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Sir Michael Stoute retirement: David Ord pays tribute
David Ord pays tribute to Sir Michael Stoute after the trainer announced his decision to retire at the end of the season.
"A great and enjoyable journey.”
So ended Sir Michael Stoute’s statement announcing his decision to retire at the end of the season.
And that underplays a remarkable 52-year career. When he does hand over his licence and the keys to Freemason Lodge, the master trainer will also be drawing the curtain on a golden era for the sport.
He’s the last of the great trainers from my childhood. A man who rose through the ranks to develop one of the world’s superpower stables, who competed with the likes of Vincent O’Brien, Sir Henry Cecil, Dick Hern, Godolphin and Aidan O’Brien while they were all at the peak of their powers.
Whose patience and understanding of a horse allowed his string to flourish and win the biggest races around the world.
His partnerships with stable jockeys were enduring and special, the early days with Walter Swinburn, a golden run with Kieren Fallon and in the later years Ryan Moore settled into the hotseat and still returns to it whenever he can.
There are the owners who were with him at various stages of the career, the early magical days of the Aga Khan through Ballymacoll Stud, Sheikh Mohammed, Prince Khalid Abdullah, Cheveley Park Stud, Saeed Suhail and Queen Elizabeth II.
And then there were the horses. Shergar, runaway winner of the 1981 Derby, was a colt who would define most careers. But not this one.
The 78-year-old went on to win the Epsom Classic five more times, with Shahrastani in the dramatic 1986 renewal, Kris Kin, North Light, Workforce and in 2022 Desert Crown.
Shadeed, Doyoun, Entrepreneur, King’s Best and Golan won the 2000 Guineas, Musical Bliss and Russian Rhythm the 1000, Fair Salina and Unite captured the Oaks.
Then in 2008 the agonising wait for a St Leger winner was finally ended by Conduit.
82 Royal Ascot winners, six King Georges at Ascot, you could just go on and on – and don’t forget the 1990 Champion Hurdle with Kribensis.
Harbinger’s King George win of 2010 was so good he earned a Timeform master rating of 140 to join Shergar as the best the trainer’s ever had using that metric.
He had brilliant milers in Shadeed and Zilzal, champion sprinters with Marwell and Ajdal. His performance in bringing the latter back from running in the Derby to win a July Cup in the space of five weeks is still as astounding as it was on that Thursday afternoon in 1987.
But in the end what I’ll remember Stoute for is his handling of the older horses, the ability to improve them year upon year and peak on the biggest days, on the biggest stages around the world.
Singspiel and Pilsudski won back-to-back renewals of the Japan Cup in 1996 and 1997, the former a Dubai World Cup too.
Pilsudski was the yard’s first Breeders’ Cup Turf hero and was followed into that particular winners’ enclosure by Kalanisi, and Conduit (twice).
Islington, Dank and Queen’s Trust won the Filly & Mare Turf at the meeting, Expert Eye the Mile.
Every year it seemed as though he found, nurtured and delivered another star.
And that was the hope, that in what was clearly the autumn of his career, there might be one final diamond.
Sadly Desert Crown was never able to showcase his full talents again after his Derby win. Nostrum briefly threatened to step into the role, and we thought at Chester this year that Passenger was the one to come through and be a leading player in the all-aged middle-distance prizes this summer, but he was forced to sit them out.
But of late there have been positive signs among the two-year-olds. Formal (who also won at Leicester today) made a big impression and earned a Timeform rating of 99P when winning on debut at Doncaster, Jonquil, a Juddmonte blueblood from the family of Frankel, made a winning start at Sandown and Anna Swan’s turn of foot on debut at Yarmouth was the sort that only the very smart ones possess.
Horses to help any trainer get through the dark, winter nights, but their three-year-old careers will now be under someone’s else watch.
You always felt a star horse was in the safest of hands with Stoute, from sprinters to stayers, colts to older mares, even Champion Hurdlers.
They fulfilled their potential. And – in a career that spanned six decades – their trainer proved to have a deadly aim with a good one. He very rarely missed.
We’re left with wonderful memories of equine superstars who rose to the top then stayed there because of the skills of their trainer and the team that worked for him.
Never particularly at ease when interviewed or speaking to the press huddle after a big-race success, Stoute was content to let his horses do the talking.
And for the best part of 50 years they’ve done just that.
So thanks for the memories, Sir Michael, and here’s to one more big day in the sun, somewhere, this autumn.
It’s not that this story needs a final glorious chapter, mind. There are more than enough already to look back on and cherish once the well-deserved and hopefully long retirement is under way.
Sir Michael Stoute statement and tributes
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