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Trainer profile

Charles O'Brien

2,102 runners in the lifetime window · 204 individual horses
As at 3 Nov 2026 · KTB archive: 2005–present, updated daily
Last runner 5 days ago
Last 5 seasons Lifetime (2008→)
from 1 Jan 2008 — the aggregate floor: every horse in the window has a complete captured career behind it
167–2,102
Wins / Runs
7.9%
Strike rate
n=2,102
533 (25%)
Placed
0.96
Fair A/E
n=2,100 · 0.75 incl. margin
−655.56
£1 level stake
n=2,101 at SP · −31.2%
£3.26m
Prize money (window)
Strike by season
3.6%
KTB Yard Profile

Sends out around 110 runners a season, winning with 8% of them — a touch below the margin-free market read across the lifetime window (Fair A/E 0.96). Horses with headgear back on after a bare run strike at 11% (74 runs).

Deterministic profile computed from 2,102 archived runs (lifetime window) · updated 3 Nov 2026
KTB at a glance Fires May–Jul 25.3% when favourite Fran Berry: 11.4% from 395 Headgear returns: 10.8% Group/Graded: 10.7% Sends off the favourite in 8% of races
The read

It is weakest at Limerick (1.9% over 52 runners) — the widest gap in the record. Debutants struggle at 3.9% (n=178, Fair A/E 1.02). In Group and Graded company the record are the standout value angle: 10.7% strikes only just above baseline, but Fair A/E 1.34 and +34.37 to a £1 stake over 168 runners — a record the market has persistently underpriced. The market has consistently overbet horses returning fresh after 61+ days: 5.3% strike, Fair A/E 0.74 and −276.08 to a £1 stake over 432 runners — those runners underperform what the price implies. Fran Berry rides 19% of the entries and edges the yard's average (11.4% vs 7.9%, A/E 1.07) — the partnership beats the margin-free market read. The record reads poorly off a 61-180-day break — 3.9% over 306 runners, 4pts below the baseline. 21 Group and Graded wins sit in the archive record — the biggest prize the yard has landed: the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund 'Bold Lad' Sprint Handicap at Curragh (Sep 2023, £88,500). The stable star of the record: Big Gossey (IRE) — 12 wins from 96 runs for the yard. Seasonally, the yard fires May–Jul.

Written from the figures on this page — every claim carries its sample. Descriptive, not a tip.

Yard patterns

the angles behind the record · vs 7.9% baseline
Fresh · 61+ days off
5.3%−2.6
n=432 · A/E 0.74 · £1 −276.08
New recruits · first run for the yard
14.3%+6.4
n=7 · A/E 2.31 · £1 −3.00
Debutants · first career start
3.9%−4.0
n=178 · A/E 1.02 · £1 −65.00
First-time headgear · true-first definition
9.4%+1.5
n=96 · A/E 1.24 · £1 −21.00
Headgear returns · back on after a bare run
10.8%+2.9
n=74 · A/E 1.45 · £1 +25.00
When favourite
25.3%
n=166 · A/E 1.04 · £1 −33.76
Claiming riders · a claimer in the saddle
6.8%−1.1
n=468 · A/E 0.92 · £1 −175.01
Group / Graded races · pattern & listed
10.7%+2.8
n=168 · A/E 1.34 · £1 +34.37

Each tile is the record in that situation vs the 7.9% baseline — descriptive splits with the sample always shown, for you to weigh. Tiles under 30 runs render muted. Headgear figures use the true-first definition (first gear appearance in the captured career); returns are gear back on after a bare run. Claiming riders are runs where the booked rider carried a weight claim. Group / Graded covers pattern and listed races. The same beliefs, tested across every yard and every GB and Irish race since 2005: Racing myths.

Notable angles

vs their own baseline
With Johnny Murtagh 20.9% vs 7.9% · n=43
On last-time-out winners 14.3% vs 7.9% · n=154
With C&D winners 13.2% vs 7.9% · n=182
At Limerick 1.9% vs 7.9% · n=52
Off a 61-180-day break 3.9% vs 7.9% · n=306
With Ray Dawson 13.7% vs 7.9% · n=51
Descriptive splits ranked by divergence × sample — insight, not instruction. Every angle carries its N; nothing under 30 runs qualifies. Rows within 2pts of the baseline appear only when the market-relative read (Fair A/E) diverges, and show it.

Record by conditions

same window as header

Race type

TypeRWSR£1
Flat 1,701 130 7.6% −526.99
Hurdle 334 30 9% −135.57
NH Flat 52 7 13.5% +22.00
Chase 15 0 0% −15.00

Going

GoingRWSR£1
Soft 574 33 5.7% −308.98
Standard (AW) 463 39 8.4% −159.98
Good 419 34 8.1% −111.18
Heavy 257 21 8.2% −38.87
Good to Firm 215 23 10.7% −7.17
Good to Soft 156 14 9% −36.38
Firm 18 3 16.7% +7.00

Courses

CourseRWSR£1
Dundalk (AW) 461 38 8.2% −158.98
Curragh 274 16 5.8% −53.42
Leopardstown 217 18 8.3% −64.30
Gowran Park 183 16 8.7% −67.64
Navan 151 12 7.9% −66.50
Naas 148 10 6.8% −11.50
Fairyhouse 102 6 5.9% −37.75
Cork 74 6 8.1% −8.00
Tipperary 71 6 8.5% −34.87
Roscommon 55 7 12.7% −18.26
Punchestown 53 2 3.8% −28.00
Limerick 52 1 1.9% −46.00
Down Royal 31 4 12.9% −9.75
Thurles 28 5 17.9% +1.75
Ballinrobe 26 5 19.2% +22.50

Class

ClassRWSR£1
Class 1 170 18 10.6% +32.37
Class 2 2 0 0% −2.00
Class 4 1 0 0% −1.00

Market position

In the bettingRWSRA/E£1
Favourite 208 50 24% 1.05 −39.26
2nd–3rd fav 394 58 14.7% 1.06 −47.80
4th–6th fav 585 28 4.8% 0.68 −237.50
7th+ in betting 914 30 3.3% 1.04 −331.00
Fair A/E per band is the tell: near 1.00 the market had it priced right; well above, the wins came where the market didn't expect them.

Rows below n=30 are shown faded — a small sample is a fact, not a trend. Every figure carries its N.

Horses trained

same window as header · most-raced first
HorseRWPlLast ran
Big Gossey (IRE) 96 12 38 10 Oct 26
Hurricane Sky (IRE) 69 6 18 30 Jun 21
Mastermind (IRE)then Alan Fleming 56 2 12 17 Nov 23
Concrete And Clay (GB) 42 5 16 8 May 14
Nimitz (IRE) 41 5 21 14 Feb 20
Paradise Lost (IRE) 32 1 8 15 Oct 26
Rain In Spain (IRE) 31 5 9 25 Aug 21
Appian Way (FR)then Gordon Elliott 30 2 7 7 Oct 22
Shutter Island (IRE) 30 2 7 31 Oct 16
Strange Notions (IRE) 29 2 10 17 Nov 23
Crest Of A Wave (IRE) 28 2 4 26 Mar 21
Russian Roulette (IRE) 26 3 7 26 Dec 17
Showing the 60 most-raced of the 204 horses sent out in this window — each ran at least 11 times. Horses with fewer runs aren't listed; search finds any horse since 2005. Runs, wins and places only: a strike rate or a return on a handful of runs is noise, so none is quoted per horse — each horse's full record is on its own page.
Where they came from · where they went next

Of the 60 horses listed, 1 arrived from another yard in our archive; 59 had their first archived run for this yard.

25 have since run for another yard, most often for Gordon Elliott (2); 35 have no later run for another yard in our archive.

Read from each listed horse's whole archived career (2005 onwards), not only this window, and counted over the horses listed above, not the whole string. “First archived run” means our archive holds nothing earlier, not that the horse was unraced. A horse with no later run elsewhere may still be here, be off the track, or have run somewhere our archive does not cover — none of that is asserted.

Current form

significance-gated

Last 14 days

Small sample
0 from 1
Only 1 runners in the last 14 days — too few to read against the baseline (gate: n≥15). The card states the sample and stays neutral.

When the yard fires

strike by month, lifetime
JFMAMJJASOND
119969111047784
A flat yard: the season runs Mar–Oct. Muted months are small samples (under 30 runs) — read them with the caution they deserve.

Jockey bookings

same window · biggest samples first
Go-to riderFran Berry
19% of all rides
11.4% SR · A/E 1.07
RiderRWSR£1
Fran Berry 395 45 11.4% −90.08
Declan McDonogh 261 20 7.7% −103.80
N G McCullagh 158 6 3.8% −54.50
Mark Walsh 90 10 11.1% −51.98
W J Lee 74 8 10.8% +11.25
Wayne Lordan 68 5 7.4% −8.00
Tom Madden 58 3 5.2% −31.25
Shane Foley 54 3 5.6% −15.00
Ray Dawson 51 7 13.7% +4.12
Michael Hussey 48 4 8.3% +17.00
Johnny Murtagh 43 9 20.9% +9.31
Robert Whearty 32 4 12.5% +3.58
Muted rows are under 30 rides.

Career highlights

lifetime archive, 2005→
206
Archived wins
21
Pattern / graded wins
£4.06m
Prize money
2007
Best season · 18 wins
In our archive from its very first year (2005), so this career almost certainly began earlier than our record does. The figures above count 2005 onwards only — what the archive holds, not a full-career total. This card is the full archive census (2005→); the statistics in the header aggregate from 2008 — the floor that guarantees every horse a complete captured career — so this card can legitimately show more wins than the header.
Big Gossey (IRE) — Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund 'Bold Lad' Sprint Handicap (Premier Handicap) Curragh · Sep 2023
£88,500
Big Gossey (IRE) — Irish Stallion Farms EBF 'Bold Lad' Sprint Handicap (Premier Handicap) Curragh · Sep 2021
£73,750
Grecian Dancer (GB) — Ridgewood Pearl Stakes (Fillies Group 3) Curragh · May 2008 · Group 3
£61,750
Notable horses
Big Gossey (IRE) Bewitched (IRE) Hurricane Sky (IRE) Stocktons Wing (IRE) Grecian Dancer (GB) Concrete And Clay (GB)

Sires in the string

progeny record · win % by ground and trip
Jeremy (USA) 14% · 19–136
Progeny have won 11.2% of 6,725 runs since 2011 (425 horses). Weakest on Standard (AW) going: 7.5% from 664. Strongest beyond 3m (all codes): 16.3% from 147. Weakest over 6f – 7f (all codes): 7.8% from 743.
High Chaparral (IRE) 6.6% · 8–121
Progeny have won 10.3% of 8,730 runs since 2008 (682 horses). Weakest over 2m5f – 3m (all codes): 6.2% from 419.
Gutaifan (IRE) 12.5% · 12–96
Progeny have won 8.9% of 3,762 runs since 2019 (302 horses).
Hurricane Run (IRE) 8.3% · 7–84
Progeny have won 10.9% of 3,152 runs since 2010 (273 horses). Weakest over 2m5f – 3m (all codes): 4.8% from 104.
Medicean (GB) 10% · 8–80
Progeny have won 10.4% of 9,890 runs since 2008 (682 horses).
Galileo (IRE) 13.6% · 9–66
Progeny have won 14.5% of 18,200 runs since 2008 (1,776 horses). Strongest over 6f – 7f (all codes): 18.2% from 1,383. Weakest over 2m5f – 3m (all codes): 9.4% from 890.
Top line: the yard's own record with each sire's runners (win %, wins–runs), same window as the header; faded under 30 runs. Beneath it: every run by that sire's progeny in our archive since 2008, as at 3 Nov 2026 — what they have done, not a forecast. A going or a distance is named only where at least 100 progeny runs sit 3 or more points from the sire's own win rate. Distance bands cover Flat and jumps together.

The record

latest 50 of 2,543 · newest first

The latest 50 of 2,543 archived runners, newest first. The full record runs from 30 January 2005 to 29 October 2026.

DateCourseHorseRaceFinishSP
29 Oct 26 Punchestown (IRE) Miss Americana (GB)J: Declan McDonogh See You At The GR1 Double Header – 21 & 22 November Handicap (Div II)7f · Yielding · 11 ran 2nd 15/2
19 Oct 26 Gowran Park (IRE) Miss Americana (GB)J: Keithen Kennedy Racing Club Membership Handicap (Div II)8.5f · Soft · 15 ran 5th 5/1J
19 Oct 26 Gowran Park (IRE) Little Wing (IRE)J: W. J. Lee Dine At Gowran Park Handicap7f · Yielding · 13 ran 9th 33/1
15 Oct 26 Curragh (IRE) Paradise Lost (IRE)J: Julian Pietropaolo Isuzu Ireland Handicap14f · Yielding To Soft · 21 ran 6th 14/1
13 Oct 26 Punchestown (IRE) No Big Deal (IRE)J: Mark Walsh William Hill Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle (Div II)20f · Good · 17 ran 9th 5/1
13 Oct 26 Punchestown (IRE) Pavilion End (GB)J: Mark Walsh William Hill Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle16f · Good · 11 ran 10th 11/2
10 Oct 26 Naas (IRE) Big Gossey (IRE)J: Robert Whearty RFL Steels Stakes (Listed)Class 1 · 6f · Soft · 9 ran 2nd 6/1
04 Oct 26 Curragh (IRE) Big Gossey (IRE)J: Robert Whearty Coolmore Sioux Nation Concorde Stakes (Listed)Class 1 · 7f · Soft · 10 ran 5th 6/1
02 Oct 26 Gowran Park (IRE) Paradise Lost (IRE)J: Mark Walsh Paddy Monaghan 90th Birthday Handicap Hurdle20f · Good · 14 ran 5th 13/2
02 Oct 26 Gowran Park (IRE) No Big Deal (IRE)J: Mark Walsh Racing TV Handicap Hurdle (Div I)20f · Good · 20 ran 4th 9/2
27 Sep 26 Curragh (IRE) Big Gossey (IRE)J: Robert Whearty Qatar Racing And Equestrian Club Renaissance Stakes (Group 3)Class 1 · 6f · Heavy · 7 ran 2nd 12/1
19 Sep 26 Navan (IRE) No Big Deal (IRE)J: Jordan Gainford Millbrook Food Group 100 Years Celebration Handicap Hurdle (Div II)19f · Good · 16 ran 8th 7/1
18 Sep 26 Dundalk (AW) (IRE) Pavilion End (GB)J: Sam Coen Start Your Racing TV Free Trial Now Apprentice Handicap12f · Standard · 10 ran 9th 11/4F
18 Sep 26 Dundalk (AW) (IRE) Little Wing (IRE)J: Declan McDonogh Friday Night Lights Are Back At Dundalk Handicap7f · Standard · 14 ran 13th 50/1
15 Sep 26 Punchestown (IRE) Miss Americana (GB)J: Nathan Crosse Festival 2027 On Sale Soon Handicap (Div II)9f · Good · 13 ran 5th 4/1J
13 Sep 26 Curragh (IRE) Big Gossey (IRE)J: W J Lee BAR 1 Betting Flying Five Stakes (Group 1)Class 1 · 5f · Yielding · 17 ran 10th 40/1
01 Sep 26 Gowran Park (IRE) Miss Americana (GB)J: Keithen Kennedy Societies Welcome At Gowran Park Apprentice Handicap8f · Yielding · 16 ran 3rd 6/1
29 Aug 26 Curragh (IRE) Big Gossey (IRE)J: Sam Coen Tote Irish Cambridgeshire8f · Good · 17 ran 9th 25/1
20 Aug 26 Leopardstown (IRE) Pavilion End (GB)J: Declan McDonogh Money Back Daily Specials With Tote.ie Handicap13f · Good To Yielding · 11 ran 3rd 11/1
09 Aug 26 Curragh (IRE) Big Gossey (IRE)J: W J Lee FBD Hotels And Resorts Phoenix Sprint Stakes (Group 3)Class 1 · 6f · Good To Firm · 5 ran 5th 7/2

Drawn from the whole archive (2005 onwards), so it can include runs outside the window the header statistics cover. Non-runners are not listed. A finish shown in letters is a non-completion (F fell · UR unseated · PU pulled up · BD brought down).

KTB’s figures

the forward record · since 5 Oct 2026

KTB’s figures on this yard’s runners since 10 Oct 2026: the KTB Selection in 1 run (won 0, 1 did not run) · top-rated on KTB Rating in 2 runs (won 0, 1 did not run) · fastest on KTB Speed in 3 runs (won 0, 1 did not run) · to 30 Oct 2026.

Each pick was a KTB figure’s choice before the off — the published KTB Selection, the top-rated horse on KTB Rating, the fastest on KTB Speed — settled against the result the next morning and never worked out again; “did not run” is counted apart. GB and Irish races only. A record of weeks so far: read it as a count, not a verdict.

Quick answers

What is Charles O'Brien's strike rate?
Charles O'Brien has won 167 of 2,102 runners since 2008, a strike rate of 7.9% (as at 3 November 2026). Figures are computed from our own results archive.
Which course does Charles O'Brien do best at?
Down Royal by strike rate: 4 wins from 31 runners (12.9%) since 2008. Read from the 15 courses with the most runners on the same basis, and only those with at least 30 — a small sample cannot top the list, and a rarely-visited course is not in the comparison.
Who rides most for Charles O'Brien?
Fran Berry, with 395 runners since 2008 — 19% of the total. That pairing has won 45 (11.4%).
Is Charles O'Brien in form?
Too few runners in the last 14 days to read — 1 runner, which is not a sample we will draw a conclusion from.
What is Charles O'Brien's Fair A/E?
0.96, from 2,100 runners with a computed fair probability since 2008. Fair A/E compares actual wins with a margin-stripped market expectation, so 1.00 is par: above it the wins came at bigger prices than the margin-free market implied, below it they did not.
Fair A/E compares wins with a margin-stripped market expectation. Favourite-heavy samples — top yards, leading riders — naturally read a few points warm, so 1.05 means "beat the margin-free market read", not "the market underrates this by 5%". Three sample sizes are reported and never blended: runs (n), the ROI basis (n at SP), and the fair-A/E basis (n with a computed fair probability).

Strike rate is wins over all runs (n). ROI is £1 level stakes at SP over runs with a parseable price (n at SP). Fair A/E is wins over margin-stripped market expectation, over runs with a computed fair probability (n fair). The three Ns can legitimately differ and are always shown. Figures as at 3 November 2026, computed from our own results archive (2005 onwards; aggregates from 2008).