72-year-old British racehorse trainer John Harry Martin Gosden is a household name in the horse racing industry. The legendary horseman boasts a remarkable horse racing journey which includes the iconic races—Breeders’ Cup Classic, Eclipse, Arc, King George, and Derby. In addition, the Sussex-born equestrian holds the record of over 600 victories in the United States alone.

A blast from the past recently resurfaced where John Gosden shared the story of his horse that rode to victories. It also shifted the focus from the perfect horse ideology which many equestrians look for in their horses.

Horse racing icon reminisces a fond memory

A Twitter(X) post by World Horse Racing featured John Gosden with the caption, “John Gosden and… the horse no-one wanted.“ The British-horseman said that like anything else, it started with three horses, progressed to six, and then got kind of stuck—“I got asked to go look at a horse that no one wanted.” 

Sharing the entire story, he said: Lucien Laurin who was a retired secretariat trainer told him, “This is a big lout of a horse, but you know, I think there is something about him.” That time, Gosden replied, “Sir, I have five horses, I will definitely take him.” Finally, the trainer said, “In the end he won the San Antonio, San Anita Handicap, and went on to be the Eclipse award winning champion older horse… He was my breakthrough horse.” However, this wasn’t the first time, Gosden has been all praises from his favorite Californian treasure.

The horse that John Gosden loved so dearly

Gosden’s remarkable career as a racehorse trainer reached a major turning point in 1983 when he worked in California. It’s when he found an an American thoroughbred handicap horse, Bates Motel, who later won the esteemed Eclipse Award and became the American Champion Older Male Horse. The horse’s notable wins include: The Santa Anita Handicap, the San Antonio Handicap, and the Philip H. Iselin Handicap.

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Looking back at the crucial moment when Bates Motel won “The Big Cap,” a race that attracted an incredible 85,000 spectators. Back then, he said, “My first big winner – everybody needs a break in life and that was mine.”

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