O’Brien puts one hand on trainers’ title

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, October 25, 2026

Aidan O’Brien is on track to win his eighth British trainers’ championship after securing two wins at Doncaster, extending his lead to £204,000 over rival Andrew Balding. This puts O’Brien in a strong position to clinch the title based on prize money, as Balding would need an unlikely surge in earnings from remaining races to overtake him.

Aidan O’Brien is poised to secure his eighth British trainers’ championship after a strong showing at Doncaster, where two victories extended his lead to £204,000 over challenger Andrew Balding. Unlike the jockeys’ title, which is determined by the number of winners and concluded at Ascot last week, the trainers’ championship is decided by total prize money and runs through December 31.

Balding, who is vying for his first trainers’ crown, has enjoyed a notable season with successes including King George winner Kalpana and International Stakes winner Item. However, overcoming O’Brien's current advantage would require a substantial haul of prize money from remaining all-weather races, a scenario bookmakers like Coral consider unlikely after O’Brien’s double at Doncaster.

O’Brien’s wins came courtesy of Giant Sequoia in the Group One William Hill Futurity and Bengal Tiger in a Listed race. Giant Sequoia, completing the season’s last major Group One event, overcame an initial reluctance to enter the stalls and won by three lengths, signaling potential for next year’s Derby. The victory marked jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle’s first Group One win for O’Brien, adding to his experiences riding for O’Brien’s son, Joseph.

O’Brien described Giant Sequoia as a strong, powerful horse with promising stamina, pointing to his pedigree as a son of Frankel and out of Pink Dogwood, who was narrowly beaten in the Oaks.

Balding, with £9,152,574 in prize money accumulated from 186 winners this season, acknowledged the challenge ahead. “It makes life tough, doesn’t it?” he said, conceding that all remaining runners may need to win for him to catch O’Brien’s lead. Despite admitting the odds are long, Balding remains motivated to reach the milestone of 200 winners this year.

Meanwhile, in jump racing, Dan and Harry Skelton continue to pursue the record for most winners in a season, held by Martin Pipe with 243 winners in 1999-2000. The Skelton brothers entered the day with 115 winners and pushed past the £1 million prize money mark following wins by Here Comes Georgie in a major handicap chase and North Shore, keeping them on course for another trainers’ title in jump racing. Following their first championship last season, they appear well-positioned to challenge one of jump racing’s longstanding records.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.