- Jan Brueghel won Aidan O’Brien’s eighth St Leger in Doncaster on Saturday
- O’Brien said he was delighted to give Sean Levey another Classic success
Sean Levey added another chapter to the season of his dreams and further strengthened his family’s bond with Aidan O’Brien.
This has been an outstanding year for Levey, who is the only black jockey to have ridden a Classic winner, thanks to his partnership with Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Rosallion, and a Royal Ascot winner Jayarebe.
But he took things up a notch in the St Leger, the last English Classic of the season, when cajoling a withering effort from Jan Brueghel to cut down Illinois in the final furlong, receiving huge acclaim from a Doncaster crowd and a glowing tribute from champion trainer O’Brien.
Levey was once an apprentice at O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stable and for a spell in 2008 rode pacemakers for him in big races. He moved to England to forge a top-flight career but O’Brien has always kept him in his mind.
With a number of Ballydoyle runners at Leopardstown, Levey received the call last week to partner Jan Brueghel — who arrived at Doncaster with a perfect record of three wins from three starts.
Jan Brueghel won Aidan O’Brien’s eighth St Leger in Doncaster on Saturday
O’Brien said he was delighted to give Sean Levey (centre) another Classic success
Speaking at Leopardstown, O’Brien made it clear just how delighted he was to give Levey another Classic success, and the debt of gratitude he owes to Levey’s mother, Tini, who remains an integral part of the team at Ballydoyle. Levey’s late father, Mick, also worked there.
‘He ran a stormer,’ said O’Brien, who also trains Illinois. ‘Listen they are two good stayers, aren’t they? The lads who ride him said he had improved an awful lot, but the second horse was good, too. Most of all, I’m delighted for Sean, he’s a great rider. He goes back a long way with us.
‘His mum works for us still. He came over to us with his mum, his dad and his brother. He was born in Swaziland. He’s a great fella, really solid. He’s hard-working, very fit.’
Levey said: ‘My Dad would be very proud.
‘The first thing he would say is thank you to Aidan, Mr John Magnier and the whole team.
‘To finally get a nice race for them is a great thing for me personally. Jan Brueghel has a bit of class.’
