Dunlop is the son of British champion trainer John Dunlop. He was educated at Sunningdale School and Eton College.[1] He began his career on stud farms in Ireland and Kentucky before completing the National Stud student course in Sydney, Australia.
Upon returning to Britain he spent three years as assistant to Nicky Henderson, then joined Alex Scott at his Newmarket Stables. When Scott was murdered in 1994 Dunlop took over and renamed the business Gainsborough Stables.[1] The new stable had its first winner on 19 October 1994 and since then has sent entrants to races as far-flung as Istanbul, Dubai, Milan, Ireland and the United States. In 2003 alone the stable had 50 winners, and such prestigious owners as Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby, have placed horses to train with Dunlop. Notable horses include Ouija Board (won 47%, £2 million).
