How to choose the best trainers to back
Every great winner has a trainer or coach that has shown them the path to victory. All you have to do is look at Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, but even Rocky had Mickey Goldmill. The same holds true with horse racing.
With that out of the way, let's explore why trainers are so crucial to horse racing and why every bettor should research their trainers before placing a bet.
What makes a good horse race trainer?
Trainers are responsible for more than most bettors realise. They're in charge of ensuring that racehorses stay fit and healthy during the lead up to the race and training them to perform at their highest potential on race day. A healthy diet and regular exercise are key, as well as conditioning to strengthen muscles and improve overall stamina.
They're essentially the people that get the horse into the best condition it can be so that the jockey riding it has the best chance of winning a race and taking home the total prize money. But how can you spot the difference between a good trainer that turns the average colt or filly into a champion?
Here are some of the makings of a great horse trainer:
Experience
Like any profession, horse racing will see people come and go. Older trainers will naturally retire, and a generation of new trainers will replace them. Indeed, new trainers may have the promise to become great, but they will also lack experience. This can change with time, and trainers can and will develop as they get more experience under their belt.
We're not just talking about the trainer having a great record of producing winners either, we're talking about their experience in training. How to get the most out of a horse through the methods used to train them up, and their horsemanship, which is basically the relationship they build with a horse.
Having a strong connection with their horse allows trainers to unlock a horse's full potential and get it to perform to the best of its ability. Although some new trainers may lack knowledge of how to do that, it's good to explore their background as they have their own experiences that could prove beneficial.
Form
While experience outside of winning races can be important, so is the form of a trainer's horses on the track. It's always a good indicator of how good a horse race trainer is if they have a proven track record of training winners or horses that constantly compete to challenge for race titles.
But don't be fooled by trainers with positive records at smaller races, because although their records look great, smaller races can be less competitive. You want to see which trainers perform well in the biggest races, those such as the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and mammoth events like the Grand National at Aintree.
Another important aspect of form is to look at the type of races its horses perform well in. For example, some trainers specialise in producing 'stayers', horses who perform better over long distances, while others are able to get horses performing better in sprints over short distances. So if a trainer seems to have mixed form, see if there is a common factor behind why that might be.
Win Percentage
With every race only able to have one winner and many good trainers out there, it can be a competitive sport. So it's always a good idea to look at the win percentages of horse racing trainers.
While you may think that the best horse race trainers will have incredibly high win rates, you may be surprised at how low they are. Many of the best trainers often train a lot of horses, so their form can be varied from horse to horse. In horse race betting, a win percentage of 20% or above is considered good.
But also look at the win percentage of particular horses as well, as some do perform better than others, and you will usually find specific horses can have higher win percentages. It's not often you find one with a 100% win rate, but every so often a special horse comes along that manages that feat. Frankel is one of the more recent to do it, winning all 14 of the races it entered, earning a total of £2,998,302.
Jockey
A good trainer can do everything right when preparing a horse to race, but if the horse isn't paired with a capable jockey, all that effort goes to waste. That's why trainers must also work effectively with a jockey and foster a beneficial relationship that provides results on the track. It is crucial to choose the best jockeys to back.
Much like horses, some jockeys specialise more in shorter and longer races, while others perform better in jump races rather than on flats. It's the job of the trainer to help the jockey strategically build a relationship with the horse. This means knowing how to communicate with the horse, when to hold it back, or when to start sprinting to unleash a strong finish.
For example, John Gosden and Frankie Dettori had an excellent relationship working together throughout their careers. Dettori, with the help of Gosden, was able to win well over 3,000 races which included victories at some of the most prestigious events in the world. He even once managed a feat that has never been equalled at the Royal Ascot Festival, winning all seven races he competed in.
Best Horse Trainers
Let’s take a look at some of the best horse race trainers in the business now that we know what we’re looking for. The following trainers are renowned for their own unique methods, each approaching training differently. You may have noticed the common link is they all know how to make a winner.
Aidan O'Brien
Since his first race in 1995, Aidan O'Brien has made a name for himself in the horse racing landscape of the UK and Ireland. Through his unwavering dedication, his training ground at Ballydoyle has emerged as a true sanctuary for champions.
His trained horses have etched their names in the history books of almost every major flat racing event in the UK, Ireland, and further afield in France and the USA. Currently, O'Brien is the undisputed leader in the Irish Derby recording an impressive eight wins, and the Irish 2,000 Guineas where he has six wins).
O'Brien's legacy stretched far beyond just training. He'll be long remembered as a pioneer and an innovator who left an unmistakable impression on the horse racing world.
John Gosden
John Gosden is a titan in the horse training realm. His experience and prowess span across both flat and turf racing, leaving a mark of tremendous success that few can rival. Among his myriad of accolades, his triumphant moments in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, stand out as remarkable achievements.
But Gosden is more than just a horse whisperer, he's a maestro, orchestrating every move with precision, passion, and a keen sense of strategy. He approached horse training as an art form, teaching his horses to perform a symphony on the track, each stride a note that contributes to the melody of victory. Gosden is certainly one name you'll hear a lot of in the industry.
Bart Cummings
From the sun-kissed plains of South Australia, Cummings has become a figure of legend, even years after his retirement. His independent journey in horse training started in 1953, and he is perhaps best known for training a whopping twelve winners of the Melbourne Cup, Australia's most coveted horse race, earning him the moniker, 'Cup King'.
His prowess was so great that in 2008, the New South Wales Horse Racing Authority to exceptional trainers named an award after him or jockeys showing consistently outstanding performance. Cummings' legacy has been eternally commemorated in Australia's Sporting Hall Of Fame and Racing Hall Of Fame, and his visage adorns postage stamps, reflecting his celebrated status.
Willie Peter Mullins
William Peter Mullins is an Irish racehorse trainer that followed in his family's footsteps. He's a seventeen-time recipient of the Irish National Hunt Champion trainer title and had himself been a six-time amateur champion jockey in Ireland.
One of his greatest achievements was training the 2005 Grand National champion Hedgehunter, as well as winning the Champion Hurdle victor Hurricane Fly in 2011 and 2013. Some of the biggest races in the UK racing scene. Mullins really made a splash though when in 2022 at the Cheltenham Festival, he trained a staggering ten winners, ensuring that his name has become synonymous with success in the sport.
Henrietta Knight
Henrietta Knight gets a place on our list, not just because she has not only kept pace with her male counterparts but also paved her own path to glory within the horse racing world. Officially starting her career in 1989, she had already trained over 100 winners, marking her as a force to be reckoned with. Today, she steers her trainees towards victory from a training facility nestled in the picturesque countryside of Lockinge, Oxfordshire. Her remarkable success stories include Best Mate and Racing Demon; Best Mate won the 2002 and 2003 Cheltenham Gold Cup, the 2002 King George Chase, the Ericsson Chase in 2003, and the 2000 Mersey's Novices' Chase, while Racing Demon clinched the Peterborough Chase in 2007 and 2008.
She's fought hard to create a space for women to compete in this sport and many consider her a role model for budding young horse trainers.
Charlie Appleby
Charlie Appleby's successes have resonated beyond the UK, cementing his status as a rising star across the globe. He has an innate talent for nurturing top-class horses, as evidenced by his remarkable record of training several winners at esteemed events like the Dubai World Cup and the Breeders' Cup.
Appleby isn’t just about winning, though. He’s about building trust and fostering connections with his horses. He recognises that each horse is unique, and adapts his approach to fit their needs, creating a personalised roadmap to success. His enthusiasm is infectious, his dedication admirable, and his achievements monumental.
How to Place Your Bets
It’s always worth jumping back to the basics regardless of if you're new to the sport of horse racing or you're just looking to refresh your sports betting knowledge. Either way, we've got your back. Here's the key points to placing a horse racing bet:
- Find the racetrack where the race you wish to bet on is being held. Keep an eye out for the race name and the time the race begins.
- Pick what type of bet you want to place – it may be a straight bet, an each-way bet, or a trifecta.
- Make your selections by clicking on the odds of the horses available to bet on.
- Enter the amount you wish to place on your bet, remembering that clicking "each way" on your betting slip will double the value of the stake you have entered.
- When you’re confident with your decisions click "place bet" to confirm your bets.
Now that your bet is placed, sit back and watch the race to see if your horse comes in.
FAQs
Q. Who is the Most Successful Horse Race Trainer of All Time?
A. American trainer Steve Asmussen is quite possibly one of the most successful trainers of all time. Horses he has trained have won over 10,000 races and earned in excess of £334 million.
Q. Do Horse Race Trainers All Use the Same Training Methods?
A. No, every horse race trainer is different. Many have their strategies and methods for training horses that make their style unique.
Q. Do Horse Race Trainers Treat Horses Well?
A. While there have been cases where trainers have been reported for mistreating animals and banned from the sport. The majority of trainers treat their horses extremely well, showing them a lot of care and attention.