After a two-year apprenticeship with Neville Dent and Gordon Smyth he took over Castle Stables in Arundel, on the Duke of Norfolk's estate.
He played a pivotal role in the establishment of Middle Eastern influences in British horseracing, training Hatta, Sheikh Mohammed's first winner as an owner at Brighton in 1977.
[2] He was also associated with Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum over a period of three decades, training horses such as Salsabil, winner of the 1,000 Guineas, Oaks and Irish Derby.
The main jockeys with which he was associated include the Australian Ron Hutchinson, Willie Carson, Pat Eddery[3] and Lester Piggott .
Jeremy Noseda and Gerard Butler also learnt their trade with him.