jockey for an 11th time and Coolmore securing leading owner honours, it was a clean sweep for the O’Brien camp.

2024 Aidan O'Brien Royal Ascot Winners:

Kyprios – Gold Cup (G1): Reclaimed his title with a gritty staying performance, securing O'Brien’s ninth win in the race.
Port Fairy – Ribblesdale Stakes (G2): A surprise 12/1 winner, and a battling performance to land a valuable prize at big odds.
Bedtime Story – Chesham Stakes (Listed): A commanding juvenile performance, winning by an unheard of 9 lengths.
Fairy Godmother – Albany Stakes (G3): Dug deep to win as 15/8 favourite.
Auguste Rodin – Prince of Wales’s Stakes: The 13/8 favourite claimed his sixth Group One success.
Illinois – Queen’s Vase: The 7/4 favourite gave O'Brien a record-equalling eighth victory in this race.

Aidan O’Brien Royal Ascot 2025 Runners

Looking ahead to Royal Ascot 2025 Aidan O'Brien enters with a number of standout chances.

Aidan O'Brien Runners to Watch:

Henri Matisse - 4/1 (St James’s Palace Stakes): Breeders’ Cup winner and French 2000 Guineas hero, aiming to give O’Brien a record-extending 10th win in the race.
Los Angeles - 9/4 (Prince of Wales’s Stakes): Irish Derby winner and Arc third, arrives off back-to-back Curragh wins including a Group 1.
Illinois - 13/8 (Ascot Gold Cup): Unexposed stayer with proven Ascot form (2024 Queen’s Vase winner), expected to step up as the new Gold Cup star.
Exactly - 6/1 (Coronation Stakes): Reliable French Guineas performer with solid form figures, but making her first appearance at Ascot.
Stay True - 3/1 (King Edward VII Stakes): Lightly raced son of Galileo with strong potential, shaping well when second in the Lingfield Derby Trial.