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Okay. so it was always on the cards, given that this season and last he hasn’t done much, but even so, it’s sad to see the end of his career.
Never rushed his horses, knew how to bring them on gradually and usually knew what potential his horses had. Wouldn’t risk his charges on unsuitable ground – even if it meant bypassing a long term big race target: put his horses welfare before anything else..
Anyone who could get Dragon Dancer to within a whisker of a Derby win was someone special (could Aidan O’Brien have got that out of such a beast?).
Geoff Wragg and his father before him were excellent trainers. Their association with the likes of the Mollers, Gerry Oldham, the Oppenheimer guy (black and white halved, red cap), John Pearce etc. will be sadly missed.
(Pity though that – apart from his dad with Ron Hutchinson – they never seemed to stick with a jockey for any length ).
He was one of my favourite trainers, not least because he was especially successful at Chester – my local course. I had some big wins on some of his Roodeye runners. AH – I’m getting nostalgic; it comes with age!Always sad to see those names disappear from the racecard.
Hope he enjoys many years happy retirement.
A day for sad news, it seems, Insomniac. As Corm says, the retirement of a top quality trainer like Geoff Wragg is always likely to be. My memories of him centre around York and Royal Ascot and some very decent priced winners like Rebecca Sharp, First Island and Swallow Cottage. He also once had a much hyped Derby favourite called Red Glow; how distant those days seem.
I hope the Moller colours continue in some form. The Tregoning stable is just the type of stable to take over a few of the horses, I would have thought.
I still remember Sheikh Mohammed buying out the Mollers in about 1990 and after that Geoff had lots of Sheikh M runners but then my question is did the Sheikh sell back to the Mollers?
In all the Racing Post coverage of Geoffs career they mentioned a whole lotta great horses that Geoff trained but not a single mention of Red Glow. The turn of foot that animal showed in the 1988 Dante merited at least a mention.
Red Glow was an exceptional horse to look at, surprised it’s been omitted from any list of Wragg’s notable runners.
I hope the Moller colours continue in some form. The Tregoning stable is just the type of stable to take over a few of the horses, I would have thought.
Very true, tregoning also has a stable full of well-bred underachievers.
Whilst Geoff Wragg has had a wonderful career as a trainer it is worth noting that he has also played host to some of the top horses from around the world which have graced British courses in recent years. Abington Place has offered a home to such superstars as Choisir, Takeover Target and Miss Andretti – all winners at Royal Ascot – as well as American, Japanese and New Zealand trained runners. National Colour, the South African trained sprinter who was second in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes, has been stabled with the Wraggs for the Summer.
Geoff and Trish have been wonderfully helpful to the overseas trainers and accommodating to their many requests. I’m sure that many overseas horsemen would like to wish Geoff well in his retirement and to thank him for his kindness and shrewd advice.
My memories of him centre around York and Royal Ascot and some very decent priced winners like Rebecca Sharp, First Island and Swallow Cottage
Funnily enough Max those are my thoughts exactly. Never seemed to hear much of his horses during the season but I’d always look out for one of his running in the top Royal Ascot races that had bypassed the classics.
In fact, and I stand to be corrected here, off the top of my head I can’t remember him having run many in any of the classics of the past 20 years even though some of his string would have been more than capable. He obviously has but I can’t think of one.
anyhow, Wishing him a very happy retirement.
Lee
Edited : Just re-read thread, of course Dragon Dancer is one but a bit recent for my flat interest
I wonder if the Wraggs watched Dragon Dancer working (trying to keep up) with Ivy Creek after the Derby and thought "what if".
He’s had a fair few go in the Derby, Lee, since winning it with Teenoso (I remember this one being excoriated by just about every pundit imaginable. I’d just started punting and every word I read was naturally gospel. Yet now, I look at Teenoso and he wasn’t a bad horse at all!).
Most Welcome (a very good animal, 2nd in 1987 to the relentless Reference Point, and who would probably have won an ordinary Derby), the afore mentioned, injury prone, Red Glow (4th in 1988 to Khayasi).
Asian Heights was well backed for Galileo’s Derby but didn’t run. Dragon Dancer was touched off by Sir Percy two years back. Lesser horses like Gulland and St Expedit were well beaten.
Wragg was no stereotyped trainer of slowboats though – he could train a sprinter. There’s 1993 Middle Park Winner First Trump (sire of Red Clubs), the wonderful filly Marling (who lit up the 1991 pattern) and good two year olds like Petardia. – who may have run in the 2000gns?
Red Glow was a pig ~ he ended up running (and getting stuffed in) selling hurdles in Australia of all places. I second all the other stuff especially about Teenoso who showed he was a proper Derby winner by beating Sadler’s Wells in the following year’s King George. Everyone thought he was a decent plodder who got lucky in a heavy ground Derby but he showed them, with a little help from Lester.
A most capable trainer who quietly, patiently and without fuss got the job done
Pentire would top my list of the Wragg/Moller horses
Has a successor at the stable been named?
Of all the Dante’s I have seen in the last 20odd years only Erhaab and Reference Point was as impressive. Red Glow ended up being beaten in Aussie sellers did he, this is a major shock and disappointment.
I also remember a nice 2 year old filly Ela Romara who won the lowther. If The Whistling Teal rates a mention so does she.
Looking for Red Glow related quotes, I found this on the RP archive database:
IT WAS in 1988 that seven-times champion jump jockey John Francome, by then a pundit for Channel 4 Racing, first revealed his paddock watching expertise to the world. Top three-year-old Red Glow was dancing round the paddock with his distended wedding tackle on full public display, maiden aunts were spluttering over their afternoon tea, and Francome uttered the immortal line: "Well, you can see why he’s favourite for the Derby – he’s got five legs."
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