Horse Trainer Sir Michael Stoute
Sir Michael Stoute has just become the first trainer to land a 1-2-3 finish in Ascot’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Even though officials deliberated before confirming Conduit as the winner; Conduit crossed in front of Tartan Bearer in the closing stages of the race, but he proved himself to be the best horse in the race by winning by one and three quarter lengths; Stoute is now set to be a champion trainer. This will be a bit of blow to Aidan O’Brien as it will end his tenure as Britain’s champion trainer, but will have proved delightful for Stoute’s yard, who will have earned a whopping £890,000 from the King George win. This will not be the first time that Sir Michael, who declines to be referred to as such, has been champion trainer, having achieved the status ten times from 1981 to 2006.
Stoute was born in Barbados and it was there that he developed his love for horses, and was regularly found at his local racecourse Garrison Savannah. He moved to England at the age of nineteen and started off as an apprentice to the trainer Pat Rohan in Malton. He then went on to work for Doug Smith and Tom Jones before going on to set up his own stables in 1972. He inspires phenomenal loyalty in his employees, and many of his staff have been with him for decades including Jimmy Scott, travelling head lad for 32 years, and Stuart Messenger, head lad for 29 years. After opening his stables he had his first winner pretty quickly in Newmarket in 1972. He is now recognised as being one of the best trainers in horseracing and has trained a winner in every single Classic race – a series of races run over the flat – the 2,000 Guinea Stakes, the 1,000 Guinea Stakes, Epsom Oaks, Epsom Derby and St. Leger Stakes. He was the only trainer in the 20th century to win a Classic in five successive seasons, with the St. Leger being the only race that he hadn’t won until 2008 when the great Conduit put that right for Stoute.
Fame surrounded Stoute in 1981 when Shergar, the horse that he had been training, and had just won the Derby by a record 10 lengths, was kidnapped from County Kildare, with the kidnappers demanding a ransom of £2 million. A nationwide search began in Ireland. The horse who was nicknamed ‘Shergar the wonder horse’ had been valued at £10 million and carried an insurance premium of £300,000. Shergar was never found, but is believed to have been kidnapped by the IRA.
Pilsudski and Singspiel were two other very famous horses trained by Stoute. They came first and second in the Breeder’s Cup Turf in 1996 and Singspiel won the Japan Cup in the same year, with Pilsudski doing the same thing the following year. Singspiel also won the Dubai World Cup, the richest horserace in the world.
As well as horseracing Stoute has an ardent love of cricket and was knighted for services to sport and tourism in Barbados.
Since Conduits win in the King George William Hill have moved Conduit from 14-1 to 8-1 for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October with Paddy Power going the same price from 10-1.
