HENRY CECIL - RACEHORSE TRAINER

HENRY CECIL has enjoyed an outstanding career since taking out a licence to train in 1969. That year Wolver Hollow registered an Eclipse Stakes victory and success after success at the top level has followed.

His record in domestic classics is better than any other current trainer with - at the start of the 2008 campaign - a tally of 24 on his glittering CV. Cecil has landed the Derby, racing’s blue riband, on four separate occasions, while he has saddled a record-equalling eight Oaks winners (the latest being Light Shift in 2007) - an exceptional achievement.

The 2000 and 1000 Guineas have also come his way - as has the St Leger. Indeed, he has secured victory on at least two occasions in all three of those Classics.

No less than 10 times Cecil has emerged from a season as the champion trainer. It is hardly a surprise, then, that he has trained for many of racing’s biggest and most high-profile owners.

After a quiet spell, Cecil enjoyed a welcome return to the limelight in 2006 with Multidimensional providing a Group 2 victory at Deauville before Passage Of Time rounded off an encouraging season with a Group 1 triumph - also in France.

That triumph of Light Shift’s proved the highlight of a very encouraging 2007 campaign. There were other stakes’ wins thanks to Passage Of Time and Twice Over as an overall total of 45 successes - at a 21 per cent strike-rate - were chalked up.

“I love training - it is a way of life,” says Cecil. “I’ve had a certain amount of success and don’t see why that shouldn’t continue.”

Henry has trained at Warren Place since 1976, taking over from Sir Noel Murless. It is an exceptional training base than has stabled many greats of the Turf in the last 30 years. But few - if any - of the horses that have resided there, have been able to lay claim to the same legendary status that their trainer can.