Henry Cecil - Warren Stars
Henry Richard Amherst Cecil was born on the 11th of January 1943, the step-son of former champion trainer Sir Cecil Boyd-Rochfort. Henry worked as his step-fathers assistant from 1964 to 1968, learning all the tricks of the trade before taking out his own licence in 1969. He had his first winner with Celestial Cloud at Ripon on the 17th May and has just kept on moving up and up ever since. Horses he has trained include Wollow, Reference Point, Diminuendo, Michelozzo and Oh So Sharp who completed the fillies Triple Crown.
He has one of the most prolific racing stables in England Warren Stars; which he has run since 1976, when he took over from Sir Noel Murless and has trained more than 350 group winners.
He has been Champion Trainer ten times, won 35 classic races in the United Kingdom and abroad including the Epsom Derby (4 times with Slip Anchor, Reference Point, Commander in Chief and Oath), the 1,000 Guineas six times with One In A Million, Fairy Footsteps, Oh So Sharp, Bosra Sham, Sleepytime and Wince, the 2,000 Guineas twice with Bolkonski and Wollow, the Epsom Oaks eight times with Oh So Sharp, Diminuendo, Snow Bride, Lady Carla, Reams of Verse, Ramruma, Love Divine and Light Shift and the St. Leger Stakes four times with Light Cavalry, Oh So Sharp, Reference Point and Michelozzo.
It is no wonder that jockeys want to ride for Cecil - he is the master trainer at Royal Ascot where he has a record of 70 plus winners, and jockeys who have ridden for Henry include Lestor Piggott, Joe Mercer, Kieren Fallon, Pat Eddery and Steve Cauthen.
Cecil has recently said ‘I love training - it is a way of life. I’ve had a certain amount of success and don’t see why that shouldn’t continue.’ The punters definitely hope so!
