Henry Cecil is one of the greatest
British flat racing horse trainers in history.
A 10-time Champion Trainer, he trained
25 Classic winners including four in The Derby, eight in The Oaks,
six in the 1,000 Guineas, three in the 2,000 Guineas and four winners
at St. Leger Stakes.
He was especially known for his success
at The Oaks and 1,000 Guineas and as the master trainer at Royal
Ascot, where he had 75 winners.
Born in Scotland in 1943, Cecil began
his career assisting at his stepfather, British flat racing Champion
Trainer, Captain Cecil Boyd-Rochfort’s stable Freemason Lodge. In
1969 he obtained his training license and won his first English
Classic, the 2,000 Guineas in 1975. A year later he took over the
running of Warren Place in Newmarket, which quickly became known as
the “most glamorous yard in Europe.”
Noted for his flair in clothing,
Cecil’s extraordinary career was marred by huge swings in fortune
both and off the track. After a brief dip in success from 2000 to
2006, his career rebound with the training of Frankel.
Described by Cecil as “the best horse
I’ve ever seen,” Frankel was unbeaten in his fourteen-race career
and was the highest-rated racehorse in the world from May 2011. His
six Length victory in the 2,000 Guineas was called "one of the
greatest displays on a British racecourse".
Knighted for services to horse racing
in the queen’s 2011 Birthday Honors, Cecil died of stomach cancer
age 70 in 2013 after a six-year battle.
