Aidan O'Brien's true colours clear as Royal Ascot jockey speaks out on trainer
Royal Ascot jockey Sean Levey has opened up about Aidan O'Brien, admitting that the Irish trainer is just as kind and diligent as one would expect behind the scenes.
Having taken the National Hunt game by the horns, O'Brien was asked by Fermoy-born business magnate John Magnier to train at Ballydoyle, and the rest is history. The 55-year-old has won essentially all there is to win on the flat and has established himself as an impervious all-time great.
O'Brien's record at the Royal meeting is as jaw-dropping as expected, and a battalion is sent over to Berkshire year-on-year in a bid for Group 1 glory. Aboard the majority of these charges is Ballydoyle's retained jockey Ryan Moore; however, such a large operation often sees rides crop up.
Levey, who moved to Ireland as a teenager, began riding out for O'Brien in his youth. He was an apprentice under the trainer before heading to England and taking up a role at Richard Hannon's stable.
The 37-year-old has produced winners for O'Brien on many occasions, though, most notably guiding Galileo colt Jan Brueghel to the St. Leger in 2024. Therefore, Levey is well-acquainted with the icon and has revealed that his industrious work is reflected in his honourable character.
"I was an apprentice there [at Ballydoyle] for a few years before I moved here [to England]. It had a massive impact," said Ladbrokes ambassador Levey.
"Because I obviously served an apprenticeship under him for a good few years. So it was… My initial standpoint was under Aidan, so you'd imagine he had a massive influence on a lot of the things I do now. He's a very, very kind man. The kind of man who does right by everyone.
"He's also very meticulous. I think his love for the sport kind of shines through in how he presented himself and how he's navigated training a multitude of very, very good horses. I mean, his record kind of speaks for itself, and there's not much I can really add to his CV!"
Over the course of a glittering career, it is not only the Ballydoyle dynasty that Levey has had the privilege of riding for, but the royal blue of the Maktoum family's stable, Godolphin.
The globe-trotting stable was founded in 1992, and enlists the help of a handful of British trainers, namely Charlie Appleby and Saeed bin Suroor, to front their operation out of HQ.
Levey has ridden in the iconic silks on occasion and believes both Ballydoyle and Godolphin's experience and rigorousness have allowed them to remain at the top for so long.
"I think I've only ever picked up rides for Saeed [bin Suroor]. Been placed in a couple of listed races, and I've won a couple of listed races. I also rode a listed winner for Richard [Hannon] with a two-year-old that he had trained for Godolphin, so I've had the privilege of wearing the blue colours, and having winners in them," added Levey.
"They're a firm that have their team. I've just been lucky on occasion that the opportunity sort of presented itself, and I was put forward. They're a very good team with very good soldiers to boot. Their record kind of speaks for itself.
"Godolphin are... I think they've both been in the game a long, long time. They've been breeding very good horses for a long time, and they don't leave any stone unturned, the same as Aidan doesn't leave any stone unturned, and as a result, they're extremely competitive at the top level."
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