Trainers

Paul Nicholls

Paul Nicholls has been the champion jumps trainer on 14 occasions, with close to 150 Grade 1 wins, including four Cheltenham Gold Cups. Paul trained the very first Owners Group horse, Sound Investment, and currently trains the largest number of our horses, including the high-class hurdler and chaser Stage Star, a Grade 1 winner over hurdles in 2021. Paul has trained many of the sport's most outstanding and best-known horses, including Kauto Star, Master Minded, Big Buck's, Denman and Azertyuiop, to name but a few.
Donald McCain

Donald McCain took over the licence from his legendary father, Red Rum’s trainer Ginger McCain, in 2006, and trained a Cheltenham Festival winner in his first season. He has since enhanced his record with several more Cheltenham Festival winners and in 2011 followed in his father’s footsteps by winning that year’s running of the world’s most famous steeplechase, the Grand National, with Ballabriggs. Donald has an excellent record for Owners Group, including a Listed hurdle win with Barrichello and Grade 2 success with Maximilian.
Julie Camacho

Julie Camacho and her husband and assistant trainer Steve Brown started training in the 1990s, with highlights including Elite Racing Club’s record-breaker Judicial, the winner of an incredible 18 races, including two Group 3s. The last two years, in particular, have seen their profile increase and they had by far their most successful season ever in 2022, training 47 winners, almost double that of previous seasons. However, 2023 has been their true breakthrough year through the exploits of the outstanding sprinter Shaquille, the winner of two Group 1 sprints including the July Cup at Newmarket.
Nicky Henderson

Nicky Henderson has been champion jumps trainer six times, and has trained some of the greatest horses in the sport’s history. Nicky won three consecutive Champion Hurdles with See You Then, and he has since handled the likes of Sprinter Sacre, Bobs Worth, Long Run, Shishkin and the mighty Altior. And of course, all of the current talk is of his rising superstar hurdler Constitution Hill. He trains a number of Owners Group horses, including the 2019 dual Grade 1-winning hurdler (including the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival), Pentland Hills.
Charlie Johnston

Charlie’s father Mark Johnston, from whom he took over the licence at the beginning of 2023, holds the record for having trained the most winners in British horseracing history (over 5,000). Mark, who is still closely involved, trained the likes of Shamardal, Attraction, Double Trigger, and more recently Dee Ex Bee, Sir Ron Priestley, Raffle Prize, and Rainbow Rebel (for Owners Group). Charlie’s very first winner as the sole licence-holder came with only his second ever runner, which just happened to be Owners Group’s Asdaa!
Emma Lavelle

Emma Lavelle has been training horses for over 20 years, but it is since moving to her current setup in Wiltshire that her career has taken off, and in the 2021-22 season she equalled her previous best total of 42 winners. Emma trains one of the most talented hurdlers in the country, the evergreen Stayers’ Hurdle and Long Walk Hurdle winner Paisley Park, and also the Ladbroke Trophy winner, De Rasher Counter. Emma has also enjoyed notable success in the past with Shotgun Paddy, Self Defense and Crack Away Jack.
Dan Skelton

Dan Skelton has made giant strides since leaving Paul Nicholls to set up training on his own. Accompanied by his brother, Harry, Dan trained a peak 205 winners in 2018/2019, but is now concentrating his efforts on quality of winners during the main jumps season. Dan has developed a purpose-built yard, and is very much into adding pioneering new technology to help improve the soundness of his horses and his results. Harry's wife Bridget Andrews rides as second jockey, and has ridden a Cheltenham Festival winner for them.
James Fanshawe

James Fanshawe has been operating at the highest level for four decades from his beautiful and historic yard, which was built by Fred Archer. James has uniquely trained two Champion Hurdle winners as well as any number of Group 1 Flat winners, with the likes of The Tin Man, Speedy Boarding, Society Rock, Deacon Blues and Audarya, and Elite Racing Club's top-class homebreds Soviet Song and Ribbons. James has a particularly good record with fillies, on account of the fact that he has trained for some of the leading owner/breeders.
Anthony Honeyball

A former conditional jockey for Paul Nicholls, Anthony Honeyball began his training career in 2006, from his parents' Quantock farm in Somerset, and in 2012 moved to his current base. The undoubted star of the show has been Regal Encore, the winner of nine races, including a Grade 3 chase at Ascot in 2020, when twelve years of age, also the dual Graded-winning chaser Sam Brown. Anthony has an excellent record with mares, highlighted by the talented Midnight Tune, who landed a Grade 2 at Sandown over hurdles.
Furnace Mill Stud

Furnace Mill Stud was founded over 40 years ago and is set in 120 acres of beautiful countryside, on the edge of the Wyre Forest in Worcestershire. It is run by former English cricketer David Brown, his wife Trish and their granddaughter, Emily. The Browns have a rich history in horseracing and have bred countless high-class winners, including renowned sprinter Bolshoi, who won the Kings Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and eight other races.
James Ferguson

One of the rising stars of British Flat racing, James Ferguson has already enjoyed several high-profile successes since sending out his first runners in 2019. James quickly enjoyed domestic success with the talented two-year-old filly and Group 3 winner Mise En Scene, as well as a valuable Heritage Handicap success with Owners Group’s First Folio. In 2022 he plundered the Group 2 Great Voltigeur at York with Deauville Legend, a big race success that followed El Bodegon’s Group 1 French win at the end of the previous season.
Kevin Philippart de Foy

Kevin Philippart de Foy has made an extraordinary start to his training career, sending out a remarkable 60 winners in his third season (2022). Kevin, who is originally from Belgium, learnt his trade with some of the biggest names in racing, spending time with John Oxx, with whom he was involved in the career of the great Sea The Stars, and also with Treve’s trainer Criquette Head. Having now settled in Newmarket, where he worked for multiple Group One-winning trainer James Fanshawe for five years, Kevin's yard is positioned at the foot of Warren Hill.
Ben Pauling

Ben Pauling trains from his new training complex set in the heart of the Cotswolds, just a short drive from Cheltenham, the home of Jumps racing. Ben, a former assistant trainer to Nicky Henderson, has enjoyed an excellent start to his training career, and has already chalked up two Cheltenham Festival winners, courtesy of Willoughby Court and La Breuil. He has really hit the ground running since moving to his new purpose-built stables, smashing his previous best total of winners just part of the way into the current season.
Chris Gordon

Chris Gordon is based near Winchester, Hampshire. Chris and his wife Jenny have built up an enviable string of horses after many years of hard work. His best horses to date include Highway One O Two (Grade 2 Dovecote Novices' Hurdle) and this season's Betfair Hurdle winner at Newbury, Aucunrisque.
Fergal O'Brien

Fergal O'Brien trains from his base in the heart of the Cotswolds. Fergal gained valuable experience when based with Captain Tim Forster and then Nigel Twiston-Davies, before setting up as a trainer in his own right in 2011, after a short but successful spell training point-to-pointers. Fergal has made a big impact in a short space of time since moving from Ireland to England, and more recently to the impressive and state-of-the-art Ravenswell Farm, which should help him and his team to become even more prolific and achieve greater success.
Kirtlington Stud

Kirtlington Stud is set in 345 acres of fabulous limestone brash, which is great ground for raising young horses. The original stud was founded in 1939, where Derby winners Morston and Blakeney were bred by Arthur Budgett, father of current Stud owner, Chris. The current stud was purpose-built by Chris in 1990, in the heart of Oxfordshire, and its design is flawless, allowing the best possible care for mares and youngstock. Recent Group winners to be raised at Kirtlington include Aussie Rules, Harbinger, Sir Percy, and Elite’s Ribbons and Dandino.
Sir Mark Prescott

Sir Mark Prescott began training in 1970, and is Newmarket's longest-standing trainer. Situated at the base of the famous Warren Hill, Sir Mark trains a select team of 50 horses. He enjoys plundering big handicaps, but has also masterminded the careers of sprinters Pivotal and Elite Racing Club's dual Group 1-winner Marsha. Sir Mark also achieved Group 1 success with Albanova, Alborada, Hooray and Confidential Lady. His biggest success came in 2022 when Alpinista won a £2.4 million first prize in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Olly Murphy

Olly Murphy has enjoyed an excellent start to his career. His most notable success so far was in the 2020 Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase with Itchy Feet, with other Graded wins achieved by Copperless, Thomas Darby and Hunters Call. Olly spent time with both Alan King and Gordon Elliot before taking out his own training licence, and he has already built up an enviable team of horses at his growing yard, which is well situated for trips to racecourses in both the north and south of the country.
Warren Greatrex

Warren Greatrex was formerly based at Rhonehurst when assistant trainer to Oliver Sherwood, and he has returned as trainer following its recent purchase. Warren began training in his own name in 2012 and, after his more recent move to his current base, has really started to find his feet again this season, sending out winners at a much-improved frequency. With the winners flowing once again, and having previously won the World Hurdle with Cole Harden, Warren will be aiming for more Festival successes.