AIDAN O'BRIEN had his biggest success in Britain when Life Of A Lord, ridden by Charlie Swan, captured the 40th running of the Whitbread Gold Cup Chase at Sandown on Saturday.

The phenomenal young Irish record-breaking trainer, claimed British sport's oldest sponsored event with only Ireland's third victory in the race.

But the celebration champagne is being kept on ice until O'Brien's wife Ann-Marie produces their third child. With the arrival. a day overdue, O'Brien opted to stay nearer home and go to the Curragh where he added two more winners to his ever-growing tally and he left Swan to ease the labour and deliver the spoils.

Life Of A Lord had finished seventh in the Aintree Grand National but O'Brien freshened him up in the intervening four weeks.

Jumping soundly in fifth place as the early pace was set by Sir Peter Lely and Barton Bank, Swan moved Life Of A Lord up on the second circuit. He took the lead with five to jump and ran on to hold the strong finishing runner-up Proud Sun by a length and a quarter.

Amtrak Express was third with Jodami fourth and the other Irish challenger Feathered Gale next.

Swan, who won the race two years ago on Ushers Island and lost it when Cahervillahow was disqualified in 1991, has endured a luckless week at Punchestown with five seconds and a 10-day riding ban.

Swan said: "I went down to the yard three days after he ran seventh in the Grand National and I couldn't believe how well the horse was.

And in praising O'Brien Swan added: "Aidan is an unbelievable trainer. He is so confident. There is no bullshit with him. If he thinks a horse is no good, he says so and usually leaves it up to me to ride the race. Even when I give one a bad ride he takes it on the chin.