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Barry Hills, one of Britain's greatest racing trainers, dies aged 88
Barry Hills, one of the great trainers of the post-War era who sent out over 3,000 winners and founded a racing dynasty, died on Friday night after a long illness aged 88.
Hills, a stickler for old-school high standards beginning with his own dapper dress sense, commanded enormous loyalty from his owners and staff, some of whom were with him over 50 years and their whole careers.
He started off riding a few winners before becoming travelling headland to John Oxley in Newmarket. In 1968 such was his confidence in the horses, despite having to carry a big weight, he won enough money (£60,000 then – at least £1.5 million in today's money) backing the stable's Frankinsense in the Lincoln Handicap to set up the following year as a trainer, buying Southbank Stables in Lambourn from Keith Piggott.
He went on to win five British Classics but, famously, the Derby eluded him. He saddled the runner-up four times starting with Rheingold who was beaten a short-head by the Lester Piggott-ridden Roberto in 1972. Had anyone other than Piggott been on Roberto he would likely have won. The following year Rheingold went on to provide Piggott with his first Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe.
Hawaiian Sound might also have won but he ended up making the running under Willie Shoemaker who could not hold him, and when he went to block Remainder Man, Greville Starkey shot through on the inside on Shirley Heights. The other two runner-up finishes were Glacial Storm and Blue Stag and he even ran a colt called Mr Combustible, named after the trainer, in the Classic.
RIP Barry Hills
— History of Horse Racing (@horsevault) June 28, 2025
His eldest son, John, went on to be a trainer but died from cancer in 2014. Hills described beating John's Broadway Flyer with 40-1 outsider Moonax in the 1994 St Leger as the 'most emotional' winner of his career.
The identical-twin sons from his first marriage, Richard and Michael, were both top-class jockeys; Richard was first jockey to Shadwell while Michael won the Derby on Shaamit. Charles Hills, the eldest son of his second marriage to Penny, took over Abingdon Place on his retirement in 2011 while his youngest son, George, runs an insurance business in Kentucky.
Hills survived over 30 years after being diagnosed with throat cancer, his specialist Professor David Howard overseeing his health for the rest of his life. A number of times in those three decades during bouts of ill-health his family were told to prepare for the worst but every time he bounced back.
Speaking from Kentucky, Steve Cauthen, the 'Kentucky Kid' who was lured over by Hills, recalled: 'He asked me to ride Hawaiian Sound in the Derby but it was three days before Affirmed went for the Triple Crown in the Belmont so I couldn't but I watched Bill Shoemaker damn near win and it made me prick my ears to British racing.
'When I came over I did through the back door, via Ireland, to Blackbushe Airport where Barry met me. I said, 'Shall I put my suitcase in the trunk?' and he replied, 'Over here it's called a f---ing boot!' and I thought, 'What have I let myself in for?'.'
'But we became the firmest of friends. He and Penny helped me grow up and I never organised a trip to Britain since without booking in with them first. We won a lot of big races together and he didn't have to tell me what to do which gave me a lot of freedom. The twins and John became like brothers to me.
'He was a great man. To go from stable hand to top trainer was incredible in itself and look at the people he taught; Peter Chapple-Hyam, Darryll Holland, Ray Cochrane, John Warren. He gave me a lot of guidance and instilled my dreams to want to get back to the top again. He wanted everyone to be the best they could be.'
