MY WORD, this year’s Epsom Oaks runners have plenty to live up to. The race will be run in honour of the late, great Sir Henry Cecil, who passed away last June. He won it eight times and I doubt whether we will witness anything as brilliant as Oh So Sharp (1985) and Diminuendo (1988), …[Read More]
Brough Scott’s book on the late Sir Henry Cecil makes for an informative and compelling read… well worth anyone’s time. Henry Cecil: Trainer of Genius, by Brough Scott Considered by many in the industry to be the best at what he did, Sir Henry Cecil led a life that was in many ways defined by …[Read More]
RICHARD Fahey says he has never had a horse like GARSWOOD. That is some compliment when you consider some of the equine artillery the Malton maestro has unleashed down the years, including Group One winners Wootton Bassett and Mayson. The strapping son of Dutch Art has made rapid strides since his juvenile days and his …[Read More]
CAMELOT could be about to write himself into the pantheon of racing history. But let’s pause for a moment and think of the fairer sex. Now we all know that the Triple Crown hasn’t been done since Nijinsky in 1970. But what about the Fillies’ Triple Crown? If there was a Fillies’ Equality Council it …[Read More]
WILLIE RYAN is a UK horse racing legend in my eyes. Why? Well, he produced probably THE best Derby ride in history on Benny The Dip in 1997. And then there was his unstinting loyalty to Sir Henry Cecil during a 20-year association. Willie retired from the saddle in 2004 and I made it my …[Read More]
I REMEMBER the hyperbole as if it was yesterday. Gorytus. Two runs. Two wins. But they weren’t just wins. In those juvenile races he massacred the opposition in a way that caused him to be hailed as some sort of Pegasus. This, according to the racing world, was a wonder horse like we had never …[Read More]
HOW do you follow Frankel? Inevitably, there will be a sense of anti-climax at York today after the tumultuous events of yesterday. It was probably the best performance I’ve ever seen by any horse and the spine-tingling reception afforded to the beast, Tom Queally and Sir Henry Cecil will live long in the memory. I …[Read More]
I HAVE always had a strange obsession with Sir Henry Cecil. When I was about seven or eight I started to follow his horses. I made lists of his two-year-olds and three-year-olds. Wollow and Kris were among the early favourites. A bit like a child deciding to support a football team just because they were …[Read More]
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