MARK Twain popularised the well-known phrase that “There are three kinds of lies; lies, damned lies and statistics,” though he did attribute the origin to the British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli.

However, there are some statistics that do not lie and one of these concerns the enduring success of Aidan O’Brien. While the man himself deflects any personal glory, inevitably paying tribute to the team, he has overseen a training operation the likes of which we have never seen.

Twenty-one years after Desert King won the first of the trainer’s 11 Group 1 National Stakes victories, the master of Ballydoyle goes into this weekend with a 2017 haul of 18 wins at the highest level. The world record of 25 is tantalisingly close. Why do I say that?

This weekend Aidan sends out real prospects in both Group 1 races at Newmarket, and a day later has fancied runners in five Group 1 races at Chantilly. A number of wins would create a magnificent finale to the year with major prizes to be contested in Europe, America, Hong Kong and Australia.

Enable will start favourite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, a race that will forever live in the memory of this writer who was there to witness Aidan saddle an unprecedented first three home last year. It will be a tougher ask this year, but Ballydoyle has five starters, over a quarter of the field, and his team appears to be headed by Winter, who, like Enable, is a four-time Group 1 winner.

Happily takes on the boys in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and bids to become her trainer’s eighth winner of the race. She would be bridging a gap as Holy Roman Emperor was the last Ballydoyle winner of the contest.

Clemmie, Sioux Nation, Magical and Hydrangea are other stars with chances of supplementing Aidan’s and Coolmore’s trophy cabinet this weekend and yet again demonstrate to the world how good our racing is in Ireland. Oh, by the way. For the record Aidan has this year reached landmarks on the flat in England and France, with 125 Group 1 wins in the former and 40 in France.