He then moved to California in search of his own success, obtaining his American Horse Training license in 1979. He began training just three horses, renting single boxes as he could not afford to rent his own stable.
In 1983, he was to have his first big winner, Bates Motel. The horse that John Gosden described as his first big break in the sport.
In 1989 he returned to the the U.K. and quickly made a big impression on the British Horse Racing scene. Throughout the 1990s, Gosden formed a successful partnership with a young Frankie Dettori, the pair winning hundreds of races together.
His upward trajectory accelerated in 1996 as Dettori rode him a first British classic winner in the St Leger aboard Shantou. He followed that up in 1997, winning the prestigious Investec Derby with Benny The Dip.
From that point to the present day he has continued to shape his legacy as one of the greatest British trainers of the post-war era.
He has won swathes Group 1’s both in Britain and abroad, he has been crowned British Flat Racing Champion Trainer 4 times and his trained some of the greatest horses of modern times.
Kingman, Golden Horn, Enable and Roaring Lion all come to mind as winners of the Cartier Horse Of The Year Award and for their numerous achievements within the QIPCO British Champions Series.