Alan King

Alan is a farmer’s son who has nurtured a passion for racing from an early age. As a teenager he went to work at David Nicholson’s Condicote yard, where he soon became Assistant, a position Alan would keep until the ‘Duke’s’ retirement 15 years later.

It was in December 1999 that he took out his own licence at Jackdaws Castle, where he trained 31 winners in six months. These included Anzum, who won the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot and Relkeel, winner of the Grade 2 Bonusprint Hurdle at Cheltenham.  On 1 June 2000 Alan moved to Barbury Castle, which has since been improved and expanded in the quest for more winners. Since then Alan has trained 31 Grade One winners and an ever expanding 15 Cheltenham Festival winners. To add to the tally of Alan's success are the 1358 National Hunt winners he has saddled. One of Alan's flagship horses retired at the end of the 2017/18 season, Smad Place who won the 2015 Hennessey Gold Cup (now Ladbrokes Trophy)  in emphatic style. Grade 1 winner Sceau Royal will now be expected to fill Smad Place's spot, having put a quality field to the sword in the Henry VIII Novice Chase last December. 

Highclere Thoroughbred Racing are pleased to have Alan on our roster of trainers as his operation continutes to go from strength to strength.