Born in Newmarket in 1829, John Prince came from a racing family. His grandfather, Richard Prince (born in Ireland) trained ten Classic winners including five in the Derby (1795 Spread Eagle, 1796 Didelot, 1799 Archduke, 1806 Paris, 1819 Tiresias), and his uncle, Richard Prince Jnr, won the 1821 Oaks with Augusta and the 1835 1,000 Guineas with Preserve.
John had a fairly successful riding career on the Flat in the 1840s and 1850s. He won the Northumberland Plate two years running, on Dolo in 1846 and Eryx in 1847. He also won the 1847 Chesterfield Cup on Collingwood.
He finished third in the 1854 St Leger. The following year he was appointed first jockey to Lord John Scott and achieved a career best score of 21 wins, beating his previous best tally of 20 set in 1847.
John later became a trainer, based at Upper Lambourn, winning the 1857 Molecomb Stakes with The Lord Of Lorn. His most successful season was in 1858 when he sent out the winners of the Coronation Stakes (Sunbeam), the Goodwood Cup (Saunterer), the Gimcrack Stakes (Rainbow) and the St Leger with Mr Merry’s filly Sunbeam ridden by Luke Snowden.
The following year, John moved to Stork House in Lambourn, where by 1862 his string numbered 23. At the end of 1865 there were rumours that he was going to train privately for Lord Stamford at Newmarket but this came to nothing.
He gave up training in 1867 and moved to Newmarket where he lived in retirement. He died there on June 5 1880, aged 50.
Information sourced from ‘A Biographical Dictionary of Racehorse Trainers in Berkshire 1850-1939’ by David Boyd, published in 1998.