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Trainer profile

Richard John O'Brien

988 runners in the lifetime window · 141 individual horses
As at 8 Nov 2026 · KTB archive: 2005–present, updated daily
Last runner 23 days ago
Last 5 seasons Lifetime (2016→)
from 1 Jan 2008 — the aggregate floor: every horse in the window has a complete captured career behind it
81–988
Wins / Runs
8.2%
Strike rate
n=988
264 (27%)
Placed
0.88
Fair A/E
n=987 · 0.72 incl. margin
−387.27
£1 level stake
n=988 at SP · −39.2%
£1.22m
Prize money (window)
Strike by season
4.8%
KTB Yard Profile

Sends out around 50 runners a season, winning with 8% of them — a touch below the margin-free market read across the lifetime window (Fair A/E 0.88).

Deterministic profile computed from 988 archived runs (lifetime window) · updated 8 Nov 2026
KTB at a glance Fires Dec–Feb 25.6% when favourite W J Lee: 13% from 108 Sends off the favourite in 9% of races
The read

The record is strongest at Killarney (16.3%, n=43), clear of the yard's 8.2% baseline. It is weakest at Navan (1.9% over 53 runners) — the widest gap in the record. Debutants struggle at 3.3% (n=60, Fair A/E 0.60). W J Lee rides 11% of the entries and edges the yard's average (13% vs 8.2%, A/E 1.09) — the partnership beats the margin-free market read. The record reads poorly at trips under 6f — 2.6% over 76 runners, 5.6pts below the baseline. One Group or Graded win sits in the archive record — the biggest prize the yard has landed: the Rentokil Initial Handicap Chase at Killarney (Jul 2018, £29,500). The stable star of the record: Cautious Approach (GB) — 5 wins from 29 runs for the yard. Seasonally, the yard fires Dec–Feb.

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

Yard patterns

the angles behind the record · vs 8.2% baseline
Fresh · 61+ days off
5.6%−2.6
n=179 · A/E 0.94 · £1 −48.25
New recruits · first run for the yard
6.1%−2.1
n=82 · A/E 0.98 · £1 +3.50
Debutants · first career start
3.3%−4.9
n=60 · A/E 0.60 · £1 −45.00
First-time headgear · true-first definition
0%−8.2
n=23 · A/E 0.00 · £1 −23.00
Headgear returns · back on after a bare run
8.3%+0.1
n=48 · A/E 0.91 · £1 −26.25
When favourite
25.6%
n=90 · A/E 1.03 · £1 −15.55
Claiming riders · a claimer in the saddle
7.8%−0.4
n=334 · A/E 0.98 · £1 −94.25
Group / Graded races · pattern & listed
3.6%−4.6
n=28 · A/E 0.45 · £1 −25.00

Each tile is the record in that situation vs the 8.2% 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 Danny Mullins 21.6% vs 8.2% · n=37
With C&D winners 16% vs 8.2% · n=100
At Killarney 16.3% vs 8.2% · n=43
With Ben Coen 0% vs 8.2% · n=38
At Navan 1.9% vs 8.2% · n=53
At trips under 6f 2.6% vs 8.2% · n=76
This filter uses derived form angles computed for 49.9% of the archive so far (as at 8 Nov 2026); the sample will grow as sequencing completes.
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 884 68 7.7% −361.47
Hurdle 71 7 9.9% −28.80
NH Flat 24 4 16.7% +5.00
Chase 9 2 22.2% −2.00

Going

GoingRWSR£1
Standard (AW) 270 31 11.5% −16.17
Good 265 15 5.7% −176.80
Soft 220 19 8.6% −61.76
Good to Firm 85 6 7.1% −50.87
Heavy 79 5 6.3% −41.00
Good to Soft 69 5 7.2% −40.67

Courses

CourseRWSR£1
Dundalk (AW) 266 30 11.3% −16.17
Curragh 97 5 5.2% −67.50
Naas 72 3 4.2% −42.00
Leopardstown 69 5 7.2% −38.75
Navan 53 1 1.9% −49.00
Limerick 52 6 11.5% −17.80
Gowran Park 50 3 6% −31.50
Cork 43 2 4.7% −32.50
Killarney 43 7 16.3% +0.62
Tipperary 32 1 3.1% −28.25
Listowel 29 3 10.3% −9.00
Roscommon 28 3 10.7% −12.25
Ballinrobe 26 4 15.4% +7.80
Fairyhouse 24 1 4.2% −21.00
Galway 21 2 9.5% +24.20

Class

ClassRWSR£1
Class 1 28 1 3.6% −25.00
Class 4 5 1 20% +4.00
Class 2 4 0 0% −4.00
Class 5 2 0 0% −2.00

Market position

In the bettingRWSRA/E£1
Favourite 101 25 24.8% 1.03 −19.30
2nd–3rd fav 217 27 12.4% 0.87 −72.47
4th–6th fav 287 23 8% 0.96 −74.50
7th+ in betting 383 6 1.6% 0.48 −221.00
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
Cautious Approach (GB)from Sabrina J Harty 29 5 8 30 May 21
Quatre Bras (IRE)from Jane Chapple-Hyam 26 3 9 16 Oct 26
Alans Pride (IRE)from Michael Dods 25 4 12 30 Mar 19
Chessman (IRE)from Archie Watson 24 0 4 12 Sep 21
Satono Chevalier (IRE)from Sir Michael Stoute · then Aidan Melia 23 3 9 17 Oct 25
Musalsal (IRE)from D K Weld 22 3 12 23 Jun 21
Khabaray (IRE)from David O'Meara 22 2 4 14 May 19
Spanish Temptress (IRE) 20 4 9 5 Aug 26
Golden Valour (GB)from Charlie Appleby · then Robyn Brisland 20 2 6 24 Sep 21
Alcatraz (IRE)from George Baker · then Paul Nolan 20 1 4 1 Feb 19
Extrapolation (IRE) 19 4 9 15 Jun 25
Benavente (GB)then Kevin Thomas Coleman 18 1 7 12 Jul 23
Showing the 60 most-raced of the 141 horses sent out in this window — each ran at least 5 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, 38 arrived from another yard in our archive, most often from Charlie Appleby (2) and Clive Cox (2); 22 had their first archived run for this yard.

34 have since run for another yard, most often for Robyn Brisland (3) and Fergal O'Brien (2); 26 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.

When the yard fires

strike by month, lifetime
JFMAMJJASOND
1021868810558613
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 riderW J Lee
11% of all rides
13% SR · A/E 1.09
RiderRWSR£1
W J Lee 108 14 13% −24.37
Chris Hayes 86 9 10.5% −26.75
Sean Davis 59 7 11.9% −17.67
Scott McCullagh 59 7 11.9% +35.00
Ronan Whelan 57 6 10.5% −21.50
Jack Kearney 41 4 9.8% +6.13
Nathan Crosse 41 1 2.4% −37.50
Oisin Orr 38 1 2.6% −35.25
Ben Coen 38 0 0% −38.00
Gary Halpin 37 2 5.4% −26.50
Danny Mullins 37 8 21.6% +3.70
Muted rows are under 30 rides and sit behind "Show all".

Career highlights

lifetime archive, 2016→
81
Archived wins
1
Pattern / graded wins
£1.22m
Prize money
2018
Best season · 16 wins
Azzuri (GB) — Rentokil Initial Handicap Chase (grade B) Killarney · Jul 2018 · Grade B
£29,500
Dianthus (IRE) — Woodlands 100 Club Madrid Handicap Naas · Mar 2018
£29,500
Morph Speed (IRE) — Laurels Pub And Restaurant Kingdom Gold Cup Handicap (Premier Handicap) Killarney · Aug 2021
£23,600
Notable horses
Cautious Approach (GB) Alans Pride (IRE) Spanish Temptress (IRE) Extrapolation (IRE) Beach Bar (IRE) Morph Speed (IRE)

Sires in the string

progeny record · win % by ground and trip
Acclamation (GB) 8.3% · 4–48
Progeny have won 10% of 19,716 runs since 2008 (1,327 horses). Strongest on Firm going: 15.2% from 151. Weakest over 2m1f – 2m4f (all codes): 6.7% from 195.
Invincible Spirit (IRE) 9.5% · 4–42
Progeny have won 11.9% of 20,871 runs since 2008 (1,574 horses). Strongest on Firm going: 16.1% from 161. Weakest over 1m5f – 2m (all codes): 7.8% from 844.
Sea The Stars (IRE) 7.1% · 3–42
Progeny have won 15.7% of 9,986 runs since 2013 (1,118 horses). Strongest on Good to Firm going: 18.9% from 1,503. Weakest on Heavy going: 9.4% from 458. Weakest over 2m5f – 3m (all codes): 11.5% from 139.
Mayson (GB) 2.4% · 1–41
Progeny have won 10.7% of 7,394 runs since 2016 (442 horses). Strongest at trips under 6f (all codes): 13.7% from 1,731. Weakest over 1m5f – 2m (all codes): 2.8% from 106.
Zoffany (IRE) 2.9% · 1–34
Progeny have won 9.9% of 10,781 runs since 2015 (799 horses).
Oasis Dream (GB) 6.5% · 2–31
Progeny have won 11.8% of 18,047 runs since 2008 (1,511 horses). Strongest on Firm going: 17.3% from 150. Weakest on Heavy going: 8.5% from 485. Weakest over 1m5f – 2m (all codes): 7.1% from 792.
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 8 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 988 · newest first

The latest 50 of 988 archived runners, newest first. The full record runs from 23 December 2016 to 16 October 2026.

DateCourseHorseRaceFinishSP
16 Oct 26 Dundalk (AW) (IRE) Quatre Bras (IRE)J: Andrew Slattery Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Book Now Handicap10.5f · Standard · 11 ran 6th 3/1F
11 Oct 26 Naas (IRE) Morgana Blue (GB)J: Donagh O'Connor SIS, Supporting Irish Racing Fillies Handicap10.5f · Soft · 11 ran 11th 66/1
09 Oct 26 Dundalk (AW) (IRE) Quatre Bras (IRE)J: Keithen Kennedy Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Handicap12f · Standard · 5 ran 2nd 11/2
08 Oct 26 Thurles (IRE) Swing Street (GB)J: Nathan Crosse BOYLE Sports Handicap (Div I)8.5f · Yielding · 13 ran 12th 33/1
05 Oct 26 Killarney (IRE) Concaire (IRE)J: W. J. Lee Killarney Student Raceday Handicap8f · Soft · 15 ran 12th 11/2
26 Sep 26 Listowel (IRE) Young Churchill (IRE)J: Michael Kenneally M.J. Carroll ARRO Handicap Hurdle20f · Good To Yielding · 14 ran 11th 50/1
25 Sep 26 Dundalk (AW) (IRE) Quatre Bras (IRE)J: W. J. Lee Bookings Open For Christmas Parties At Dundalk Stadium Handicap10.5f · Standard · 14 ran 1st 9/2
25 Sep 26 Dundalk (AW) (IRE) Usuario Amigo (GB)J: W. J. Lee Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap8f · Standard · 14 ran 1st 7/2
18 Sep 26 Dundalk (AW) (IRE) Usuario Amigo (GB)J: W. J. Lee SIS, Proud Supporters Of Irish Racing Handicap8f · Standard · 14 ran 6th 6/1
16 Sep 26 Clonmel (IRE) Quatre Bras (IRE)J: W. J. Lee Camida Gold Champion Handicap10f · Yielding · 9 ran 7th 4/1
16 Sep 26 Clonmel (IRE) Concaire (IRE)J: W. J. Lee Suir Blueway Handicap10f · Yielding · 14 ran 5th 9/2C
15 Sep 26 Punchestown (IRE) Swing Street (GB)J: Scott McCullagh Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden9f · Good · 14 ran 9th 300/1
02 Sep 26 Navan (IRE) Usuario Amigo (GB)J: Scott McCullagh Navan Handicap (Div II)8f · Good · 16 ran 3rd 9/1
02 Sep 26 Navan (IRE) Concaire (IRE)J: W J Lee Navan Handicap (Div I)8f · Good · 16 ran 4th 6/1
02 Sep 26 Navan (IRE) Young Churchill (IRE)J: Mr A P Ryan Kilberry (Q.R.) Handicap16f · Good · 16 ran 6th 33/1
01 Sep 26 Gowran Park (IRE) Swing Street (GB)J: Scott McCullagh Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden7f · Yielding · 14 ran 11th 300/1
23 Aug 26 Naas (IRE) Quatre Bras (IRE)J: Andrew Slattery TRM BIOACTIVE Energy Boost Handicap10.5f · Good · 9 ran 5th 11/1
18 Aug 26 Roscommon (IRE) Swing Street (GB)J: W J Lee District Speciality Coffee Maiden12f · Good To Yielding · 14 ran 9th 150/1
15 Aug 26 Dundalk (AW) (IRE) Quatre Bras (IRE)J: Gavin Ryan Irish Stallion Farms EBF Red God Handicap10.5f · Standard · 14 ran 6th 10/1
05 Aug 26 Sligo (IRE) Young Churchill (IRE)J: Adam Grant Rockshore Cider Handicap13.5f · Yielding · 14 ran 10th 11/1

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).

Quick answers

What is Richard John O'Brien's strike rate?
Richard John O'Brien has won 81 of 988 runners since 2008, a strike rate of 8.2% (as at 8 November 2026). Figures are computed from our own results archive.
Which course does Richard John O'Brien do best at?
Killarney by strike rate: 7 wins from 43 runners (16.3%) 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 Richard John O'Brien?
W J Lee, with 108 runners since 2008 — 11% of the total. That pairing has won 14 (13%).
What is Richard John O'Brien's Fair A/E?
0.88, from 987 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 8 November 2026, computed from our own results archive (2005 onwards; aggregates from 2008).