John Gosden

John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British racehorse trainer.

He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, the King George, the Eclipse.

He has over 600 winners in the United States.

Gosden has trained the winners of over 100 Group 1 races in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

He is generally considered one of the finest and most successful racehorse trainers of his generation.

His reputation for honesty and openness has led him to be called "one of the sport's great communicators".

He trains at Clarehaven Stables in Newmarket, England.

He was educated at Eastbourne College, and Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he studied Economics and met his future wife, Rachel Hood, a lawyer.

At Cambridge, he was a successful sportsman and won blues for both discus and javelin.

Gosden started as assistant to two of the most successful trainers in the history of racing, first to champion trainer Vincent O'Brien and later, Sir Noel Murless.

During his time with both men, they won a number of prestigious races including the Derby, the Oaks and the St. Leger Stakes.

He then moved to California, becoming assistant to Tommy Doyle, before attaining an American Horse Training license in 1979.

He began his training career with three horses, staying in California as he could only afford to rent single boxes and could not afford to rent a yard.

In 1983 he trained Bates Motel, a Handicap race horse.

Bates Motel won the prestigious Santa Anita Handicap, the San Antonio Handicap and Philip H. Iselin Handicap, and later won the Eclipse Award.

"Bates Motel won 'The Big Cap' in front of 85,000 people, it was some occasion", said Gosden later,"My first big winner – everybody needs a break in life and that was mine".

In 1984, he trained Royal Heroine, a turf mare, winning the Gamely Stakes and the inaugural Breeders' Cup Mile.

Like Bates Motel, Royal Heroine also won the Eclipse Award.

Over the next few years, Gosden won the Hollywood Turf Cup three times, the Yellow Ribbon Stakes twice, the Ramona Handicap twice and the San Antonio Handicap again with Hatim.

He also won both the Matriarch Stakes and the Vanity Handicap twice, the San Luis Rey Handicap with Zoffany, the Carleton F. Burke Handicap with Bel Bolide, the Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship Stakes with Allez Milord and the Gamely Stakes for a second time.

In 1989, Gosden moved to Newmarket, England, to train at Stanley House Stables.

Throughout the mid-1990s, Gosden formed a successful partnership with Frankie Dettori, winning hundreds of races with the Italian jockey.

In 1991, he won the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp with Keen Hunter and the Sun Chariot Stakes with Ristna.

In 1992, he won the Irish St. Leger, Grosser Preis von Baden and Gran Premio di Milano with Mashaallah, the Prix de la Forêt with Wolfhound, and more than 100 other races.

In 1993, he won the Irish Champion Stakes with Muhtarram, the Cheveley Park Stakes with Prophecy, the Haydock Sprint Cup with Wolfhound and the Premio Roma with Knifebox, in addition to more than 100 other races.

In 1994, he won the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Premio Presidente della Repubblica with Muhtarram, the Lockinge Stakes with Emperor Jones and the Pretty Polly Stakes with Del Deya.

He won the Prince of Wales's Stakes in 1995 at Royal Ascot for the second year with Muhtarram, the Prix Jean Prat with Torrential, the Prix Lupin with Flemensfirth and the Prix de la Salamandre with Lord of Men, among many others.

In 1996, he won the British Classic St. Leger and the Gran Premio del Jockey Club with Shantou.

He also won the Prix Marcel Boussac with Ryafan, and the Premio Roma with Flemensfirth.

In 1997, Gosden won the Derby with Benny the Dip.

He also won the Gran Premio di Milano with Shantou (horse), and won four major races with Ryafan, the Falmouth Stakes and the Nassau Stakes in England, and the Yellow Ribbon Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes in the United States of America.

He later won the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in France with Valentine Waltz.

In late 1999, it was announced that Gosden would move to Manton for the beginning of the 2000 season.

He quickly enjoyed major successes, in May 2000, he won the 1,000 Guineas Stakes with Lahan.

Later in the season, he won both Group One races held at Ascot with Observatory in Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Crystal Music in the Fillies' Mile.

In 2001, he won the Prix de la Forêt with Mount Abu, and the Prix Marcel Boussac with Sulk.

The 2002 season began well for Gosden.

One of his first major victories came when Zenda beat Firth of Lorne in the prestigious Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in France.

Coming off the rail in the straight and holding off challenges, the victory was impressive.

"Zenda had been working very well at home", said Gosden, "The filly would have won in even better style if she had settled earlier".