O’Brien claims second Series title on Champions Day

Aidan and Joseph O’Brien celebrating their win in the Ladbrokes St Leger. Image courtesy of Racingfotos.com.

Last year’s successor Aidan O’Brien continued to dominate the British Champions Series’s Top Trainers’ Championship with another runaway win.

O’Brien, who won two more British Classics this campaign, ended up with a total of 150 points in the division – 35 clear of his closest competitor Richard Hannon.

With wins from Declaration of War in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and Juddmonte International Stakes at York, Ruler of The World in the Investec Derby and Leading Light in the Doncaster St Leger, the victory that is most likely to stick out more than most for O’Brien in 2013 is St Nicholas Abbey’s final Coronation Cup win at Epsom.

However, the triumph would turn out to be the six-year-old’s last after his career was cut short following a fractured pastern injury that was sustained before the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

St Nicholas Abbey is currently on the mend, where it is hoped he will make a full recovery.

Richard Hannon, who’s Series wins included Toronado in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes, Sky Lantern in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas and Olympic Glory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, finished second on 115 points.

John Gosden, who trained Elusive Kate to win the Dubai Falmouth Stakes, ended the year finishing third on a mark of 80.

The new season kicks off on 3 May, 2014, with the QIPCO 2000 Guineas.