Vincent O'Brien: 10 of his best racehorses

1. . Undoubtedly one of the finest horses ever to grace the racetrack, Nijinsky was crowned champion two-year-old in 1969, landed top-flight successes in the 2000 Guineas and Derby, before becoming the first horse for 35 years to land the English Triple Crown.

2. . With a rating of 138, Alleged can legitimately be described as one of the all-time greats. Beaten only once in a 10-race career, this front- running superstar achieved fame for his impressive back-to-back victories in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1977 and 1978.

3. . Roberto was beatable, but he was one of the very best when on- song. Derby glory came in 1972, but it was his victory over in the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup that earned him a special place in the folklore of the turf.

4. EL GRAN SENOR. Having gone through his juvenile season unbeaten, El Gran Senor was handed an exceptional timeform rating of 131. He went on to better that to 136 as a three-year-old, when landing the 2000 Guineas and .

5. SADLER'S WELLS. Widely acknowledged as the supreme sire of modern times, it is easy to forget that Sadler's Wells also achieved an exceptional amount on the racecourse. He won six of his 11 races, including victories in the Irish 2000 Guineas, and Irish of 1984.

6. COTTAGE RAKE. Three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups went the way of Cottage Rake (in 1948, 1949 and 1950) to showcase the emerging talent of O'Brien. He also won the King George VI Chase at Kempton and finished second in the 1949 Irish , in which he conceded three stone to the winner.

7. . The brilliant colt provided O'Brien with his second Derby in 1968, following up an impressive success in the 2000 Guineas. He went on to confirm his brilliance with further victories in the Champion Stakes and in the Washington DC International.

8. HATTON'S GRACE. He became the toast of Prestbury Park over timber, securing a hat-trick of wins between 1949 and 1951. Hatton's Grace was also a versatile Flat horse, twice winning the Irish Cesarewitch as well as landing an Irish Lincoln.

9. . After displaying blistering speed to win the at Newmarket in 1990, Royal Academy enjoyed his most lucrative success when winning the Breeders' Cup Mile at Belmont Park under a veteran Lester Piggott.

10. . Injury cut short his career, but there is little doubt he achieved enough in four unbeaten starts to justify his position in such lofty company. His show-stopping display in the Derby of 1982 simply oozed class.