When deciding on which horse to back before a race, you’re
guaranteed to find a plethora of competing information and tips coming your
way. No one can tell you with any certainty which horse is going to win every
time, but it’s critical to gather as much basic knowledge as possible, and this
include details about the trainer because some have a decorated history of
success at certain courses- and this could make all the difference. You can usually
find the required info about trainers and jockeys by reading reputable horse racing
predictions but it’s never a bad idea to familiarise yourself with some of
the most famous names.
Any racehorse trainer will tell you that an immeasurable
amount of hard work and expertise goes into the training of a champion
racehorse. Trainers are responsible for the exercise, feeding, development and
caring of the horse’s needs. This is of course before actually training the
horse to race, and the job also comes with business and financial management to
consider.
Therefore, it’s clear that the job of a professional
racehorse trainer requires a special type of skilled person. Here we run down
some of the most successful trainers of the modern era so you’re kept in the
know before you lay down your bet.
Aidan O’Brien
One of Ireland’s most respected trainers of the modern era,
Aidan O’Brien has been the head private trainer at the world- famous training
facility Ballydoyle in County Tipperary. He has repaid the trust of his boss,
Irish billionaire John Magnier, owner of the Coolmore Stud attached to
Ballydoyle, with eight Epsom Derby wins, making him the most successful trainer
in the history of the race.
Todd Pletcher
This Texan trainer has been around horses nearly all his life, working as a hot-walker for his father since age seven, and his experience is apparent in the success he has found as a trainer. A dual winner of the Kentucky Derby, most recently with Always Dreaming in 2017, he has also won the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes three times. It’s no surprise therefore that Pletcher has been the recipient of the Eclipse Award Trainer of the Year no less than seven times.
A household name across the UK for his successes at the
Cheltenham Festival, where he is the most decorated trainer in the competitions
history with 72 wins, Willie
Mullins knows the racing business inside out. A former six times amateur
champion jockey in Ireland, he now operates out of Closutton Racing Club in
County Kilkenny. With his son Patrick also making a name for himself with
recent flat wins at Sligo, the Mullins family enterprise looks set to continue
to flourish.
Mark Johnston
Another man who knows a thing or two about horses is qualified
vet Mark Johnston. Based in the historic horse racing town of Middleham in
North Yorkshire, he found significant success in the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas
alongside horses Attraction and Shamardal.
Testimony to the bravery and bold running style of his
horses, Johnston became the most British Flat Trainer of all time in 2018, when
Poet’s Society, ridden by champion jockey Frankie Dettori, crossed the line at
York.
Jumps trainer Paul Nicholls is rightly regarded as the
leading National Hunt trainer of his generation, with his list of victories
almost too numerous to calculate- and his horses are nearly always marked as
favourites in many meets across the
racing calendar.
With over 3,000 winners trained under his
pupillage, plus a Grand National and four Cheltenham Gold Cups to his name,
Nicholls has truly written his name into the annals of horse racing history.
Eleven British jump racing Champion Trainer titles tell their own story of
Nicholl’s dominance.
