For a small nation, Ireland punches above its weight on the sporting scene. The Emerald Isle has produced several world champion boxers, including Katie Taylor and Barry McGuigan, while the Rugby Union team is frequently ranked among the best in the world. Nowhere does the Irish excellence shine brighter than in the realm of horse racing.
Flat or jumps, at home or abroad, Irish horses, jockeys, and trainers have tasted incredible levels of success, with high-profile wins from Britain to Australia, and almost every major racing nation in between.
Focusing on the trainers, Irish-based handlers have historically been a force to be reckoned with. In the 21st century, that force has become all but unstoppable. From the Cheltenham Festival to flat racing’s Classics, Irish trainers have peppered winners’ enclosures at an incredible rate. So, what are the reasons behind this green tide sweeping the racing scene? And who are the biggest names in the game?
Why Do Irish Trainers Dominate?
Over the years, racing’s centre of power has shifted back and forth. It wasn’t so long ago that the innovative Martin Pipe dominated the biggest meetings, or that Paul Nicholls was the man to fear at the Cheltenham Festival.
However, the 21st-century pattern represents more than just a random swing of the pendulum. Irish trainers won more races than their British counterparts at nine of the 10 Cheltenham Festivals between 2016 and 2025. Willie Mullins was crowned British Champion Trainer in 2024 and 2025, and Aidan O’Brien is now the all-time world leader for Group 1 wins. Such strong results over a sustained period aren’t achieved by chance. Pinning this dominance down to one single factor isn’t easy. Rather, a few factors appear to have come together to create the perfect storm for Irish success.
- Part of the Culture – Racing has deep cultural roots in Ireland, possibly more so than anywhere else in the world. Overall interest in the sport is certainly higher than in England. This interest and culture create a strong motivation to succeed
- Natural Advantages – Ireland’s limestone-rich soil provides ideal conditions for pasture and for raising healthy, robust racehorses
- Strong Breeding Industry – Ireland boasts the largest breeding industry in Europe. Propelled by many of the sport’s leading stallions, the nation produces talented flat and National Hunt horses at an enviable rate. Some of these runners are sold to race abroad, but the best tend to remain in Ireland
- Willing Owners – Irish owners and syndicates invest heavily in success, buying up the cream of the home produce, and increasingly the best of the British and French runners. Inspired by recent Irish success, many British-based owners also send their stars to be trained in Ireland
- Better Racing Structure – Ireland’s racing structure, which is partially funded by the Irish government, has created a system geared towards producing classy performers. Average prize money in the higher-class events is greater in Ireland than in Britain, creating a more attractive programme for owners of the more talented runners. In addition, the best runners race amongst one another more often in Ireland due to the higher concentration of races at Listed level or above. Some argue that these frequent, classy contests sharpen runners ahead of the season’s headline events
- Talent – Then, of course, there is raw talent. Willie Mullins and Aidan O’Brien aren’t only outstanding in the modern era, they are the most successful British or Irish trainers of all time in National Hunt and Flat racing. Some of that success can be attributed to the factors mentioned above, but much of it is likely down to their brilliance in their chosen profession
Leading Irish Trainers
When assessing any top-level contest, runners hailing from an Irish yard invariably warrant a second look. If such a runner is based at one of the following operations, many punters may look no further for their selection.
Willie Mullins
The son of trainer Paddy Mullins, Willie has emerged as the dominant National Hunt force on both sides of the Irish Sea. With well over 100 wins, he is the most successful trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Festival, and it isn’t particularly close. The master of Closutton is also a multiple winner of the Grand National and incredibly saddled a 1-2-3 in the 2025 edition of the Aintree showpiece.
Aintree Grand National 2025 Top 7
| Position | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nick Rockett | Willie Mullins | Patrick Mullins |
| 2nd | I Am Maximus | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 3rd | Grangeclare West | Willie Mullins | Brian Hayes |
| 4th | Iroko | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero | Jonjo O’Neill Jr |
| 5th | Meetingofthewaters | Willie Mullins | Danny Mullins |
| 6th | Senior Chief | Henry de Bromhead | Darragh O’Keeffe |
| 7th | Minella Cocooner | Willie Mullins | Jonathan Burke |
All but unstoppable in the Irish Trainers’ Championship, Willie added the British Trainers’ Championship to his haul in 2024. That represented the first time since 1954 that the prize had headed across the Irish Sea. We didn’t have to wait so long for the next Irish winner, as Willie repeated the feat in 2025.
Not content with cutting a swathe through jumps racing, Mullins has also tasted significant success on the flat, with wins at Royal Ascot and the Breeders’ Cup Festival.
Aidan O’Brien
Willie Mullins’ counterpart on the flat conducts his operations from Ballydoyle Stables in County Tipperary and goes by the name of Aidan O’Brien. Backed by the Coolmore owner/breeder juggernaut, O’Brien has compiled a simply staggering record since first setting out as a trainer in 1993.
Initially focused on the National Hunt arm of the sport, O’Brien was crowned Ireland’s Champion National Hunt trainer five times and masterminded the career of all-time great Istabraq. Since switching to the flat, he has scaled even greater heights.
In his ascent to the top, O’Brien set new benchmarks for the most top-level wins of all time, and for the most in a single season, 28 in 2017. With 40 British Classic wins, he is the most successful trainer in the history of the 2,000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby. He also tops the all-time trainers table at Royal Ascot, and in 2025, became the joint most successful trainer in Breeders’ Cup history. Further highlights on a peerless CV include two wins in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and top-level wins in Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates. In 2025, O’Brien was crowned Irish Champion Trainer for the 28th time and picked up a seventh British title.
Gordon Elliott
Mullins and O’Brien are the clear standout names. However, the Irish threat isn’t restricted to the two titans; there is plenty of quality among the supporting cast.
The closest to Mullins on the National Hunt scene, both in terms of the size of his yard and potency in Grade 1 events, is Gordon Elliott. Based at Cullentra House in County Meath, Elliott has over 40 wins at the Cheltenham Festival, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Stayers’ Hurdle. Shooting to fame when training Silver Birch to win the 2007 Grand National, he later landed back-to-back editions of the biggest race of the year when Tiger Roll won in 2018 and 2019.
Henry de Bromhead
Hugely popular with fans on both sides of the Irish Sea, Henry de Bromhead is another Irish National Hunt trainer of note. The man behind such talents as Honeysuckle, A Plus Tard, and Minella Indo, de Bromhead has over 20 wins at the Cheltenham Festival, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and the Stayers’ Hurdle. In 2021, he added his name to the list of Irish trainers to win the Grand National when Minella Times came home in front under Rachael Blackmore.
Gavin Cromwell
Gavin Cromwell counted Gordon Elliott among the main clients in his former career as a farrier. Since setting out as a trainer in 2005, the County Meath native has shot through the training ranks with a string of high-profile triumphs. Winning his first race at the Cheltenham Festival when Espoir d’Allen caused a shock in the 2019 Champion Hurdle, he reached the pinnacle of the sport when training Inothewayurthinking to claim the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2025.
Joseph O’Brien
The son of the greatest flat trainer of all time, Joseph rode many of his father’s most famous horses during his time as a jockey. His big race wins included the English and Irish versions of the Derby, the 2,000 Guineas, and the St Leger.
Joseph O’Brien’s British & Irish Classic Wins as a Jockey
| Year | Race | Horse |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Irish 2,000 Guineas | Roderic O’Connor |
| 2012 | Newmarket 2,000 Guineas | Camelot |
| 2012 | Irish 2,000 Guineas | Power |
| 2012 | Epsom Derby | Camelot |
| 2012 | Irish Derby | Camelot |
| 2013 | Irish 2,000 Guineas | Magician |
| 2013 | Doncaster St. Leger | Leading Light |
| 2014 | Epsom Derby | Australia |
| 2014 | Irish Derby | Australia |
| 2015 | Irish St. Leger | Order Of St George |
Hanging up his silks in 2016, Joseph appears to have inherited much of Aidan’s ability as a trainer. A classic winner in Ireland and Britain, he has also landed top-level events in Germany, the USA, France, the UAE, and Australia, including two editions of the Melbourne Cup.
Dermot Weld
In 1993 – the same year that Joseph O’Brien was born – Dermot Weld became the first Irish trainer to win the Melbourne Cup. In the years before the Aidan O’Brien takeover, Weld was the number one trainer in his homeland. Crowned Irish Champion Flat Trainer on eight occasions, he has won all five Irish Classics at least once, the English 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby, and the Oaks, and several Royal Ascot contests. No one-trick pony, Weld also has multiple wins at the Cheltenham Festival, including the Champion Bumper and Triumph Hurdle.
Jessica Harrington
Formerly an international class three-day eventing rider, Jessica Harrington represented her country at the 1984 Olympic Games. Maintaining her connections with horses, she first took out her training licence in 1988 and has gone on to build an outstanding career. The most successful female trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Festival, she has won over 40 Grade 1 events and trained iconic horses such as Moscow Flyer, Sizing John, and Jezki. While the bulk of Harrington’s string ply their trade over jumps, she is more than capable of striking on the flat, as evidenced by over a dozen Group 1 wins, including two Irish Classics and success at Royal Ascot.