John Gosden pays tribute to team after winning fourth Flat trainers’ championship

John Gosden has been crowned champion Flat trainer for a fourth time, following another hugely successful season.

He was presented with his trophy at a Racehorse Owners Association awards ceremony in London, retaining the title after seeing off his great rival Aidan O’Brien, who has no entries in Britain for the remainder of the year.

With O’Brien trailing by well over £250,000, Gosden has amassed an unassailable lead.

His prize-money total of £7,942,573 (at start of play on December 13) is his second highest yearly total – falling just short of last year’s tally, while his 187 winners this year is a personal best.

The Clarehaven handler paid tribute to connections, staff and his horses for another outstanding season.

“All I can say is, as is inevitable for any trainer, thank you to the fantastic owners and breeders that send us the horses,” Gosden told Great British Racing.

“To the amazing staff at Clarehaven, they work with me every day and we bounce ideas off each other, without them we are nothing.

“To the horses themselves, the one thing that binds us is the wonderful horses that we are lucky enough to be around.

“No matter what level they win at, we have some champions at the yard, but when a little one that tries hard wins a small race, it’s very fulfilling for every owner, trainer and breeder.”

Gosden won nine British Group Ones this year and two of those were Classics – Anapurna in the Investec Oaks at Epsom and Logician in the William Hill St Leger at Doncaster.

He also saddled his eighth Qipco British Champions Day winner this year, with Star Catcher taking the Fillies & Mares Stakes.

Frankie Dettori contributed to 71 per cent of Gosden’s prize-money total, and the Italian jockey’s fine season was recently rewarded by becoming Longines World’s Best Jockey for the third time.

Gosden’s most successful equine star in terms of prize-money was Enable who, in winning the Coral-Eclipse, King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes and the Darley Yorkshire Oaks brought home more than £1.3 million.

She is set to remain in training next year as Gosden seeks his fifth trainers’ championship, with her big aim a third victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.