Legendary Irish racehorse trainer Vincent O'Brien has died aged 92.
O'Brien established the Coolmore stud in County Tipperary, which has developed into one of the premier Flat stables in the world.
However, he had an equally stellar stint in National Hunt racing as he trained three Grand National winners as well as guiding Cottage Rake to three wins in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
After he decided to concentrate on Flat racing, O'Brien won the Epsom Derby six times.
O'Brien has been voted as the greatest National Hunt and Flat trainer of the 20th century in separate polls.
After he helped establish the stables at Coolmore along with Robert Sangster and his son-in-law John Magnier, the operation quickly developed into a world-class stud.
O'Brien's eye for outstanding horses, coupled with the acumen and support of Magnier, set up the template for modern horse breeding, which is continued to this day in Coolmore by trainer Aidan O'Brien, no relation to Vincent.
Some of O'Brien's greatest horses at Coolmore include Northern Dancer and Nijinsky, often regarded as one of the greatest Flat horses of all time.
This year's Epsom two-day festival begins on Friday, with Aidan O'Brien running six horses in the Derby.
Aidan O'Brien said: 'It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Dr Vincent O'Brien today.
'As for so many people in racing, he was my hero growing up. For Anne Marie (wife) and me to come to Ballydoyle, to the training facility he established, was an extraordinary privilege.
'Dr O'Brien was tireless in improving the yards and gallops and we enjoy the benefits of his half-century of hard work and dedication today.
'We would never have been able to achieve our successes without the facility and gallops he built.
'There is nothing that compares to it anywhere in the world.
'I feel the sense of history every morning when I walk into the yard that had horses such as Nijinsky, Sir Ivor to Sadler's Wells.
'His dedication to the sport of racing and to the highest standards knew no bounds.
'It is humbling to follow in his footsteps.'
Martin Cullen, TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, echoed the sentiments.
Minister Cullen said; 'I was very saddened to hear of the death of Dr Vincent O'Brien who was a pioneer of Irish racing. Dr O'Brien was ahead of his time in both National Hunt and Flat Racing and for decades was the most internationally recognised name in Irish racing.
'His vision put Irish racing and breeding to the forefront. In addition to training some of the greatest horses in sporting history he established Ballydoyle, one of the world's leading training centres for horses and the world renowned Coolmore Stud.'