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 Stage Star, a Grade 1 winner over hurdles in 2021 and winner of the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Chase at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival. 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. His stable highlight in the 2022-23 National Hunt season came from Bravemansgame in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton.
Emma Lavelle

Emma Lavelle has been training horses for over 20 years, but it is since moving to her current setup, Bonita Racing Stables in Wiltshire, that her career has really 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, 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. Emma has achieved many successes for Owners Group with the likes of Manorbank, Gold Link, Wouldubewell, and most recently, Kit's Coty.
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 in 2021 and a Grade 2 success with Maximilian. Donald is now well on the way to training his 2,000th winner.
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 Subjectivist, Dubai Mile, Gear Up 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! Charlie trains from Middleham, North Yorkshire and had a great year in 2023 with 174 domestic wins on the Flat including the Balmoral Handicap with The Gatekeeper. Charlie trained two individual Owners Group winners in 2023 including Dutch Decoy in a Class 2 handicap at Newmarket and the juvenile Zachary.
Julie Camacho

Julie Camacho and her husband and assistant trainer Steve Brown started training in the 1990s when Julie took over from her father, Maurice. Julie had her first winner with Elite Racing Club's first homebred winner Stately Favour and has since trained Elite Racing Club’s record-breaker Judicial, the winner of an incredible 18 races, including two Group 3s. The last couple of seasons have seen their profile increase and 2023 was 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 the current talk is of his superstar hurdler Constitution Hill, the impressive winner of the 2023 Champion Hurdle. He trains several Owners Group horses, including the 2019 dual Grade 1-winning hurdler (including the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival), Pentland Hills. Nicky had wins with Owners Group's Will Carver, Issuing Authority and The Carpenter in 2023.
Anthony Honeyball

A former conditional jockey for Paul Nicholls, Anthony Honeyball began his training career in 2006, from his parents' farm in Somerset, and in 2012 moved to his current base in Dorset. The undoubted star of the show has been Regal Encore, the winner of nine races, including a Grade 3 chase at Ascot, when 12 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. Anthony had his best season to date in 2022-2023 with 40 wins and trained Owners Group's Farouk De Cheneau to three wins in 2023.
James Fanshawe

James Fanshawe has been operating at the highest level for four decades from his beautiful and historic yard, which was built by legendary jockey 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 owners/breeders.
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 in the 2022-2023 Jumps season with 80 wins and a 19% strike rate.
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.
Harry Charlton

Having shared the training licence with his father Roger for the previous two seasons, Harry took over the licence in January 2024 to train from the historic Beckhampton Stables in Wiltshire. In Roger's first season, he won the Derby and Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) with Quest For Fame and Sanglamore, respectively. Roger also notably handled the Group 1 winners Avonbridge, Patavellian, Tamarisk, Al Kazeem and Quadrilateral. Roger also trained Elite Racing Club's Group 3 winner, Border Patrol, and the speedy Listed-winning juvenile Marlinka. Harry and Roger had great success on the Flat in 2022 and 2023, training 89 domestic Flat winners.
Kirtlington Stud

Kirtlington Stud is set in 345 acres of fabulous limestone brash, which is great land 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 Racing Club’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. He had notable wins in 2023 with Brewin’upastorm in a Grade 2 race and Thunder Rock in a Listed chase.
Alan King

Alan King is one of the most successful jumps trainers of the last 20 years, having first taken over the licence from his mentor, the renowned jumps trainer, David Nicholson. Alan has enjoyed his finest hours with the likes of Cheltenham winners Penzance (Elite Racing Club), Voy Por Ustedes, My Way De Solzen, Katchit and Edwardstone, and has become one of the country’s leading dual-purpose trainers. Alan’s best Flat horse has been the high-class stayer Trueshan, and he has also had other high-profile Flat winners, including at Royal Ascot.
Chris Gordon

Chris and his wife Jenny have built up an enviable string of horses after many years of hard work. Their best horses to date include Highway One O Two (Grade 2 Dovecote Novices' Hurdle) and the 2023 Betfair Hurdle winner at Newbury, Aucunrisque. They also have a particularly good strike rate with their chasers.
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. He continued his success through 2023 with 28 domestic winners, including the Listed Feilden Stakes with Canberra Legend, as well a valuable win in Australia’s Moet & Chandon St Leger Stakes with Land Legend.
Kevin Philippart de Foy

Kevin Philippart de Foy has made an extraordinary start to his Flat training career, sending out a remarkable 60+ winners in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. 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 with Treve’s trainer Criquette Head. Kevin is now settled in Newmarket, where he also worked for multiple Group One-winning trainer James Fanshawe for five years.
Nigel Tinkler

Nigel Tinkler is based just outside Malton in North Yorkshire. Nigel's family is one of the most well known in racing and Nigel himself has enjoyed a successful career as a trainer since taking out his licence in 1982. He has trained over 1,000 winners and his most successful recent horse was Ubettabelieveit, who won a Group 2 in 2020.
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 in the last couple of seasons, 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.