About John Best
John Best has been training racehorses in Kent for over ten years. Today, he trains over 40 horses from his Hucking-based racing yard, including Group winner and Classic-placed filly Rising Cross.
1997 - 2004
Having begun his career riding and training point-to-point and hunter chasers, John Best was granted his first professional license in 1997, and won his first race with Hever Golf Diamond in May of that year. He took out his flat racing license in 1999, and once again his first victory came soon after, with Santiburi Girl turning over an odds-on favourite at Salisbury.
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. These milestones also marked him out as the most successful trainer in Kent for many years.
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.
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. The new owner has kept Rising Cross in training at John's yard. 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.
2007 and beyond
John Best continues to improve and expand his racehorse training facilities, and his string of two-year-olds and older racehorses promises plenty more success for the yard in the future!