Horse Trainers

Horse Trainer: Jamie Osbourne

admin January 7, 2026

A leading British thoroughbred horse trainer located at The Old Malthouse Stables, Upper Lambourn, Hungerford, Berkshire, England.

James Anthony Osborne was born in 1967, his father, Tony, was a director of Market Rasen Racecourse.

Osborne grew up in Yorkshire and enjoyed riding his pony and rode for a couple of seasons as an amateur jockey before moving to Nicky Henderson’s yard in 1987 where he took up his professional licence.

After a couple of years, he was stable jockey for Oliver Sherwood.

Osborne had a very successful partnership with Sherwood, including leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival in 1992 with 5 winners, with a treble on the same day. His most successful season was in 1996-97 when he finished runner-up in the British jump racing Champion Jockey title with 131 winners.

He retired in 1999 through injury.

He quoted: “I haven’t been enjoying the riding as much as I used to. There were lots of lows, I kept falling off, banging my head. I had just had enough of it. I’ve no regrets, but I will not miss going to Ludlow on a Thursday”.

He rode almost 1000 winners around the world.

Osborne was granted a dual-purpose trainer’s licence which he embarked in 1999.

‘The Osborne ethos is to blend old-fashioned horsemanship & experience with a modern, innovative training regime using up-to-date technology to assist in achieving our goals.’

This includes varied gallops managed by the Jockey Club Estates, including The Mandown and Kingsdown gallops, high-speed treadmill, cold salt-water therapy spa set in a small, picturesque village with individual stabling for two-year-olds and older horses.

The key for equine health being airflow and hygiene.

As Osborne says: ‘Racehorse owners can only truly enjoy the experience once they are clear and confident in the knowledge that their trainer is managing their investment as if it was their own.’

Predominantly a Flat horse trainer, he would see success early in his career when Milk It Mick won the Dewhurst Stakes Group One at Newmarket in October 2003. He did well with another two-year-old Drawnfromthepast who won the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2007.

Many horse racing fans will have fond memories of stable star Toast Of New York who won almost £2M from 13 international starts, including winning the UAE Derby in 2014. The same year, he was beaten a nose in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on the dirt track at Santa Anita Park.

Osborne is married to Katie, an artist, and they have one daughter, Saffie, who is a professional flat racing jockey.

Horse Trainer: Roger Varian

admin January 6, 2026

One of the major licensed British thoroughbred horse trainers.

Born in 1979.

In his early teens, although from a non-racing family, Varian enjoyed pony riding and spent time riding out for trainers at weekends. His enthusiasm for the sport was encouraged by his parents.

After finishing school, in the mid-’90s, he made the bold decision to go to the US to embark on a career as a work rider at Hollywood Park, located in Inglewood, California, Los Angeles County. As far as records show, he didn’t have any professional rides or wins at this time. However, in the late ’90s, he returned to the UK, where he rode for National Hunt trainer Josh Gifford. He rode seven winners for The Downs Stables, located at Findon, West Sussex.

Feeling his riding career “needed a push forward”, he returned to the United States in 2001, heading to Maryland, based with trainer Jack Fisher, who is best known for American steeplechase racing. Notable horses for the stable include Good Night Shirt, one of the few horses to earn over $1m in prize money.

However, his time in Maryland was short-lived, as within two months Varian had sustained a serious wrist injury in a fall, ending his career as a jockey.

Later that year, Varian headed back to the UK, taking a post at Kremlin House Stables in Newmarket as assistant trainer to Michael Jarvis.

He remained in this role for 10 years, the stable handling exceptional talents such as Rakti, a winner of six Group One races in Italy and the United Kingdom, and Eswarah, winner of the 2005 Epsom Oaks Classic race.

Michael Jarvis’ career spanned over 40 years. He achieved numerous Group One successes across Europe, including the 1000 Guineas (Ameerat, 2001) and the Epsom Oaks (Eswarah, 2005).

Due to Jarvis’ failing health, Varian took over the running of Kremlin House Stables in February 2011. Sadly, his mentor would pass away on 20 September that year, aged 71.

Varian described himself as “very grateful… very privileged and… very lucky”.

He had notable successes in the following years with the exceptional Kingston Hill, who was runner-up in the 2014 Epsom Derby before winning Varian his first Classic in the St Leger (2014).

Also in 2014, Belardo was rated the best two-year-old colt trained in Europe after his win in the Group One Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

In January 2017, Varian left Kremlin House Stables, purchasing Carlburg Stables from Clive Brittain, who had retired from training in September 2015.

Noted winners at Carlburg Stables (Varian) include:

• 1000 Guineas – Elmalka (2024)
• Irish St Leger – Eldar Eldarov (2023)

Varian is married with three children.