THEY say hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard, but what happens when you combine elite talent with a mammoth work ethic? You get someone like Robson Aguiar.

There are few better judges of horseflesh in Ireland than the 43-year-old native of Brazil, who came to these shores in 2006 with little to his name but a burning ambition to make it in the industry.

Having started riding at the age of 10 on home soil, then competed in cross-country and pony races, he attended Sao Paulo Jockey Club’s riding school and went on to ride over 200 winners in South America. Through no shortage of hard work, it has been in Ireland where Aguiar has really made his presence felt internationally, though.

After honing his skills with spells in Ballydoyle and Tally-Ho Stud, the keen horseman established himself as one of the leading producers of young stock in the business, both through the breeze-up sales and trading privately.

A steady but noticeable rise with buying and selling led to a link-up with Kia Joorabchian and Amo Racing, and that has only blossomed through his current assistant trainer role with the Adrian Murray yard in Co Westmeath. The relationship has already yielded victories at Royal Ascot and Group 1 level, thanks to the likes of 150/1 Norfolk Stakes scorer Valiant Force and Phoenix Stakes star Bucanero Fuerte.

Further signs of their combined rise could be felt next week at Royal Ascot. Aguiar and Murray could have somewhere in the region of 10 runners involved at the biggest meeting in global flat racing. Hopes are especially high when it comes to Power Blue in the Coventry Stakes.

The Space Blues colt is rated the third-best juvenile in training by Timeform, and Albert Einstein, the only horse to beat him last time in the Marble Hill, has been ruled out of the Royal Meeting. He might just start a massive week for Aguiar on the perfect note this Tuesday.

How does it feel to hear that next year marks 20 years since you first came to Ireland? Could you have ever envisaged staying this long when you arrived back then?

“I’m very happy. Now, when I first came, I thought I was coming for one or two years - half of my life is here now! You never know what the future holds about going back, but I’m very happy where I am at the moment. The days are long, I start working at five in the morning, but I love what I do. For me, I don’t get tired and that’s because I love it.”

Talk to me about this time of year for you in the lead-up to Royal Ascot. There must be high pressure when dealing with big expectations.

“There’s pressure until you get that first winner, but I do enjoy it. It’s a relief when things go to plan. When you’re working hard and building up all year to go to Ascot, it’s brilliant to have a team of horses with chances. Every year, Ascot and the Breeders’ Cup are the two meetings above all others I love to go to with a chance.”

This year represented a change for how you typically operate. You didn’t have any breeze-up horses to sell yourself. How did that come about?

“I’m concentrating more on racing horses now. I’m still buying yearlings and selling some to syndicates. For example, Ipanema Queen, who won a maiden at the Curragh on her first start last month, was bought at the yearling sales before being sold to a syndicate to run for the yard. We’ve had success with that type of thing and that’s how I prefer to operate. I’m trying to build up owners to keep the horses here.”

You’ve also sold some nice types privately to other yards without running them.

I’m happy doing that as well. Kitty Rose [who cost 20,000gns at Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale] won at the Irish Champions Festival for Natalia Lupini before finishing second in a 1000 Guineas Trial the following season. Got To Love A Grey [who was bought for 52,000gns at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale] won a couple of listed races for Middleham Park.

I also sold them Brave Emperor [a £19,000 purchase at the Goffs UK Premier & Silver Yearling Sale] and he’s gone on to win lots of Group 2s and Group 3s. Oscula was another who won plenty of Group races for Nick Bradley Racing [bought for only 4,000gns in Book 4 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and later changing hands for €1 million at the end of her racing career].

All of those horses were for sale here. If you came to us in February of those years, any of them could have been bought. If people want to leave the horses with me, I’m happy, but if they want to take them away, that’s fine too. Power Blue is the same. He was sold to a syndicate before winning first time out at the Curragh [having cost £44,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale]. I think he’s got a big chance in the Coventry Stakes next week.”

Plenty of those horses you’ve touched on were bought at value prices at the yearling sales. In particular Ipanema Queen, given she’s won a Curragh maiden by five and a half lengths on debut and cost only €4,500. I’m curious to know more about your approach to unearthing value at these sales.

“What I’m really looking for at the sales is racey horses. I’m a long time doing this and have worked all my life with horses. That’s a help when trying to see things. I do have a little bit of luck too, though! It’s a mix of everything, and you need luck. I think knowing about what goes into racing horses is a help. When I like a horse, I like a horse. I need to like them first before thinking about the pedigree.”

So do you prioritise finding horses who can be out early in the season? Do you find that type easiest to buy?

“I don’t think it matters. For example, Kitty Rose was a big filly by Invincible Army and it was nearly September by the time she got to run. You could look at a horse like Dallas Star too. I bought him as a yearling [for 50,000gns] and sold him after the breeze-ups [vendored at 180,000gns], and he’ll probably run in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot over nearly two miles and six furlongs. Hill Road [who finished fifth in the Belmont Stakes last weekend] is another who wasn’t a real early type. I just like buying good horses - it doesn’t matter over what trip.”

You mentioned Power Blue as one you’re really looking forward to next week in the Coventry. What did you like about him as a yearling and does he strike you as a proper Royal Ascot two-year-old? You obviously know what’s required for those races, having helped produce Norfolk Stakes winners in the past like The Lir Jet and Valiant Force.

“I thought there was a lot of Dubawi in him when I saw him first, he’s inbred to Dubawi and has a head like him. I loved him straight away at Doncaster - he looked like a racehorse.

“For me, to have a good chance at Royal Ascot, you need to have a horse like him. He’s ready to go and is hard. He’s a very quiet type too with a great mentality. Nothing bothers him. He’s able to travel at any pace and finish at any pace.”

He was originally entered for the Goffs London Sale, but I gather he’s no longer going there?

“He’s not going in the sale because a deal has been done for him already. Kia has bought him and he goes straight for the Coventry. I’m delighted that he’s going to Ascot in good form and I hope he can run a big race.”

Power Blue’s form ties in nicely with Lady Iman, a highly-exciting two-year-old for the O’Callaghan family - and she’s by a Tally-Ho stallion in Starman. Tell me about the imfluence the O’Callaghans have had on you.

“I’ve learned so much from working with them and we help each other when we need it. They’ve given me a lot of support and I know they are still there when I need them. They’re great people, very straightforward. The first thing you learn from being there is to work hard and be honest. It’s straightforward after that.

“I took a lot from being there, and the same with Ballydoyle when I worked with Aidan [O’Brien], with there being so many top horses.

“I’ve had a little bit go well for me in life, but I have to say thanks to all of these people for the opportunities they gave me to learn. I’m so thankful.”

Speaking of good horses, who is the best horse you sat on during your time working in Ballydoyle?

“There were so many great horses there. St Nicholas Abbey was fantastic, Rip Van Winkle, Camelot, Excelebration, Found - it’s impossible to name just one when you’re talking about horses of that level.

“I’ve always looked to learn from Aidan. I kept following what he was doing all the time. If you want to learn in this game, he’s the one you can follow. He’s different.”

I’d imagine it’s very important to have support around you when you’re buying and selling your own horses every year. There must be a constant pressure to deliver results every year in order to keep going?

“I usually have a lot of pressure with buying horses with my own money and getting them ready for the sales, and year after year things have changed slowly. I’m obviously working with the training with Adrian and next year I’d like to try applying for my [training] licence. It would probably be something like a [joint] licence for Adrian Murray and Robson Aguiar, we’ll keep it together while we can.

“I’m confident I can do it and it’s great to have the support of Kia, but I know I’ll need to find owners too. In order to be competitive in Ireland, you do need that support. In Ireland, it’s very hard - but I prefer it that way. You’re competing with the best and I would much rather be here than in England.

“Hopefully helping to build up my own business will be a good thing, because the breeze-ups aren’t working for me at the moment. People think that if I have a good horse, why would I sell it at the breeze-ups? That’s not a thing for me. Look at Ipanema Queen. I sold her to a syndicate before she ever raced, and they have since sold her to Stonestreet Stables and Amo Racing ahead of Royal Ascot. When a horse is in my hands, it’s there for anyone to buy.”

You mentioned Kia as being an important supporter of yours for some time. It’s been said down the years that you’ve had a longer-lasting relationship with him than many people in racing.

“I’ve done a bit with Kia for a while now and we’ve done well together. I pre-train a few for him and some of the horses are left with us. When he wants to bring them to other places, that’s no problem too. He has some nice mares now, so there could be some home-breds coming through that I might get to break and pre-train for him. I like working with those types of horses. We obviously have a few horses together in partnership too.”

When you first met Kia, did you ever think Amo Racing could reach such a big scale as it is at now?

“Look, Kia loves competing at a high level. It will take a bit of time to get there - it won’t be today or tomorrow because it’s still growing - but in time, I see him competing at the very top. Sometimes you need a little bit of patience for the right time to come.

“Even with the type of horses you have in the system, you need a mix of runners for the early part of the season, the middle part and the end. You keep moving on horses every year - all the big operations do this - and renew what you have.

“Hopefully those horses you’re moving on can make someone else happy even if they are not what you need right now, and people can come back to buy again from you. He’s doing that now, buying new, strong pedigrees, and I think he’ll be at the high level if he keeps doing that over time.

“He enjoys Ascot a lot and hopefully the horses will run well for him next week. Hopefully we can get a winner for him and he has a good time because he spends a lot of money and he’s good for the industry. We need people like him. I want things to go well for him too, because I think he brings a lot of people into the industry with him.”

It’s fair to say that you both are ambitious people. When it comes to training with Adrian, it comes across that you don’t want to simply turn up and make up the numbers on the big day. You’re intent on making a big impact in training.

“I want to slowly build up myself and compete at the top meetings with good horses. I’ve always worked with horses and the enjoyment you get from getting those results on the big days is big. With racehorses, you’re always learning.

“I get a feeling from them and judge when they have a chance to run at Ascot, whether they can make into Group horses.

“I think I’ve worked with these kind of horses long enough to feel that, but you are always learning. I’m always trying my best.”

“I’d like to think we’re going there with good chances. Power Blue is exciting for us in the Coventry Stakes after what he’s done so far. California Dreamer ran a big race to finish second in the Irish 1000 Guineas. We’ll run her in the Jersey Stakes. I think she’s still in good form.

“Bucanero Fuerte has been supplemented for the King Charles III Stakes on Tuesday. We were happy to see him start back with a win at Naas last time. It’ll be a new trip for Dallas Star in the Queen Alexandra, but I think he’s improving every time we step him up in distance, and he’s enjoying it.

“I’m not sure why Arizona Blaze ran like he did at Haydock last time [when sixth in the Sandy Lane Stakes] but maybe he picked up some bit of illness in the travel over there. He’s come back to form again and I think he’s going to run with a really good chance [in the Commonwealth Cup].

“Ipanema Queen won a maiden very well at the Curragh and I think she has improved since. She’s got an entry for the Albany and Queen Mary Stakes. Paris Carver [who finished fourth in a maiden at the Curragh on her only start] is also in the Queen Mary.

“The plan is to let Tiberius Thunder take his chance in the Hampton Court Stakes and I can see him running well in that. Titanium Emperorwas fourth in a listed race at Leopardstown last week and will go for the Queen’s Vase. Crypto Force is going to swap from a Group 1 to a handicap for the Copper Horse Stakes on Tuesday.

“I know it will be a busy week, but hopefully some of them show their face in the right places.”