Irish-born Kevin Ryan cemented his status as one of the leading trainers in Britain when his filly Glass Slippers won the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland last November. It was her third G1 win, and Ryan’s fifth since 2019. His career total of 12 G1 victories also includes 2014 Prix du Jockey Club and Irish Champion Stakes The Grey Gatsby.
Ryan, 57, has close to 1,800 winners to his name, including seven at Royal Ascot, since he began training in 1998. He is based at Hambleton Lodge stables in North Yorkshire.
Who do you think is the most important figure in the history of racing around the world?
I think the investment made by the Maktoum family in all aspects of the industry, both the breeding and racing sides, puts them at the top of the list. There are so many things they have invested in our industry that we are not even aware of. I don’t think we will ever see investment in racing like it again.
What is your favourite racing venue and race?
My favourite venue is York. Obviously it is our local track, but it also has great facilities, brilliant racing and good prize money. We have had a lot of success there. It is a very fair track and a great place for an owner to have a runner as they really push the boat out to look after them well. It is a great place to take an owner.
I’ve been lucky enough to have success in the French Derby, but I would love to win a British Classic. Everyone would like to win the Derby. Epsom is such a unique track and it takes a very special horse to be able to do it.
I grew up not far from Ballydoyle during the time of Vincent O’Brien and it was the race we looked forward to sitting down to watch every summer.
What is your fondest memory in racing?
I would have to say my first Royal Ascot winner with a horse called Uhoomagoo. He was a real character; he used to fall out of the stalls and he would nearly tail himself off. Halfway through a race you would think he was going to be last, and then he would just sprout wings and take off in the last couple of furlongs.
He gave me my first Royal Ascot winner in the Buckingham Palace Stakes back in 2006 (see video below). He was a really special horse to me as he was only small but he was very talented with loads of character, a joyful horse to train who loved his work.
What is the biggest challenge racing faces today?
It has been well documented, but the major challenge we face in Britain is prize money. The cost of keeping a horse in training compared to the prize money they are racing for is ridiculous. Something has to happen here soon. We have to try to make it commercial for a lot of our owners, so that is why a lot of our horses get sold. It makes it difficult for a trainer to hold on to talented horses.
This is an expensive hobby, so God bless the owners who keep coming into the sport and investing in yearlings. Syndicates have helped too as they have continued to grow and are so professionally run now. It has to be addressed and the time has come to stop talking about it and start doing something about it.
If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be?
I would love to see our interference rules made the same as those in France. There is no grey area in France. If you interfere with a horse, then you finish behind it.
They are too inconsistent over here, whereas in France generally the best horse wins. They race so tightly in this country, especially around the all-weather tracks, that it would make the races a lot safer and a lot fairer.