GREATNESS. A word that is often used but rarely applicable.

In Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare wrote “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”

In the case of Aidan O’Brien and his achievements, it is possible that he fulfils all three criteria. His talent with horses is surely a combination of an innate affinity with the equine, his ability to train to the highest standard and his good fortune to team up with the powerhouse that is the Coolmore organisation.

Aidan himself will play down these accolades, always insisting that he is just a cog is a large wheel. What he will not say is that he is the vital cog.

My own first encounter with the multiple champion trainer was on a Good Friday 1994, a few years before he moved to Ballydoyle. My abiding memory of that meeting, which involved a tour of the yard at Piltown, was the connection he had with the horses in his care.

Last weekend the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket provided a fitting tribute to his genius, as not only did Minding record the 250th Group or Grade 1 success for the trainer, but he managed a clean sweep of the first major classic for fillies in Europe this year.

At the age of 46 years Aidan O’Brien has scaled almost every height in racing, though he is no less ambitious today than he was when he embarked on this journey. He is another fine example of the talent spotting ability of Jim Bolger and he made his mark both in the saddle and training National Hunt horses before his services were in demand at Ballydoyle. There he was following in the footsteps of a giant.

While we pay tribute to his remarkable achievements in the flat racing sphere, let’s not forget the impact he made on National Hunt racing with the legendary Istabraq. He also trained a number of other winners at the highest levels of jump racing.

The Irish Field celebrates Aidan O’Brien’s remarkable achievement and ponders what the next two decades will bring?