Racehorse Training at Lambourn
by: Racing EditorPosted on:

Well-Renowned Horse Racing Trainers Based in the UK

Historically, the United Kingdom has been one of the driving forces behind horse racing. Many of the world’s most famous events originated here, and some, like the Epsom Derby, date back through the centuries.

Because the sport is so popular, the UK has produced some of the best known figures within horse racing. We’re all familiar with the top jockeys to have originated here, but what about the trainers? Who are the best-performing trainers based in Britain right now?

Nicky Henderson

Racing fans will offer differing opinions as to who is the best British trainer of all time, but Nicky Henderson will always be up there in the conversation. He has enjoyed a long history of success, and no matter the event, his runners will always feature strongly in horse racing betting markets.

Henderson’s long association with horse racing began as an amateur jockey, before he made the switch into training in the 1980s. Across a long career, he has claimed some notable achievements, including two victories at the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

While he has claimed success all over the world, the Cheltenham Festival remains his focus. As of 2025, only Willie Mullins has claimed more winners at the prestigious event. He’s reaching the age when most would consider retirement, but it’s hoped that Nicky Henderson remains in racing for several more years.

John Gosden

British trainer John Gosden is a similar age to Nicky Henderson, but if he heads into retirement, he can hand over the reins to son Thady. The father-son duo has worked together in recent years, but John Gosden is more renowned due to his longer career in the sport.

He’s saddled more than 3,000 winners worldwide, and has claimed victory in top events such as The Derby, The Oaks, the St Leger and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Born in Sussex, John Gosden began his career in the United States, and while he’s since returned to his native UK, he’s enjoyed plenty of success in the US with over 600 winners there.

Paul Nicholls

Somerset-based Paul Nicholls enjoyed a modest career as a jockey, but his total of 133 wins in the saddle has since been eclipsed. As a trainer, Nicholls has claimed over 3,500 victories, and his impressive run of success includes four Cheltenham Gold Cup champions.

Nicholls also trained Neptune Collonges, the 33/1 winner of the Grand National in 2012. He focuses on National Hunt racing, and at Cheltenham in 2025, he landed his fiftieth winner at the Festival.

Paul Nicholls took out his training license in 1991, but had to work hard to make an impact in his early years. His great breakthrough came at the 1999 Cheltenham Festival, where he won three races, including the highly-regarded Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Dan Skelton

A newer name on the circuit, Dan Skelton is a British trainer to watch moving forward, but he’s already made an impact on the sport. He’s the son of British showjumping legend Nick Skelton, so he was born into a world of equestrianism.

Dan Skelton Racing was set up in 2013, and the stable claimed its breakthrough achievements six years later. Skelton landed victories at Cheltenham in 2019, including a win for Roksana in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle.

He’s yet to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but recent years have been more productive, and it seems likely that Dan Skelton will land the biggest prize at the Festival before too long. 2024 saw him claim several notable wins, including victory in the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury and the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park.

Charlie Appleby

Another relative newcomer, Charlie Appleby works for the Godolphin Stable and he focuses on flat racing. Over a solid career, he’s delivered wins in the most prestigious meetings of all, including two victories in the Epsom Derby, in 2018 and 2021.

At the end of that 2021 campaign, Appleby was named as the British Flat Racing Champion Trainer, and he claimed that trophy once again for the following year.

Along with those Epsom Derby wins, Charlie Appleby has also enjoyed success in the St Leger, the 1,000 Guineas and the 2,000 Guineas. He’s one of the most formidable trainers in UK flat racing, but he’s also transferred that success to the United States, winning several races in the prestigious Breeders’ Cup series.

Rivalry with Ireland

In modern-day horse racing, trainers from the Republic of Ireland tend to excel in the big meetings such as the Cheltenham Festival. Their dominance is underlined by the Prestbury Cup, a competition between Irish and UK trainers which has been held by Ireland for several years.

British trainers, however, continue to perform well at those big events, and at smaller meetings around the UK and beyond. This roundup covers some of the best, but there are many more UK trainers currently making their mark on global horse racing.