Ed Dunlop

Edward A.L. Dunlop is a British thoroughbred racehorse trainer, whose wins include the Ascot Gold Cup, the Epsom Oaks twice and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Ascot. 

The son of British champion trainer John Dunlop, Ed grew up at his father’s yard, the Castle Stables in Arundel. After completing his education at Eton, he worked on stud farms in Ireland and Kentucky and received extra education in Sydney, Australia. 

Dunlop returned to the UK where his first job was an assistant to four-time British jump racing Champion Trainer, Nicky Henderson. He then moved to work with Alex Scott at Sheikh Maktoum Al Maktoum’s Oak Stables in Newmarket. After Scott’s death in 1994, 25-year-old Dunlop took over the yard when it was renamed, Gainsborough Stables. Dunlop’s first success came shortly after when Lynton Lad won at Yarmouth. 

Despite the daunting task of taking over from Scott, Dunlop flourished achieving 1,000 domestic winners as well as finding success further afield in Ireland, the U.S, Japan, Italy, Hong Kong, France and Canada.

His most famous trained horse is Oujia Board, who as a three-year-old was as a dual Oaks winner. He went onto win seven Group and Grade 1 races, including a Hong Kong Vase, a Prince of Wales’ Stakes at Royal Ascot. 

Dunlop has had his fair share of bad luck too. In November 2015 he suffered the loss of British-bred Thoroughbred Racehorse Red Cadeaux, who was a triple runner up in the Melbourne Cup. He was put down following complications after surgery.