The Top Horse Trainers in the UK and Ireland
Horse racing is hugely popular in both the UK and Ireland, worth 1.8 billion euros in the latter alone. In the UK, it’s the most popular sport after football.
As well as employing 28,000 people in Ireland and 85,000 in the UK, it is enjoyed by millions. People love the excitement of watching the horses run, and many also enjoy placing a bet on horse races.
From Perth in Scotland down to Devon in England, there are 60 racecourses in the UK. In Ireland, horses race at 26 different courses, which is staggering in a population of less than 5 million.
The biggest of any of these is Aintree in Merseyside, where the Grand National is held every year. It has a capacity of 75,000, which is usually filled to the brim every April.
Cheltenham, which hosts a world-famous festival every March, holds around 67,500 spectators. While Ascot, a favourite with the Royals, holds around 70,000.
In Ireland, the famous Leopardstown racecourse in County Dublin, is the largest and hosts Dublin Racing Festival annually. The Curragh racecourse in Kildare is the best-known flat racing course in the country.
As already touched upon, in the world of horse racing, sports betting is huge. In fact, there are now more bookies who offer horse racing bets and odds to their punters and more punters placing bets on horse racing events.
Its popularity can be traced back over a century, and there are many reasons for this:
- Lots of information
Finding out how the horse has performed recently, what jockey is riding, and other information helps make a decision.
- Exhilarating
The thrill of placing a bet and shouting for your horse is exciting.
- Options on betting
You can bet each way, or on certain horses coming in first, second and third place.
- Possibility to win big
There are always surprises and the money in horse racing means that you can win big from a small wager.
In horse racing, it’s not just about the horse, there are many factors that go into making it successful. Certain jockeys, and famous horse trainers have a lot of success, but it’s also the people behind the scenes.
If you want to make an informed choice when betting, then it’s important to know the good trainers. A good trainer puts in all the hard work, although they rarely get the glory.
Look out for some of these top trainer names in the horse racing world:
- W.P. Mullins
Known as Willie to all in the horse racing world, this former jockey has become synonymous with winning – never a bad trait. His current strike rate is 28%, which is higher than any other trainer in the British Isles.
Willie has had 78 winners in the Cheltenham Festival, making him its most successful trainer ever. Here are some of the champions he has trained:
- Al Boum Photo
Bred in France, this dark grey gelding with a white star only made three appearances in the 2018/2019 season. However, he took home two wins and a second place during that time.
In 2020, he won his second consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cup.
- Hurricane Fly
This gelding began his illustrious career in France, before coming under Willie’s care. He then gained the world record for most Grade 1 wins, which he held until 2019.
Now, he enjoys his retirement at the Irish National Stud.
2. Nicky Henderson
Nicky followed in his father’s legendary footsteps becoming a horse trainer in 1978. His training stables are at Seven Barrows in Berkshire.
Henderson has had 70 winners at Cheltenham and has swept the board of many other races. His notable champions include:
- See You Then
Showing good form on the flat before he competed in hurdles. In fact, he only ran 15 hurdle races, but won ten of them, gaining his place in history.
He was classy in victory, often sprinting away after the last hurdle to win easily. He retired to Italy, where he spent more than 20 years after his career.
- Sprinter Sacre
This legendary gelding made his first appearance at Ascot in February 2010, winning by a nose. In April 2016, he won the Celebration Chase at Sandown Park by 15 lengths.
3. Henry de Bromhead
Irishman de Bromhead now runs his family stable, where he has trained plenty of stars. His first winner, Sizing Europe, won the Irish Champion Hurdle in 2008 and the success has continued.
De Bromhead has also had winners in:
- A Plus Tard
Sired by the great Kapgarde, A Plus Tard has run 18 times, winning seven of those, and placing 11. Last year, the attractive gelding and the year prior won the Savill’s Chase.
- Minella Indo
This Irish bay horse with a white star made his first professional run at Punchestown in April 2018, coming third. In 2021, he won the Cheltenham Gold Cup when partnered with Jack Kennedy, although usually Rachel Blackmore is his jockey.
Other trainers to look out for include:
- Henry Daly
He has had six winners this season, including Hillcrest, who is one to watch.
- Sam Thomas
This young trainer is operating well above a 20% strike rate at present.
- Samuel Drinkwater
In this season alone, Drinkwater has run 20 horses with five winners.
Knowing the trainers will give you a better idea of which horses to choose for a good bet and put you one step ahead of the competition.