Sir Michael Stoute retirement: Our favourite horses

By Sporting Life

16:04 · WED November 06, 2024

As the curtain came down on Sir Michael Stoute's remarkable 52-year training career at Nottingham on Wednesday, our podcast panel picked out their favourite horse from his remarkable catalogue of stars.

Ed Chamberlin - Pilsudski & Greek Palace

Pilsudski without hesitation – I absolutely loved that horse. What he did in this country and abroad – he was the perfect Sir Michael Stoute horse, Pilsudski in a heartbeat for me.

There was another horse I’ll never forget from my time at Ladbrokes, even 25 years later it’s probably my biggest ever bet. It was a horse called Greek Palace in what is now the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot. It was clearly a plan that had been hatched on the beach of Sandy Lane in Barbados in January time I think.

In those days we really were the 'Magic Sign' and my late boss, a lovely man called John Thomson who died recently sadly, and the rest of us landed a right touch on Greek Palace. It was the days before the internet and any real ante-post betting on Royal Ascot and I still remember watching the race in a William Hill shop in Acton. It was a bit of Stoute brilliance in the Weinstock silks. So my heart says Pilsudski, my wallet Greek Palace.

Horse Racing Podcast: From LA to Doncaster

Graham Cunningham - Sonic Lady

It’s slightly self indulgent but I’ll go with Sonic Lady. If you’re of a certain age you’ll remember she was a brilliant filly in the mid-80s. I think she was the front page picture on the first ever edition of the Racing Post on Nell Gwyn Day. She was a tremendous filly and while she didn’t justify favouritism twice in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, she had a great record in the top fillies’ races here.

She was very tricky as well, she was headstrong and a challenge for a brilliant trainer like Stoute, and the cherry on top was when I was trying to get a job with Timeform the late Reg Griffin asked potential candidates to write an essay on a star horse.

Sonic Lady was the one who got me through the door there and I’ve been paying for it ever since.

Stoute and Sir Henry Cecil were both at the peak of their powers for a long period together and Sir Michael just edges it because his international record was spectacular. I think he had 50 Group One winners outside of the UK including Hong Kong, America, Japan and all over Europe. He was a fantastic, fantastic trainer.

1986 Sussex Stakes Sonic Lady

Billy Nash - Opera House

If I had to write an essay on any Stoute horse I think I’d go all the way back to Opera House. I was a big fan of his back in the early-90s. He was second in an Eclipse and third in a King George one year and went back and won both of them the following season.

He just got touched off in the Champion Stakes, finished placed in an Arc back in the era of Steve Cauthen, Michael Roberts all those great jockeys. He was one that stood out to be but there we so many others over the years.

1993 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes

David Ord - Ajdal

Ajdal for me has always stood out. A brilliant two-year-old, the bubble seemed to burst in the spring of his three-year-old campaign when he was beaten in both in the English and Irish 2000 Guineas.

Then he ran in the Derby and to come back from that, to be champion sprinter, was remarkable. Not just to win the July Cup but to have the speed to do it in the Nunthorpe at York too. A wonderful horse.

1987 William Hill Sprint Championship

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