Aidan O'Brien's son and family have escaped unharmed from a house fire.

The son of champion horse trainer Aidan O’Brien said his family are very lucky after a late-night fire at their home.

The former jockey and his family escaped without injury when the blaze broke out in Ballydoyle in Co Tipperary, where he is master at the famous Ballydoyle stable.

The roof was extensively damaged before several units of the fire service brought the fire under control shortly after 10pm Irish time on September 26.

O’Brien’s son Joseph praised the work done by the emergency services.

“Thank God, everyone was okay. We were very lucky,” said the 19-year-old jockey, who was riding in Dundalk.

“At least any damage done is material and can be fixed.

“All the family were very appreciative of the work done by the Cashel and Cahir fire service and by the gardaí.”

It is believed the fire, which is being treated as accidental, began in the chimney or an upstairs room.

RACING Victoria’s international equine recruiting agent Leigh Jordan has been dispatched to Dublin to convince Irish training genius Aidan O’Brien to again target the Melbourne Cup.

Top Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien

O’Brien, who prepared former Australian champion So You Think to win five Group 1 races in Europe including the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, has not returned down under since his three stayers – Septimus (18th), Alessandro Volta (20th) and Honolulu (21st) – ran poorly behind Viewed in the 2008 Melbourne Cup.

The celebrated trainer left Melbourne with a sour taste in his mouth having been called in from the stewards to explain his horses tactics.

“I go back to Ballydoyle every year since Aidan was last in Melbourne,” Jordan told Melbourne’s Herald Sun.

“I keep knocking on his door so I hope this might be the year he does come back for the Cup.”

Jordan will visit O’Brien and other leading trainers in Ireland this week including two-time Melbourne Cup winner Dermot Weld (Vintage Crop 1993, Media Puzzle 2002), John Oxx and others to try to lure their best stayers to compete in the Melbourne Cup later this year.

So You Think and jockey Andrew Heffernan lived up to expectations on their Curragh debut, romping home by 10 lengths in the High Chaparral EBF Mooresbridge Stakes. (Pic: Julien Behal/PA)

Aidan O’Brien is looking forward to a fruitful campaign with his Australian import So You Think after he strolled home a 10-length winner on his Irish debut.

Conveniently running in the High Chaparral EBF Mooresbridge Stakes, the son of that stallion laughed at inferior rivals at the Curragh.

Winner of five Group Ones in Australia, the former Bart Cummings inmate joined the Ballydoyle ranks after finishing third in the Melbourne Cup.

Brought back to 10 furlongs, the giant five-year-old was sent off the 2-13 favourite and settled nicely in third for Seamie Heffernan as stablemate Windsor Palace put the pace to the race.

His backers never had a moment of worry though, as So You Think cruised down the straight and drew 10 lengths clear without being hard ridden.

So You Think is now set for a mouthwatering clash with Derby and Arc winner Workforce in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

“He’s an incredible horse and we feel privileged to have him,” said O’Brien.

“He didn’t do much between his racecourse gallop here last month and today and he only needs to do half-speeds at home. He was just ready to come racing.

“He came to Ireland with the most unbelievable reputation and is a real product of Australian breeding, training and racing.

“We heard all the things about how unbelievable he was and when you see him, you can believe it.

“We’ve had some good horses from Australia, Starspangledbanner and Haradasun, but when this fellow walked through the door, we’ve never experienced anything like it. He’s unique.

“He went through the line like he was going to the start.

“He seems to go so easily in his races that he could either go up or even step back in trip, but his most likely next race is the Tattersalls Gold Cup here on May 22.”

O’Brien also won the opening Alfred Nobel EBF Maiden with impressive newcomer Power.

Backed from 13-2 into 3-1, he had obviously been working nicely at Ballydoyle and came home two lengths clear of Remember Alexander.

“Power is a sharp, mature type and is a lovely, big, honest horse,” said O’Brien.

“He behaved very well and may be an Ascot horse later in the summer.”

John Oxx has made a fine start to the new season and in Emiyna (5-2 favourite) he has a filly with Classic pretensions.

She just held off the game Lolly For Dolly in the Starspangledbanner EBF Athasi Stakes, denying Tommy Stack’s filly back-to-back wins in the Group Three.

The pair had a ding-dong battle with Johnny Murtagh just coming out on top by a short head.

“I’m delighted with that as she is a good filly and will run next in the Irish 1000 Guineas, all going well,” said Oxx.

“She has lots of stamina on her dam’s side but is not a stayer herself as she has plenty of speed.

“She needs to keep improving now and was a little green when she hit the front.”

Oxx and Murtagh also teamed up with Dance Secretary (6-4 favourite) in the P.G. Duffy & Sons Mazda Maiden while Murtagh won the Newbridge Credit Union Handicap on the Ger Lyons-trained Casbah Rock (11-4 favourite)

Oxx was denied in the Dylan Thomas EBF Tetrach Stakes when his Zabarajad was edged out by Imperial Rome (6-4 favourite).

The David Wachman-trained winner is improving quickly and was following up a win at Dundalk.

“Imperial Rome quickened well and should step forward from that. He’ll go for the French Guineas next,” said Wachman.