Thursday, March 28, 2024

Frankel-y the best

A tribute to Sir Henry Cecil (1943 – 2013)

 

Sir Henry Cecil was undoubtedly one of the greatest trainers ever. His tally of 25 classic winners is unsurpassed since 1900 and in 2012, he crowned his career by training the “wonder horse” Frankel.

 

Cecil was born in Aberdeen, with a twin brother, David. Henry Cecil’s father, also Henry, was killed in action just two weeks later with the Parachute Regiment in North Africa. His mother, Rohays, the daughter of a baronet, moved the family to Newmarket subsequently when she married for a second time. Her second husband was an Irish-born racing trainer named Captain Cecil Boyd-Rochfort, the owner of the Freemason Lodge stables.

 

Sir Henry Cecil (11th January 1943 - 11th June 2013)
Sir Henry Cecil (11th January 1943 – 11th June 2013)

The young Cecil is said to have shown “little interest in racing during his schooldays” but in 1969, he took out his first training licence at the age of 26.

 

The trainer had his first major British Classic win with Bolonski in the 1975 renewal of the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and from there onwards his career prospered. His stables, Warren Place, acquired through his first marriage in 1966 to Julie Murless, daughter of the legendary trainer Sir Noel Murless, attracted many of the world’s most distinguished owners. Amongst those who placed their horses in his care were Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum and Prince Khalid Abdullah.

 

His career milestones included six 1000 Guineas winners, eight Oaks winners and 75 successes at Royal Ascot but Cecil will be primarily remembered for training Frankel, “the best racehorse worldwide of the past 40 years”.

 

Frankel “demolished everything put in his path” and was retired to stud with an unbeaten 14-race record. After his last race, Cecil commented:

 

“Frankel is the best I have trained, the best I have seen and the best horse ever”.

 

Cecil sadly developed stomach cancer in 2006 but to the end he showed courage and focused on the love of his sport. The Guardian’s obituary this afternoon noted:

 

“The ravages of chemotherapy and his difficulty in digesting food saw his weight drop dramatically. Yet at 6am every morning, he would brave the sharp East Anglian winds to watch his string galloping, and to welcome his friends”.

 

Sir Henry Cecil will be hugely missed by the racing community. They sadly don’t make them like him anymore.

 

 

 

Subscribe to our free once daily email newsletter here.

The Steeple Times
The Steeple Times
We research and background check our articles. If you believe we have made and error in some detail please get in touch, we seek always to write the truth and stand against a press owned by a self selected few. Please help us, we will accept all your likes, subscriptions and anonymous suport. The Editor and his team at the Steeple Times.

2 COMMENTS

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

£1 per week Supports The Steeple Times

Help journalism to remain honest & independent. You can make a difference to the world today.

3,573FansLike
2,068FollowersFollow
16,731FollowersFollow
4,962SubscribersSubscribe

Subscribe For DAILY NEWS

Please subscribe, like and share this unique site, it helps us tremendously. The Steeple Times in return will send you an email at noon each and everyday, that we sincerely hope you will enjoy & look forward to seeing in your inbox.

AD
Advertisement

Trending Now

Getting One’s Goat – A Cheesy Conundrum – Goat vs Goats vs Goat’s vs Goats’ Cheese

Matthew Steeples explores conundrum of how to describe cheese made from goat’s milk and shares thoughts of Susie Dent to Alan Rusbridger, Christine Hamilton, Jay Rayner, Matthew Jukes, Mic Wright, Nigella Lawson, Matthew Wright, Tom Parker Bowles and Samantha Markle on goat cheese.

Most Popular Articles

The Phil & Matt Show

Phillip Schofield filmed smoking shisha with his alleged ex-lover Matt McGreevy (and pictured in bed thereafter); another image shows the pair together in photograph...

Was Mucky Minx Meghan Markle A ‘Yacht Girl’ For ‘Randy Andy’?

As author Kirby Sommers suggests that the then Meghan Markle likely spent time with Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein before she met Prince Harry, we again highlight the mucky, murkiness and mendacious manner of this alleged “yacht girl.”

SchofieldLite

‘Politicalite’ suggest Phillip Schofield orchestrated his ‘mass coming out’ after a former ‘This Morning’ runner had gone to the press about a supposed relationship...

Meddling Meghan Markle Expose – Attwood, Hopkins & Steeples

Expose interview with Matthew Steeples by Shaun Attwood and Jennifer Hopkins about the former Meghan Markle watched over 73,000 times in 16 hours since it aired; Steeples condemns hapless Prince Harry and his meddling menace wife.

Ampika Pickston

Oldham born divorcee and former glamour model Ampika Pickston describes herself as “feisty, fun loving and warm hearted”. Now based in Hale Barns, Cheshire...

Justice for James Scurlock

Power of social media proven after senseless killing of James Scurlock in Omaha, Nebraska allegedly by a controversial bar owner named Jake Gardner who has been photographed with Donald Trump.

Nasty NestSeekers

Entitled Hamptons brat Jonathan Davis exposed for allegedly squatting in Sag Harbor during the coronavirus lockdown; it turns out he’s a realtor with NestSeekers.
[td_block_6 custom_title="Most Liked..." sort="popular7"]