Juggling teams that are capable of striking at the highest level on both the Flat and over Jumps is a talent that few have managed to master better in recent seasons than Joseph O’Brien.

A glittering career in the saddle would have been more than enough for most, but with a burning ambition inside to match those heights as a trainer the Classic-winning jockey isn’t doing a bad job of things.

While the pendulum might have swung towards his team being more Flat orientated over the past couple of years, the father-of-one is still a force to be reckoned with those runners he sends to the major Jump Racing festivals.

And despite O’Brien enjoying a stellar year on the Flat, which has seen him celebrate Betfred Oaks success with Thundering On, saddle five winners at Royal Ascot, and be the leading trainer at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, he admits he has no intention of turning his back on the winter game.

O’Brien said: “When we started training we were just keen to get some horses, whatever the discipline and the code.

"We were kindly supported by some people with some nice jump animals that went down the bumper and novice hurdle route.

“My sister Sarah was riding them in bumpers at the time, and I suppose it just went from there really.

“At the moment we have a much smaller jumps string than what we would have had, but it is great to be able to have a select number of jumpers.

“Numerically our main focus would be on the Flat now, but it is nice to keep our toe in at some of the nice winter festivals.

“We would like to be able to continue competing at some of those big winter and spring festivals for the foreseeable future.”

It was back in 2019 that O’Brien got his Festival tally up and running when Band Of Outlaws justified favouritism in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, a race he has since won a further two times with Lark In The Mornin (2024) and Puturhandstogether (2025).

Although there can only be one breakthrough moment at the four-day spectacle, those victories that have followed on, O’Brien admits, have been equally unique occasions.

He added: “Cheltenham is the focus of the Jump season and it was very special when Band Of Outlaws became our first winner there.

“Any winner there is a very special occasion, and we have been lucky enough to go back there with some very nice horses and enjoy more winners there since then.

“It is undoubtedly a special place with the atmosphere there and the reception each and every winner gets.”

This year saw O’Brien celebrate Cheltenham Festival success number six, to draw him level alongside his iconic dad Aidan O’Brien, trainer of triple Champion Hurdle winner Istabraq, following the victory of Home By The Lee in the Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle.

And while every Festival success is a moment to be treasured, victory for the evergreen 11-year-old was extra special with it coming at his fifth attempt of asking in the prestigious Grade One.

O’Brien said: “He has been a real stable star for us over the years, but last season was probably his best to date.

“I suppose he kind of summarises all of what is great about Jump racing in terms of his longevity, his consistency and his soundness over a number of seasons.

“I feel like every time he runs that there is a big portion, certainly of Cork, and of Ireland that are supporting him.

“We felt he had a really good preparation, and we felt that he was going there in good shape.

"We were hoping that he would have a real live each-way chance, but we were realistic in the knowledge that we knew he wasn’t getting any younger.

“I suppose when they turned in JJ (Slevin) looked like he was saving a bit for himself, but it wasn’t until half-way up the run in that he started to pull away as he is a lazy horse, but off the turn he looked like he had a real live chance.

“Days like that are what racing is all about, and to win one of the big four races of the week was extra special.”

And although O’Brien has stepped up his pursuit of trying to find the next Derby winner, he insists that he remains equally as determined to find a horse good enough to try and win a Champion Hurdle or Cheltenham Gold Cup, given the high-profile owners backing him.

He added: “You always have aspirations of winning those big races, but I suppose we more so tailor our race plans around the horse, and the owners.

“It would be fantastic if we could have a horse that could fit into the mould of one of those races at some stage.

“We have been very lucky since we started training that we have been supported by a variety of people over the Jumps and on the Flat.

“We still have the support of people like Ronnie Bartlett, who has Banbridge, and Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, and of course JP McManus, and they are great people to have on board.”

And although Willie Mullins has shown he can train winners at the highest level over Jumps and in middle distance races on the Flat, O’Brien is very much out on his own when it comes to being able to train anything from a three mile chaser through to a five furlong sprinter..

But just like his famous father, O’Brien is quick to deflect such praise away from himself, and on to his team behind the scenes at his Piltown base in County Kilkenny.

He added: “It really does give us a buzz that we can train to high levels on both the Flat and Jumps over varying distances, but I suppose that is testament to the team of people we have here behind the scenes.

“Their work and dedication, over the last number of years, in helping put the right systems in place, I think has helped prove that we can train any type of horse really.

“We are lucky that we have the support of top owners, and a great team of people behind the scenes, and together that is what produces a nice consistency at the various Festivals right through the year.

“The horses have run great all season on the Flat. I say we would have exceeded expectations at Royal Ascot and Goodwood, but we went there with animals that were well prepared and well ridden.

“We thought they had live chances in their races, but you don’t expect it to come together like it did both weeks so hopefully that can continue when we get going with the Jumps again.”

And having a good team of staff around him is even more important than ever before for O’Brien, who earlier this year, together with his partner Tara, welcomed daughter Annie into the world.

He added: “It is very special being a dad now. Tara and I are very lucky to have little Annie around now. I feel like she has brought us a bit of good luck as well.

“As you know this game is very performance focussed and everything is day-to-day.

"You can get lost a little bit in it sometimes, so it is certainly nice to have some extra perspective on life.”

While O’Brien still has the final furlong of the Flat season to contend with both in Ireland and England, as well as major international targets, it won’t be long until the focus switches to his small but select band of Jump horses.

And with the likes of Grade One winners Banbridge, Home By The Lee, Solness and Talk The Talk in amongst them, there is every chance we will be seeing O’Brien back among the winners at the Festival in March.

He added: “We will probably have around twenty odd horses to go jumping. I suppose Talk The Talk going novice chasing would be a nice prospect, and hopefully Home By The Lee can find his way back to the Stayers’ Hurdle again.

“There are also a few others from last season that we think still have the best days ahead of them as well so with a bit of luck we can hopefully feature at some of those nicer meetings, including Cheltenham again this season.”