Top trainers in 2020: The Arc boosts Rouget

Trainers are ranked by prizemoney and the 2020 title goes to Jean-Claude Rouget, crowned Flat champion handler for the third time. Already top of the list in 2009 and 2016, he owes a lot this year to the victory of Sottsass in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The roughly €2m that this success alone brings put the stable well above that of André Fabre, who thus lost his "usual" champion trainer title. Indeed, the Chantilly-based master has been crowned 17 times since 2000, only Alain de Royer Dupré also appearing in the list of this century, in 2008, the year of Zarkava.

In 2020, 167 horses trained by Rouget ran 557 times and won 128 races (23% strike rate), for total earnings of just over €5m. Fabre follows with €4.3m, 162 horses having run 501 times and won 98 races (20%). The podium was completed by Francis-Henri Graffard, who achieved his best score with 92 horses, 310 rides and 66 wins (21%), for €3.36m. Fourth with 152 horses, 675 runners and 112 wins (17%), Frédéric Rossi won became the best ambassador of the Calas training centre in Provence.