In the 21st century, horse racing has been hugely popularized, in large part thanks to the aforementioned websites. Some of the biggest horse racing events get covered by the sportsbooks. For example, the Cheltenham bookies offers are already picking up steam, as the upcoming event is one of the most anticipated in the world of horse racing.
Usually, the stars of the show are the horses, and if not the horses, then the jockeys. However, a huge part of the sport are the trainers. So, in this article, we are going to look over the top 10 smartest horse racing trainers in the world.
#1 Aidan O’Brien
Aidan O’Brien is an Irish trainer, who is best known for his huge role in the Coolmore operation. He operates out of Ballydoyle Stables, and in 2017 gained international acclaim. It was during that year that O’Brien set the world record for training horses, when he trained 26 group 1 winners during the calendar year.
#2 Team Godolphin
Godolphin, the Maktoum family’s private horse training team, is one of the most successful teams in the world. They operate stables in Dubai (where they are headquartered), Great Britain and Australia, and have produced some fantastic horses, who’ve been able to make a huge upset, during the biggest competitions.
#3 Bob Baffert
From Ireland, to Dubai, to the U.S.A., third on our list is Bob Baffert. When it comes to American trainers, no one can compete with Baffert. He is most famous for training two Triple Crown winners. American Pharaoh won the Triple Crown in 2015 and Justify did the same in 2018. Both beasts were Baffert trainees. Bob remains one of the best, if not the best American trainer in the world today.
#4 Todd Pletcher
And speaking of US trainers, Texas’ very own Todd Pletcher takes the number four spot. Certainly one of the best American trainers, Pletcher also has earned the right to call himself one of the best trainers in the world, being a seven-time winner of the Eclipse Award. Not surprising from one of the disciples of the legendary D. Wayne Lukas.
#5 John Gosden
From the US, we need to go back across the pond, back to the UK. It is in England that John Gosden was born and it is there where he operates from. An economics graduate from Cambridge University, John Gosden chose to pursue his father’s career as a horse racing trainer. And considering his success in the field, it would seem he made the right decision.
#6 Andre Fabre
Fabre was born in Spain, however, he is a Frenchman through and through. Operating out of France, Fabre is somewhat of a legend in horse racing today. He studied law, however, chose to pursue a career in horse racing. At first, he gained acclaim as a world-renowned jockey, and now he trains some of the best horses that France has ever seen.
#7 Mike de Kock
South Africa’s Mike de Kock is certainly a trainer worth his salt. Certainly one of South Africa’s greatest trainers, if not the greatest, de Kock’s skill has attracted the eye of the aforementioned Maktoum family. Since then, he has been showing off his skill in Dubai and South Africa and proving to the world that you don’t need to come from a horse racing family, in order to be one of the best.
#8 Chad Brown
For number 8 we go back to America, in order to look at Chad Brown. Brown has trained a number of horses who’ve attained superstardom. He is considered by reputable sources as one of the smartest and best trainers, and his numerous awards tend to support this claim.
#9 Chris Waller
With his home base in Sydney, Australia, Waller makes it to the number 9 spot on our list. Waller is perhaps best known as the trainer of Winx, one of the best-rated horses in the world. For a long time, in fact, Winx held the number one spot and stood as a testament to Waller’s talent and skill.
#10 John Size
While born in Australia, John Size operates out of Hong Kong, where he moved in 2001. There, he garnered a name for himself and won numerous awards, showing that he is certainly one of the best in the world today.