Trainers

 

Bio: Colin Tizzard is a UK horse trainer specialising in jump racing. Since gaining his license in 1998 Tizzard has shown himself to be a top tier horse trainer and he continues to be to this day, with 160+ wins in the 2018 season.

A memorable win of his has to be his Cue Card victories, first in 2010 in the Cheltenham Festival Champion Bumper, then the Ryan Air Chase in 2014 and the King George VI Chase the following year.

Tizzard’s Cheltenham successes continue with Thistlecrack int he World Churdle in 2015 and finally the race all horse trainers have their eye on, the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2018 with the talented Native River. Tizzard is a determined and focused trainer of the highest order and we can expect him to stay in winning mood for many years to come.

 

Website: http://www.colintizzard.co.uk/

News / Blog: https://www.joetizzardracing.co.uk/copy-of-facilities

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colin-Tizzard-Venn-Farm-Racing-Ltd/186057081444368

Contact: info@colintizzard.co.uk

 

 

Bio: Dan Skelton is, of course, the eldest son of Olympic showjumper Nick Skelton and, after nine years as assistant trainer to Paul Nicholls, set up on his own at Lodge Hill near Alcester, Warwickshire in 2013.

 

Skelton saddled 27 winners in his first season, but dramatically increased that total to 73 in 2014/15, 104 in 2015/16, 118 in 2016/17 and 156 in 2017/18. In those last three seasons, he amassed over £1.2 million, over £1.3 million and £1.7 million, respectively, and his astonishing success has continued into the 2018/19 season. In fact, at the time of writing, he has already saddled 92 winners – exactly double the number trained by his nearest rival, Peter Bowen – and leads the National Hunt Trainers’ Championship by the proverbial country mile or, in strict pecuniary terms, by just over £300,000.

 

All in all, Skelton has saddled over 500 winners in the National Hunt sphere, including two at the Cheltenham Festival. Coincidentally, both successes came in what is arguably the most competitive handicap hurdle of the season, never mind the Festival, the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle, courtesy of Superb Story, ridden by younger brother Harry, in 2016 and Mohaayed, ridden by Bridget Andrews, in 2018.

In the years since 2019, Skelton has continued to cement his position as one of the leading National Hunt trainers in the UK. High-profile victories have included Protektorat landing the Grade 1 King George VI Chase at Kempton in 2022 and My Drogo capturing the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in 2024, demonstrating his strength in both steeplechases and staying hurdles. The Lodge Hill stable consistently produces top-class performers and Skeltson is top of the tree in the top National Hunt Horse Trainers table at time of writing in 2026 with 139 wins and over £3 million in prize money.

Website: http://danskeltonracing.com/

Social: https://x.com/Dannskelton

https://www.facebook.com/danskeltonhorseracing

Contact:  office@danskelton

 

 

Bio: Fergal O’Brien gathered many years of valuable experience (19 in fact) as head lad at NigelTwiston-Davies yard. During that time there were two Grand National winners (Earth Summit and Bindaree) and Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander. He also worked with two other Grand National winning trainers, Tim Forster and Ginger McCain. O’Brien has proven himself as a champion point-to-point trainer, Champion Point-to-Point Trainer in the West Midlands area.

O’Brien has certainly hit his stride, but the prospect of going it alone wasn’t a formality. “It was very difficult starting up after being at Nigel’s for 18 years. Having been a cog in a wheel I suddenly found I was the one that had to make the wheels go round.” said the trainer.

O’Brien trains at Upper yard, Grange Hill Farm, Cotswolds. The 2017/18 season has certainly been one to celebrate with 60 wins for the stable, with a team including assistant trainer Sally Randell and head lad Kev Brown. they attained their first ever group one winner and close to three quarters of a million in prize money, topping his total of  £611,366 for the previous season. The future looks bright for Fergal O’Brien!

 

Website: http://fergalobrienracing.co.uk/

News / Blog: http://fergalobrienracing.co.uk/blog/

Social: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fergal-OBrien-Racing/180633352013147?fref=ts

Contact: admin@fergalobrienracing.com

 

Bio: Former National Hunt jockey Paul Nicholls served a two-year apprenticeship as assistant trainer to David Barons following his retirement from the saddle in 1989. However, two years later, he responded to an advertisement in the Sporting Life, placed by Paul Barber, owner of Manor Farm Stables in Ditcheat, Somerset and duly arrived at his new, rented home with a string of eight horses, of varying ability, in October, 1991.

 

Fast forward 27 years, or so, and Paul Nicholls has become the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation, winning the National Hunt Trainers’ Championship ten times in eleven years between 2005/06 and 2015/16 – a sequence interrupted only by Nicky Henderson in 2012/13 – and the Leading Trainer Award at the Cheltenham Festival six times between 1999 and 2009.

 

During his illustrious training career, so far, Nicholls has been fortunate to handle several outstanding steeplechasers, including 49 Cheltenham festival winners including four Cheltenham Gold Cup winners with See More Business, Kauto Star and Denman. Dual Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Master Minded, dual King George VI winner Silviniaco Conti and Grand National winner Neptune Collonges. Traditionally, Nicholls has taken less interest in the smaller obstacles, but that didn’t stop reformed chaser Big Buck’s from winning the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival four years in a row between 2009 and 2012. In the 2023 Jumps season his winnings were over £3.5m , adding considerably to his net worth. The same season he was crowned Champion Trainer for the 14th time.

 

Website: http://www.paulnichollsracing.com/

Contact: office@richardhannonracing.co.uk