About John Best
2010
We've had a great start to this year with Sir Gerry's impressive performance on the opening night of the Dubai Carnival. Ted Durcan's well timed run brought Sir Gerry from the rear in the final furlong to first place in the 6f sprint handicap.
2009
Now one of an elite group of flat trainers with a team of over 100 horses, John together with his skilled and dedicated team continue to build on last year's success. Deposer, part of the successful Kent Bloodstock syndicate was sold to Hong Kong after places in Group 1, 3 and Listed races in the UK and the USA. Owners have had memorable days out and a taste of some of the biggest race meetings in this country and abroad including Royal Ascot, Epsom Derby Festival, Ebor York Festival, Deauville August Festival and St Moritz.
2007 & 2008
These years were dominated by the outstanding performances of Kingsgate Native who was subsequently sold to Cheveley Park Stud for a substantial amount. The highlights were his Royal Ascot and Group One success and the Windsor Castle win with Flashmans Papers. USA success followed later in 2008 with Square Eddie's winning performance in the GP Lanes End Futurity at Keeneland.
2006
2006 proved to be John's most successful year so far, with a 250/1 treble in January, first and third places in the Spring Cup and a Listed winner – all at Lingfield Park. John won a further Listed race at Newbury with Kingsgate Prince, who went on to place in a Group Three at Royal Ascot, and who was then sold to race in Hong Kong for £260,000.
Rising Cross won a Listed race, placed in two Classics – the English and Irish Oaks – and won a Group Two at York before being sold for £325,000. Towards the end of the year, John's exciting two-year-old colt Hurricane Spirit scored a Lingfield three-timer before scoring in a Conditions race at Kempton.
2005
In 2005, John Best trained one of the leading two-year-old fillies of the season in Rising Cross. She became John's first Group-placed horse, coming second to Nannina at Goodwood.
2004
John's success rapidly built momentum, and in 2004 he recorded two notable achievements – his first century of winners, and recognition as the leading Timeform up-and-coming trainer firmly establishing him as a leading UK trainer.
1997 - 2004
Having begun his career riding and training point-to-point and hunter chasers, John Best was granted his first professional licence in 1997, and won his first race with Hever Golf Diamond in May of that year. He took out his flat racing licence in 1999, and once again his first victory came soon after, with Santiburi Girl turning over an odds-on favourite at Salisbury.