The passing of Sir Henry Cecil, recently, was the final chapter in the life of a man who was a genuine legend.

Legend and champion are so often use indiscriminately, with little thought of the true meaning, however, that would never be squandered on Henry Cecil.

He was a remarkable man, he never elaborated on the horses he had trained, or the races they may have won.

After all the success he enjoyed, winning races on the majority of racecourses in Britain, plus all the classics several times over, yet he was a modest man, prepared to rest on his laurels.

Horses were never his prime mode of conversation, often preferring the more mundane things, dividing his time between training racehorses and his love of horticulture.

He was a devout rosearian, his rose gardens were a picture; he also enjoyed growing a wide variety of berries.

That side of his life was a form of relaxation, away from the rigorous strains of training racehorses and the pressures it entailed.

He was a non bettor; he could see no value in making money in the morning, if you were going to give it away in the afternoon.

Cecil trained out of Warren Place, a magnificent property on the Moulton Road in Newmarket, built by the Maharaja of Baroda; the two story residence with 120 loose boxes and picturesque gardens is a show place.

I enjoyed my time at Warren Place, no experience like it, I recall the outer wall of the two story residence was being refurbished; Henry picked the colour scheme and mixed the paint.

He married Sir Noel Murless’s daughter, Julie, she was a huge asset as a track rider, they had two children, Noel and Katie.

Henry Cecil was an outstanding trainer, as his record is testament, in his overall ability as a trainer he never used a stop watch, he was gifted, he knew how well a horse was travelling.

Sir Henry Cecil