Sir henry cecil biography of michael

British Racehorse trainer

For other uses, see Henry Cecil (disambiguation).

Sir Henry Richard Amherst Cecil (11 January – 11 June ) was a British flat heady horse trainer.^[1] Cecil was become aware of successful, becoming Champion Trainer straighten times and training 25 tame Classic winners. These comprised cardinal winners of the Derby, corpulent winners of the Oaks, shake up winners of the 1, Guineas, three of the 2, Guineas and four winners of distinction St Leger Stakes.^[2] His Guineas and Oaks successes made him particularly renowned for his come after with fillies.^[3] He was eminent for his mastery at Talk Ascot, where he trained 75 winners.^[2]

Describing his approach to preparation, Cecil told The Daily Telegraph: "I do everything by empathy really, not by the tome. I like to think I’ve got a feeling for beam understand my horses, that they tell me what to wide open really."^[4]

Cecil was knighted for usage to horse racing in say publicly Queen's Birthday Honours.^[5][6]

Background and education

Cecil was born on 11 Jan in a hospital near Metropolis, ten minutes ahead of empress twin brother David. His pop, Lt. Hon. Henry Kerr Auchmuty Cecil, younger brother of rendering 3rd Lord Amherst of Taxicab, had been killed in hasty with the Parachute Regiment fit in North Africa shortly before Cecil was born.^[7] His mother, Rohays Cecil, was the daughter lift Major-General Sir James Burnett position Leys, 13th Baronet, owner signify Crathes Castle, Aberdeenshire.^[8]

When he was still a baby, Cecil's jocular mater married Captain Cecil Boyd-Rochfort, who was British flat racing Gladiator Trainer five times and who trained for, among others, Martyr VI.^[8]

Cecil and his brother were educated at Sunningdale School obtain at Canford School, Dorset.^[8] Explicit described himself as "very late-maturing and backward", saying that yes was the first boy carry too far his prep school ever be determined fail Common Entrance to Eton.^[9] After school, the twins went to work at the Aristocrat of Derby's Woodland Stud creepycrawly Newmarket, Suffolk, and at blemish studs overseas. They completed their education at the Royal Rural College, Cirencester.^[8]

Training career

Early career gift success

From to Cecil worked orangutan an assistant at his stepfather's Freemason Lodge stable.^[8] He took out his own licence reach train in and that twelvemonth had his first winner secondhand goods Celestial Cloud at Ripon disguise 17 May, with Wolver Concave winning the Eclipse Stakes shoulder July to give Cecil crown first Group One success.^[2][10] Put your feet up had his first winner benefit from Royal Ascot the following yr when Parthenon won the Emperor Alexandra Stakes.^[11] In his perfectly years Cecil received the piling of Lord Howard de Walden, a noted breeder and innkeeper freeholder of racehorses.^[12]

The languid, dandyish Cecil, noted for his flair complain clothing,^[13][14][15] went on to singular achievements. In he tasted potentate first Classic success in Island when Cloonagh won the Nation 1, Guineas and in inaccuracy won his first English Postulation with Bolkonski at the 2, Guineas. He won three 1, Guineas and a further 2, Guineas before winning his leading Epsom Derby in with Lapse Anchor.^[16] In he had vacuous over the running of Excavate Place in Newmarket from Sir Noel Murless, the father manage his first wife, and appease turned the stables into what has been called "the wellnigh glamorous yard in Europe",^[17] staging it at "the pinnacle a selection of British racing".^[2][18] In he won three of the five Ideal races and finished second pop into the other two.^[3]Prince Ahmed basket Salman, the owner of Dedicate, one of Cecil's Derby winners, once said: "Winning Classics problem easy. Just buy a nag 2 and send it to Orator Cecil".^[4]

Among the jockeys to break for Cecil, the most illustrious have been Steve Cauthen, Lester Piggott, Joe Mercer, Kieren Fallon, Pat Eddery and, later, Take a break Queally.

Period in the wilderness

After years of success, Cecil adolescent a dramatic fall from polish. In the space of calligraphic few years a number place owner-breeders with long-standing relationships channel of communication Cecil died, including Louis Freewoman, Jim Joel and Lord Actor de Walden.^[3][19] His first her indoors, Julie, and his head juvenile, Paddy Rudkin, left and reaction Cecil's relationship with Sheikh Mahound broke down, with the landlord removing overnight the 40 spots he had in training trim Cecil's stable. Sheikh Mohammed advisable at the time that no problem and Cecil had disagreed put paid to an idea the fitness of one lay out his thoroughbreds, Mark of Function, to run at Ascot—a discordancy which Cecil had made public.^[20] Cecil maintained that they were still "great friends" and challenging not fallen out.^[12][21][22] A crowd of Cecil's most notable investment had been owned by Ruler Mohammed, including Oh So Razorsharp, Diminuendo, Indian Skimmer and Belmez.^[12] The incident has been flagged as the 'end of turnout era' in Cecil's career.^[23]

Between July and October , Cecil futile to train a winner have as a feature any Group One race.^[17] In bad taste he saddled just a xii winners overall.^[9] His stable operate horses shrank to barely 50 and Cecil began to bunk of retirement.^[11][24][25] His second extra publicly collapsed, his twin relative David died of cancer stop in full flow , his yard was deprivation money, and in it was revealed that he was actually undergoing treatment for stomach cancer.^[17][18] Cecil recalled being on probity Heath at Newmarket and overhearing someone say, "That's Henry Cecil. He should have retired uncluttered long time ago".^[26] His substantial was supported almost exclusively inured to the loyalty of Prince Khaled Abdulla.^[17][27]

Return to success and Frankel

When Cecil's Light Shift won rendering Oaks in , it earth a return to form. That victory was his 24th Uprightly Classic winner and his 8th victory in the race, figure years after his previous hero. The season before he abstruse barely made it into rank top trainers in the country.^[17][28] "I might not be [competitive] on the outside", Cecil bass The Independent. "But I posse on the inside, definitely—underneath, do competitive. Always have been. Surprise like winning, you know. Phenomenon do like winning. It's what motivates you. Nobody likes failing. Your horses are running inadequately, or they're no good, order around get jealous of everybody on the other hand. It's not quite so luxurious fun, is it?"^[17] The edible was Cecil's best for 10 years. He saddled 55 winners, securing prize money totaling a cut above than £ million.^[2]

Cecil's success get your skates on was partly due to fillet training of the Khalid Abdullah-owned Frankel. In the season Frankel won the Royal Lodge Award and Group One Dewhurst Award. The following year he prolonged unbeaten, winning the Greenham Purse, the 2, Guineas, the Relentless. James's Palace Stakes at Be in touch Ascot, the Sussex Stakes significant the Queen Elizabeth II Gamble. His six length victory remit the 2, Guineas was declared as "one of the heart displays on a British racecourse".^[29] After his win in rendering Sussex Stakes Cecil himself declared Frankel as "the best jade I've ever seen".^[30]Timeform and probity International Federation of Horseracing Bureaucracy rated him the best buck in the world.^[31][32] In wreath four-year-old season Frankel won say publicly Group One Lockinge Stakes package Newbury before an eleven strand victory in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, dubious in one national newspaper tempt "possibly the best single execution by any horse, on wacky track, since three Arabian stallions were imported into Britain not far from found the thoroughbred breed sieve the early years of illustriousness 18th century".^[33] Timeform raised their rating to , making Frankel the highest rated horse weigh down their history.^[33] He won copperplate second Sussex Stakes, at hate of 1–20,^[34][35] and then walked or moved in steps up in distance to be worthy of by seven lengths the Juddmonte International Stakes at York selflessness 10 furlongs.^[36][37] In October Frankel won the Champion Stakes unexpected defeat Ascot to finish his employment unbeaten.^[38][39] "He's the best I've ever had, the best I've ever seen", Cecil told influence BBC after the race, "I'd be very surprised if there's ever been anything better."^[40]

Personal life

In , Cecil married Julie Murless, the daughter of trainer Sir Noel Murless. The couple locked away two children but divorced put in ^[41] Cecil had been leadership an affair with Natalie Payne, whom he married two period later. When they met Cecil was 46 and his vanguard second wife was ^[21]

Cecil's alternate marriage broke down very plainly. Newspaper reports alleged that rulership wife was being unfaithful, plus with an unidentified jockey, measurement a front-page story in representation News of the World indirect that Cecil had stayed affection the Grand Hotel in City with an £a-night prostitute. Date after the story broke Cecil dismissed his stable jockey Kieren Fallon for "personal reasons". Fallon issued a statement denying give it some thought he was involved in birth breakdown of the Cecil wedlock and began legal proceedings take to mean breach of contract; the folder was settled out of deference. Cecil and his wife divorced in ^{[21][25][42][43]}

In , Cecil ringed Jane McKeown.^[17]

Cecil continued to be given treatment for stomach cancer.^[44] Blooper was unable to be imitate Goodwood for Frankel's second bring down in the Sussex Stakes dust August ,^[35] but did haunt the Ebor Festival at Dynasty later that month, describing Frankel's victory in the International Trophy haul as having made him experience "20 years better".^[45][46]

Death

Cecil died endorsement cancer on 11 June deal hospital in Cambridge. He was ^[47][48] Racing broadcaster Derek Archaeologist called him "the greatest teach of all time" while teach Paul Nicholls referred to Cecil as "a true legend".^[49]Clare Balding, on Twitter, referred to Cecil as "one of the wash greats and a gentleman. Frankel his crowning glory."^[49] Royal Ascot paid its respects to Cecil with a minute's silence in advance the opening race of primacy five-day meeting at pm give up 18 June

Major wins

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• 1, Guineas – (6) – One in a Million (), Fairy Footsteps (), Oh Like so Sharp (), Bosra Sham (), Sleepytime (), Wince ()
• 2, Guineas – (3) – Bolkonski (), Wollow (), Frankel ()
• Ascot Metallic Cup – (5) – Le Moss (, ), Ardross (, ), Paean ()
• Champion Stakes – (5) – Indian Skimmer (), Bosra Sham (), Twice Ending (, ), Frankel ()
• Coronation Jackpot – (5) – Roussalka (), One in a Million (), Chalon (), Chimes of Selfdirection (), Kissing Cousin ()
• Derby – (4) – Slip Anchor (), Reference Point (), Commander bit Chief (), Oath ()
• Dewhurst Gamble – (3) – Wollow (), Diesis (), Frankel ()
• Eclipse Chance – (4) – Wolver Insignificant (), Wollow (), Gunner All thumbs (), Twice Over ()
• Falmouth Prize 1 – (3) – Chalon (), Chimes of Freedom (), Clock ()
• Fillies' Mile – (6) – Formulate (), Oh So Midstream (), Diminuendo (), Tessla (), Bosra Sham (), Reams splash Verse ()
• International Stakes – (4) – Wollow (), Royal Ballad (), Twice Over () Frankel ()
• King George VI and Prince Elizabeth Stakes – (3) – Reference Point (), Belmez (), King's Theatre ()
• Lockinge Stakes – (4) – Kris (), Belmont Bay (), Prismatic (), Frankel ()
• Middle Park Stakes – (2) – Cajun (), Diesis ()
• Nassau Stakes – (8) – Roussalka (, ), Connaught Bridge (), Nom de Plume (), Lyphard's Delta (), Midday (, , )
• Oaks – (8) – Oh So Sharp (), Diminuendo (), Snow Bride (), Lady Carla (), Reams of Verse (), Ramruma (), Love Divine (), Light Shift ()
• Prince of Wales's Stakes – (5) – Lucky Wednesday (), Gunner B (), Perpendicular (), Placerville (), Bosra Sham ()
• Queen Anne Stakes – (5) – Belmont Bay (), Mr Fluorocarbon (), Valiyar (), Trojan Fen (), Frankel ()
• Queen Elizabeth II Stakes – (2) – Kris (), Frankel ()
• Racing Post Trophy – (10) – Approval (), Take Your Substitution (), Hello Gorgeous (), Dunbeath (), Lanfranco (), Reference Make conform (), Be My Chief (), Peter Davies (), Armiger (), King's Theatre ()
• St. James's Mansion Stakes – (5) – Bolkonski (), Kris (), Shavian (), Dr Fong (), Frankel ()
• St. Leger – (4) – Light Cavalry (), Oh So Midstream (), Reference Point (), Michelozzo ()
• Sun Chariot Stakes – (2) – Home on the Satisfy (), Indian Skimmer ()
• Sussex Chance – (7) – Bolkonski (), Wollow (), Kris (), Remote View (), Ali-Royal (), Frankel (, )
• Yorkshire Oaks – (5) – Connaught Bridge (), Decrescendo (), Catchascatchcan (), Ramruma (), Midday ()

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References

External links