Barry Hills Racing Legacy

Barry Hills (1937–2025): A Biography

Barry Hills, who passed away on 28 June 2025 at the age of 88, was one of the most influential and successful racehorse trainers in British racing history. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he sent out over 3,000 winners, claimed multiple Classic victories, and established a racing dynasty whose impact endures through his family and protégés.

Early Life and Start in Racing

Born in Worcester on 2 April 1937, Barry Hills was immersed in racing from an early age—his father was a head lad to a local trainer. After a brief stint as an apprentice jockey, riding nine winners, Hills realized his future lay in training. He spent a decade as head lad to John Oxley, learning the trade and building connections within the sport. His big break came in 1968, when a shrewd ante-post betting coup on Frankincense in the Lincoln Handicap provided him with the funds to purchase his own yard in Lambourn, South Bank, from Keith Piggott, father of Lester Piggott. This bold move set the stage for his remarkable training career The Telegraph.

Training Career and Notable Winners

Hills took out his training licence in 1969 and quickly made his mark. His first winner, La Dolce Vita, came at Thirsk in April that year. By 1971, he had his first Group One success with Our Mirage in the Prix de la Salamandre. The following year, he came agonizingly close to Derby glory when Rheingold was narrowly beaten, but in 1973, Rheingold delivered Hills his greatest international triumph by winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Sky Sports.

Throughout his career, Hills trained the winners of ten British and Irish Classics. His Classic winners included:

• Enstone Spark (1000 Guineas, 1978)
• Tap On Wood (2000 Guineas, 1979)
• Moonax (St Leger, 1994)
• Haafhd (2000 Guineas, 2004, ridden by his son Richard)
• Ghanaati (1000 Guineas, 2009)
• Sir Harry Lewis (Irish Derby, 1987)
• Nicer (Irish 1000 Guineas, 1993)
• Hula Angel (Irish 1000 Guineas, 1999)
• Bolas (Irish Oaks, 1994)

He also won the Ascot Gold Cup twice with Gildoran, the Prix de l’Abbaye with Handsome Sailor, and the Champion Stakes with Cormorant Wood and Storming Home. His beloved stayer, Further Flight, won the Jockey Club Cup five times in succession and became a fan favorite The Telegraph.

Despite his many triumphs, the Epsom Derby famously eluded him, with four of his horses finishing second, often in heartbreaking photo finishes.

Legacy and Family

Barry Hills was not just a trainer but the patriarch of a racing dynasty. His sons Michael and Richard both became Classic-winning jockeys, while Charlie took over the Faringdon Place yard and has enjoyed major successes as a trainer in his own right. Another son, George, is a prominent bloodstock insurer. His eldest son, John, was also a successful trainer before his untimely death in 2014 At The Races.

Hills was renowned for his shrewdness, work ethic, and deep understanding of horses. He was admired for his ability to spot talent, both equine and human, and for his meticulous attention to detail. His relationships with major owners such as Robert Sangster and Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum were built on mutual respect and a shared passion for the sport.

Even after retiring in 2011, following a battle with throat cancer, Hills briefly returned to training after John’s death, sending out more winners and demonstrating his enduring love for racing.

Final Years and Tributes

Barry Hills’s contribution to British racing was immense, and he was widely respected for his integrity, wit, and competitive spirit. The British Horseracing Authority described him as “one of the great figures of our sport” Sky Sports.

He is survived by his wife Penny and his sons, who continue his legacy in various facets of the racing world. Barry Hills’s story is one of resilience, innovation, and a lifelong devotion to the sport he loved—a true legend whose influence will be felt for generations.

For more, see The Telegraph obituary and Sky Sports tribute.