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(Anyone remember Scaramanga?)
Afraid so Hammy!
Bloody dissapointment he was!Do you remember any of these Hammy?
Vacarme
,
Precocious
and
Be my Valentine
.
(Anyone remember Scaramanga?)
Afraid so Hammy!
Bloody dissapointment he was!Do you remember any of these Hammy?
Vacarme
,
Precocious
and
Be my Valentine
.
He racked up a good score of candle sticks before he became that disappointment though eh Gord?
Can’t say I recall any of those if I’m honest. Brownowski (Spilling?) was another of Nobby’s horse’s, remember him?
I can remember when the family had to attend a funeral up in their native Lancs one day and Nobby left me in charge of the phone at Warren Place. His punters rang incessantly! He gave me two or three horses to tip them and I don’t think one was placed.
Actually thinking about it I think I can recall Be My Valentine.
Two of my favourites back then were Carmelite House and Ever Genial, the latter winning a race under Steve Cauthen at Newmarket one day from an almost impossible position.
I like the picture you paint of Warren Place, Hammy. It fits in with an awareness I have of Sir Henry being of a different age..’the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there’ sort of thing..
I know we all say it but those times were happy weren’t they Hammy? I saw Julie Cecil a while back and she was suffering with breathing problems – emphysema perhaps. She was , as always, good to talk to . Where did George Winsor go ?
Two of my favourites back then were Carmelite House and Ever Genial, the latter winning a race under Steve Cauthen at Newmarket one day from an almost impossible position.
Lord Howard de waldens ‘Carmelite House’ and Louis Freedmans ‘Ever Genial’ I do recall Hammy,the list is endless and Sir Henry knew them all! Do you remember
Sanquirico
and
Peter Davies
?
I like the picture you paint of Warren Place, Hammy. It fits in with an awareness I have of Sir Henry being of a different age..’the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there’ sort of thing..
Racing and the racing community has changed out of all recognition Moe.
I know we all say it but those times were happy weren’t they Hammy? I saw Julie Cecil a while back and she was suffering with breathing problems – emphysema perhaps. She was , as always, good to talk to . Where did George Winsor go ?
That’s sad to hear G. I was talking to her smithy only the other day, he reckoned her to be a lovely lady. I can’t say that I ever saw much of her tbh, other than when she put that flea in my ear.
Two of my favourites back then were Carmelite House and Ever Genial, the latter winning a race under Steve Cauthen at Newmarket one day from an almost impossible position.
Lord Howard de waldens ‘Carmelite House’ and Louis Freedmans ‘Ever Genial’ I do recall Hammy,the list is endless and Sir Henry knew them all! Do you remember
Sanquirico
and
Peter Davies
?
Yes I remember those names Gord. Was Sanquirico a one time Derby prospect?
As you say just too many great horses to remember.
BTW I hope Joni (Or anyone else.) doesn’t mind me hijacking the thread. I don’t mean to sound disrespectful to Sir Henry’s memory with my prattle.
Yes I remember those names Gord. Was Sanquirico a one time Derby prospect?
As you say just too many great horses to remember.
BTW I hope Joni (Or anyone else.) doesn’t mind me hijacking the thread. I don’t mean to sound disrespectful to Sir Henry’s memory with my prattle.
Hammy we are reminiscing about the legend that is Sir Henry Cecil the Greatest Trainer I’ve seen in 30yrs of studying horses so dont apologise!
Sanquirico
was indeed fancied as a Derby horse,he was the Ante-Post fav at 16/1 in the Autumn of 1987 after beating my own personal Derby horse in
Undercut
in the Royal Lodge,like so many winners of that race he failed to progress though as did mine!!
Here’s a question for the Henry Cecil appreciation society,- What horse did Henry always feel was the one that got away,Henry trained him for his 2yo Campaign and the start of his 3yo campaign but the owner removed him from his care and went on to win a couple of major Group 1 races? One under Steve Cauthen!
Surely that’s Saumarez, TAPK?
It was indeed Gladiateur,Well done,went on to win the Grand prix de
Paris and Arc for his French Trainer.How lovely reading all your stories Hammy!!
And yes Gord I recognise all those horses you mentioned although I think you might have meant Be My Chief.
Vacarme was famous for being the horse that inadvertently caused the split between Cecil and Wildenstein. I was at Goodwood for the first of only two times (the other being Frankel last year). Piggott was riding him in the Richmond and had to squeeze through a gap by the rails. He won so easily and I was jumping for joy with Granddad only to hear the dreaded claxon signifying a stewards enquiry. I remember the disappointment as Granddad explained to me he had been disqualified. Wildenstein blamed Piggott but Cecil didn’t and so had to find other jockeys whenever he ran a Wildenstein horse.
Precocious was exactly that. She won all 5 of her 2 year old races and then was never seen again. I remember her running in those purple and white silks with that burgundy cap that had a tassel on it.
Be My Chief, as I recall, won his first 6 starts as a 2 year old but didn’t really train on.
Of course Saumerez was not the only big race winner he missed out on Gord as he lost Mark of Esteem, Vettori and Moonshell to Godolphin – all of whom he trained as 2 year olds.
However he was the recipient of good horses as well – Buckskin, Ardross and Oath being three that spring to mind.
Other ones I remember well and that gave me a real buzz only to disappoint were Salse who I thought was going to be very special but I believe got injured and the perfectly named Simply Great who won the Dante and was surely going to win that years Derby only to also get injured. Then there was Scimitara who was on her way to winning the Oaks before tragically breaking down a furlong out. Cecil ran on to the course and saved her life.
I read with amazement today how Henry was still making entries and drawing up running plans on the day he died! Here was a man who truly loved what he did. And wasn’t it lovely to see two of them win today?
It will be interesting to see what happens to Warren Place. Will Lady Cecil seek to take out a permanent license? Will his nephew Ben come back from the States and take over? Will the owners stay or go? I would so like Henry’s legacy to continue.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
I would so like Henry’s legacy to continue.
Here here Joni!
Precocious
was a half brother to
Pushy
Henrys 2yo filly who won the 1980 Queen Mary but what was the owners name in those famous Purple and white colours with Black cap and gold tassle……..Its on the tip of me tongue mate!
TAPK: the owner was the Tavistock family, whose other winners include Japan Cup victor Jupiter Island.
Joni: Precocious was a colt, not a filly. Henry trained a filly called Be My Valentine, who won her maiden and then dead-heated in the St Hugh’s Stakes in 1983, only to be named the outright winner some days later. She never ran again, to the best of my recollection.These are the sort of stories and reminiscence that should have gone into Sir Henry’s life story, personal tributes from people whose lives he has touched and the horses, the great and the not so well known each of whom hold their own stories of hope and sometimes tinged with sadness as his life was throughout his career.
What wonderful tributes everyone has paid the great man. One story leading to another from Joni whose life he has touched from a young boy to Hammy whose stories are as full of colour as Sir Henry’s rose garden..
Today Sir Henry’s horses started to pay tribute to their late trainer with Morpheus half brother to his beloved Frankel winning at Nottingham and Songbird at Yarmouth..
…strange coincidence that I was listening to Eva Cassidy today in my car and Fields of Gold brought a tear to my eye, it’s a favouirite song of mine and I dedicate it to Sir Henry.My best memory of Sir Henry was in the winners enclosure on the last Champions Day held at Newmarket when Frankel won the Dewhurst and Twice Over won the Champion Stakes in 2010 the atmosphere was electric and he was brimmning over with happiness. It’s going to take some time to accept that he has gone and it sounds silly but I know I’ll be looking out for him as I always do when I’m next at Newmarket.
Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out...These are the sort of stories and reminiscence that should have gone into Sir Henry’s life story, personal tributes from people whose lives he has touched and the horses, the great and the not so well known each of whom hold their own stories of hope and sometimes tinged with sadness as his life was throughout his career.
What wonderful tributes everyone has paid the great man. One story leading to another from Joni whose life he has touched from a young boy to Hammy whose stories are as full of colour as Sir Henry’s rose garden..
Today Sir Henry’s horses started to pay tribute to their late trainer with Morpheus half brother to his beloved Frankel winning at Nottingham and Songbird at Yarmouth..
…strange coincidence that I was listening to Eva Cassidy today in my car and Fields of Gold brought a tear to my eye, it’s a favouirite song of mine and I dedicate it to Sir Henry.My best memory of Sir Henry was in the winners enclosure on the last Champions Day held at Newmarket when Frankel won the Dewhurst and Twice Over won the Champion Stakes in 2010 the atmosphere was electric and he was brimmning over with happiness. It’s going to take some time to accept that he has gone and it sounds silly but I know I’ll be looking out for him as I always do when I’m next at Newmarket.
That was some day wasn’t it Jac! I was sooo nervous driving to the track as it was my first time seeing Frankel. As I drove to the course I saw with horror that it had rained heavily. "Surely this will suit Dream Ahead" I thought. Remember how he had galloped away with the Middle Park on that ground? I was even fearful Frankel might be withdrawn. I needn’t have worried. I was SO relieved when he won and then Twice Over popped up in the next. More than I could have dreamt of! And you’re right the reception was unbelievable. Those days you will take to your grave. A lovely post Jac.
And thank you Gladiateur for correcting me on both those counts!
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Bloody dissapointment he was!
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