Cartier Award Winners

Last night the Cartier Awards were held in London. Below is a press release that I received yesterday afternoon, but it was strictly embargoed until 11pm last night.

FRANKEL IS CARTIER HORSE OF THE YEAR 2011​

The unbeaten Frankel, who was electric on the racecourse throughout 2011, is tonight named Cartier Horse Of The Year at the 2011 Cartier Racing Awards. Owned and bred by Khalid Abdulla and expertly handled by Sir Henry Cecil, Frankel also takes the honours in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt category.

The Cartier Racing Awards are announced for the 21st year running before an invited audience of 300 on the evening of Tuesday, November 15, 2011, at the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, Mayfair, London, England.

Frankel is now unbeaten in nine career starts. His 2011 season included stunning victories in the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes, QIPCO Sussex Stakes and concluded with a spectacular performance in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on the inaugural QIPCO British Champions Day in October.

The Galileo colt will remain in training for 2012, when he is likely to step up in distance to 10 furlongs and everyone in racing is relishing this mouth-watering prospect.

In the Cartier Horse Of The Year category, Frankel saw off competition from QIPCO Champion Stakes winner Cirrus Des Aigles, Coral-Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes scorer So You Think, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Danedream and the 2010 Cartier Horse of the Year Goldikova.

His rivals in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt category were the star sprinter Dream Ahead, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by Betfair) victor Nathaniel, Investec Derby hero Pour Moi and Treasure Beach, runner-up at Epsom Downs before taking the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

Danedream, who set a new race record time when winning the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in such devastating style, takes the honours in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly category. The German-trained filly saw off competition from Investec and German Oaks victress Dancing Rain, QIPCO 1,000 Guineas heroine Blue Bunting and Immortal Verse, who registered two Group One victories over a mile. She is trained by Peter Schiergen for Gestut Burg Eberstein and Teruya Yoshida.

In the Cartier Older Horse category, Cirrus Des Aigles gains the honours following his success in the QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 15, the richest race in Britain. The French gelding, trained by Corine Barande-Barbe, came out on top in a category that included last year’s Cartier Horse of the Year Goldikova, miler Canford Cliffs, So You Think and Breeders’ Cup Turf winner St Nicholas Abbey.

Dabirsim went through his first season unbeaten in five outings and the Christophe Ferland-trained colt is the winner in the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt Award, seeing off competition from the Group One winners Camelot, Parish Hall, Power and Wrote.

Similarly, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Maybe enjoyed an unblemished juvenile career and she is named Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly, getting the nod over Lyric Of Light, Fire Lily, Lightening Pearl and Elusive Kate.

Fame And Glory, also handled by O’Brien, made the successful transition from top-class middle-distance performer to top-class stayer and he takes the honours in the Cartier Stayer category ahead of Dunaden, Duncan, Kasbah Bliss and Opinion Poll.

Dream Ahead, winner of the Darley July Cup, Betfred Sprint Cup and Prix De La Foret, was the outstanding sprinter of 2011 and he is the clear victor in the Cartier Sprinter Award, seeing off challenges from Prohibit, Deacon Blues, Society Rock and Bated Breath. David Simcock trained him for Khalifa Dasmal.

Barry Hills, who enjoyed an outstanding training career and handed over his licence to son Charlie in August, has been voted this year’s Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit winner. The award is for the person or persons who, in the opinion of the special 17-strong Cartier Jury, has/have done most for European racing and/or breeding either over their lifetime or within the past 12 months.

The list of past winners of the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit is as follows: Richard Hannon, John Oxx, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Niarchos Family, Peter Willett, Henry Cecil, David & Patricia Thompson, Lord Oaksey, Prince Khalid Abdulla, John Magnier, His Highness the Aga Khan, Peter Walwyn, the Head Family, Sir Peter O’Sullevan, Frankie Dettori, John Dunlop, the Marquess of Hartington, Francois Boutin, Lester Piggott and Henri Chalhoub.

Established in 1991 to reward excellence in horseracing, the eight Cartier Awards for horses are determined by points earned by horses in Pattern races throughout 2011, combined at the end of the season with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists and votes from readers of the Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph.​

 

Biographies

Cartier Horse Of The Year & Champion Three-Year-Old Colt​

FRANKEL (GB)​

​

3 b c Galileo (IRE) - Kind (IRE) (Danehill (USA))

2011 form: 11111
Owner: Khalid Abdulla
Trainer: Sir Henry Cecil
Breeder: Juddmonte Farms

Frankel lit up the 2011 Flat season with a string of extraordinary performances and the brilliant unbeaten miler has once again led his rivals a merry dance as he collects both the Cartier Champion Three-Year-Old Colt Award and the coveted Cartier Horse Of The Year Award.
Named after the late Bobby Frankel, Sir Henry Cecil’s charge has proven to be a fitting epitaph for the legendary California-based trainer with five scintillating victories this year that has seen the colt carry all before him.
The omens for such an outstanding Classic campaign were good as Frankel had recorded a faultless juvenile campaign which commenced with an easy win over subsequent Group One King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes victor Nathaniel and ended with a ready victory in the Group One Dubai Dewhurst Stakes. He shared the European champion two-year-old honours with Dream Ahead and collected the Cartier Award for Champion Two-Year-Old.
Frankel, bred by owner Khalid Abdulla’s Juddmonte Farms, started the 2011 season in the seven-furlong Group Three Greenham Stakes at Newbury on April 16, when he forged clear of Excelebration to score by four lengths.
After such an impressive seasonal return, Frankel was sent off the shortest-priced favourite in the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas since Apalachee in 1974, starting at ½. Sent to the front by Tom Queally soon after the gates opened in the mile Newmarket Classic, the Galileo colt strode clear of his rivals almost immediately and was more than 10 lengths clear before halfway.
With his rivals strung out over the Rowley Mile, Frankel idled in the closing stages as the crowd burst into spontaneous applause in recognition of such a devastating display of galloping. Dubawi Gold crossed the line six lengths behind in second, with a further 58 lengths covering the rest of the field.
After such a stunning performance, Frankel headed to Royal Ascot for the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes, also over a mile, on June 14 with the expectation that he would further enhance his brilliant reputation with another dominating display of galloping.
But the victory was not delivered in the manner expected by his legion of admirers. Queally sent the colt to the lead with well over three furlongs remaining and Frankel was six lengths clear with a quarter of a mile to run. After such an explosive mid-race burst however, his speed decreased markedly inside the final furlong, allowing the fast closing Zoffany to get within three quarters of a length at the line.
Frankel took on older opposition for the first time in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on July 27, with his main opposition set to come from five-time Group One winner Canford Cliffs in a race billed as the ‘Duel on the Downs’. In reality, the mile contest looked distinctly one-sided as Frankel made the running before powering clear of his rivals nearing the final furlong for an imperious five-length success.
Connections briefly toyed with the idea of stepping Frankel up to a mile and a quarter for the Juddmonte International before opting for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO on the inaugural QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday, October 15.
With prize money of £1 million on offer for the first time in the race’s history, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes attracted a high-class field of eight that included Coronation Stakes and Prix Jacques Le Marois winner Immortal Verse, French Group One scorer Excelebration as well as fellow Group One winners Dick Turpin and Poet’s Voice, successful the previous year.
But such was the confidence behind Frankel he was sent off a red-hot 4/11 favourite, with one bookmaker paraphrasing Benjamin Franklin by declaring that nothing was certain apart from death, taxes and Khalid Abdulla’s colt.
He rewarded his followers with another outstanding victory that showcased the mental maturity in Frankel which some, including his trainer, felt was missing from his early season exploits.
With his work partner and three-parts brother Bullet Train taking up pacemaking duties, Frankel was anchored in rear by Tom Queally before moving through to take the lead with a furlong and a half to race and forging clear under the merest flick of the whip for an emphatic four-length success over Excelebration. Once again, the applause rang out before the race had even finished and Frankel returned to the packed winner’s enclosure to a rapturous reception.
A suitable poster boy for the first QIPCO British Champions Series, Frankel ended his 2011 campaign with an official rating of 135 and a Timeform mark of 143, with the Halifax assessors making the colt their fourth highest-rated horse ever behind Sea Bird II, Tudor Minstrel and Brigadier Gerard.
He is set to continue racing as a four-year-old next season, when a step up in distance could further cement his reputation as one of the greatest racehorses of all time.​

 

Cartier Champion Older Horse

CIRRUS DES AIGLES (FR)
5 b g Even Top (IRE) - Taille De Guepe (FR) (Septieme Ciel (USA))​

2011 form: 2321211121
Owner: Jean-Claude-Alain Dupouy
Trainer: Corine Barande-Barbe FR
Breeder: Y Lelimouzin & B Deschamps

Cirrus Des Aigles receives the accolade for Cartier Champion Older Horse following a breakthrough season at the highest level that culminated with a stunning victory in the Group One QIPCO British Champion Stakes.
Corine Barande-Barbe’s charge was largely overlooked in his native country prior to this year, although his low standing was primarily due to the French Pattern book barring geldings from many of the country’s premier Group One races.
He finished in the frame in all four starts at two and in January the following year lost his maiden tag at the sixth attempt on the Fibresand of Cagnes-sur-Mer. Cirrus Des Aigles enjoyed a productive three-year-old campaign that included a runaway success in the Group Two Prix Du Conseil de Paris at Longchamp in October, 2009.
An invitation to Hong Kong followed that impressive victory and Cirrus Des Aigles acquitted himself well on his first start in Group One company as he led the field before being collared entering the final furlong to come home fifth in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase.
He continued to ply his trade at a lower level in France during the 2010 campaign and once again enjoyed a fruitful autumn as he readily captured the Group Two Qatar Prix Dollar at Longchamp’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting. Another journey East at the end of the year saw Cirrus Des Aigles perform with credit as he kept on to be eighth in the Japan Cup and came home a close seventh behind Snow Fairy in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup.
Cirrus Des Aigles’ annus mirabilis commenced with a narrow reversal in the first Pattern contest of the European season - the Group Three Prix Exbury at Saint-Cloud on March 19, 2010 - and he built on that with two excellent efforts in Group One company.
After staying on strongly to take third behind Planteur and Sarafina in the Prix Ganay at Longchamp at the end of April, Cirrus Des Aigles returned to the Parisian track the following month to go down by a neck to last year’s Cartier Horse of the Year Goldikova in the Prix d’Ispahan when ridden by Christophe Soumillon for the first time.
Following a facile Group Three victory at Longchamp on June 13, Cirrus Des Aigles stepped back up in class for the Group One Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud 13 days later and he once again ran a gallant race in defeat when attempting to make all of the running, only to be caught in the shadow of the post by Sarafina when beaten a neck.
Cirrus Des Aigles was rewarded for his fine start to the season with a hat-trick of decisive Group successes in July and August. A facile three-length victory a Group Three at Vichy on July 20 was followed by an even more emphatic eight-length triumph in another Group Three contest at Deauville on August 14. The treble was brought up in style as he routed the opposition in the Group Two Grand Prix de Deauville to win by 10 lengths under regular rider Franck Blondel.
Connections were already looking at the QIPCO Champion Stakes as a lucrative alternative for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, for which the gelding was ineligible, but Cirrus Des Aigles still headed to Longchamp on the first weekend in October to bid for a second successive victory in the Qatar Prix Dollar. Burdened with a 4lb penalty for his Group Two success, Cirrus Des Aigles looked set to claim the spoils again, only to be headed in the dying strides by the 2010 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes victor Byword who triumphed by a short neck.
Despite proving himself a worthy contender for the QIPCO Champion Stakes, Cirrus Des Aigles headed to the 10-furlong contest’s new home at Ascot on October 15 as a relative outsider at odds of 12/1 behind the headline acts of So You Think, Nathaniel, Snow Fairy and Midday.
Settled behind the leaders by Christophe Soumillon, Cirrus Des Aigles was produced down the centre of the course inside the straight and he flew home, taking the lead from So You Think inside the final furlong before going away for a three-quarter length verdict over the eight-time Group One victor. The winning time of 2m 2.52s lowered the previous course record by almost a second.
Cirrus Des Aigles is set to head to Hong Kong once more this December and, with no stallion duties to look forward too, the five-year-old and his charming handler could well become a regular fixture in the winner’s enclosure of Europe’s premier meetings in 2012.

 

Cartier Champion Three-Year-Old Filly​

DANEDREAM (GER)
3 b f Lomitas - Danedrop (IRE) (Danehill (USA))​

2011 form: 4315111
Owner: Gestut Burg Eberstein & Teruya Yoshida
Trainer: Peter Schiergen GER
Breeder: Gestut Brummerhof

Danedream’s stunning victory in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe ensures that the German filly takes the award for Cartier Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, beating off a strong challenge from Blue Bunting.
A fairytale that would make the Brothers Grimm proud, Danedream was originally purchased by furniture retailer Heiko Volz for just 9,000 euros at a breeze-up sale in Baden-Baden, Germany, with the aim of having “a fun horse who could maybe win a race”. Those lofty ambitions were soon realised as the daughter of Lomitas made a winning debut over six furlongs at Wissembourg racecourse in Alsace in June, 2010.
Although she didn’t manage to win again as a juvenile, she clearly demonstrated that stamina was her forte, with a staying-on sixth in the Group One Total Prix Marcel Boussac over a mile at Longchamp which was probably her best performance of the year.
After a pleasing seasonal reappearance over a mile in a Listed race at Italy’s San Siro in April, she took on the colts in the Group Two Derby Italiano at Capannelle the following month, when she stayed on well to take third behind Crackerjack King in the 11-furlong contest.
Three weeks later, she sauntered to a six-and-a-half length victory in the equivalent contest for filles, the Group Two Oaks d’Italia.
She ran better than her finishing position suggested the following month when fifth, beaten a length, in the Group Two Abu Dhabi Prix de Malleret at Saint-Cloud on June 26 when attempting a mile and a half for the first time in her career.
If Danedream’s form in the first half of 2011 had shown her to be a good filly, then her performances in the second half of the campaign elevated her to one of rare talent. Hoppegarten on July 24 was the scene of her first Group One victory when she was the comfortable five-length winner of the Grosser Preis Von Berlin and a second triumph at the highest level followed when she landed Germany’s most prestigious all-aged middle-distance contest, the Group One Longines Grosser Preis Von Baden, at Baden-Baden on September 4 when she again caught the eye when coming home six lengths clear of her rivals.
Danedream’s stunning Baden-Baden victory earned her a crack at Europe’s greatest all-aged middle-distance contest, the Group One Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on October 2.
Two days before the race, Japanese owner Teruya Yoshida bought a half-share in the filly. The 16-strong field was star-studded with the likes of Workforce, So You Think, Snow Fairy, Sarafina, Meandre, Reliable Man and Galikova.
Perfectly positioned by Andreas Starke, Danedream was sent into the lead entering the final furlong and showed her customary stamina as she pulled right away for a five-length triumph over Shareta, handing Germany its first victory in the race since Star Appeal in 1975. Her winning time of 2m 24.49s was a race record.
With Danedream having improved throughout the season, her four-year-old career is eagerly anticipated, after a possible tilt at the Japan Cup.

 

Cartier Champion Two-Year-Old Colt​

DABIRSIM (FR)
2 b c Hat Trick (JPN) - Rumored (USA) (Royal Academy (USA))​

2011 form: 11111
Owner: Simon Springer
Trainer: Christophe Ferland FR
Breeder: Mme L Monfort

Dabirsim went through 2011 unbeaten in five starts and takes the award for Cartier Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.
From the first crop of Japanese champion miler Hat Trick, Dabirsim was sold to his owner Simon Springer for a mere 30,000 euros at Arqana in 2010.
Sent into training with Christophe Ferland, who is based in the south-west of France near Bordeaux, Dabirsim made his debut over six furlongs at La Teste De Buch on June 8, when a 10-length victory demonstrated that connections may have a useful performer on their hands.
Another victory at the same local course followed on July 5 before he was given his first start in Pattern company in the Group Three Prix de Cabourg - Jockey Club de Turquie, also at six furlongs, at Deauville on the last day of July. His length victory over B Fifty Two was very comfortable and he was then aimed at the Group One Darley Prix Morny over the same course and distance on August 21.
Frankie Dettori rode Dabirsim for the first time and the colt kicked away from his field readily in the final furlong, coming home three lengths clear of Family One with the well-touted Frederick Engels faring no better then fifth.
That victory earned him a rest until October, when he took on the very best in the Group One Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp on October 2. Starting favourite for the first time in his career, he had to pull out all the stops in his initial start over seven furlongs to defeat Sofast by three-quarters of a length, showing his customary devastating turn of foot in the final furlong.
He looks an exciting prospect for further honours in 2012.

 

Cartier Champion Two-Year-Old Filly​

MAYBE (IRE)
2 b f Galileo (IRE) - Sumora (IRE) (Danehill (USA))​

2011 form: 11111
Owner: Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien IRE
Breeder: Epona Bloodstock Ltd

A daughter of the all-conquering Galileo, Maybe hails from the family of Derby winner Dr Devious and Oaks heroine Dancing Rain. She went through 2011 unbeaten in five starts and is a firm favourite for Classic success next season.
After a debut success at Naas over six furlongs in May, she headed to Royal Ascot on June 18 when the step up to seven furlongs proved no problem as she defeated the colts to take the Listed Chesham Stakes by two and a quarter lengths.
Back against her own sex in the Group Three Silver Flash Stakes over seven furlongs at Leopardstown in July, she showed determination to gain the verdict by a neck from La Collina with trainer’s son Joseph O’Brien in the saddle for the first time.
Her next victory in the Group Two Keeneland Debutante Stakes was easier, as she came home two and a half lengths in front of Yellow Rosebud with subsequent Group One Cheveley Park Stakes winner Lightening Pearl back in third.
A step up to Group One level then beckoned and she was a warm favourite for the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on August 28. This was to be her final appearance of 2011 and Maybe confirmed she is a filly of exceptional ability with a length and a quarter victory over Fire Lily.

 

Cartier Champion Stayer

FAME AND GLORY (GB)
5 b h Montjeu (IRE) - Gryada (Shirley Heights)​

2011 form: 111241
Owner: Fitri Hay, Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien IRE
Breeder: Ptarmigan Bloodstock and Kirsten Rausing

Fame And Glory has followed a similar path to the immortal Yeats, who was also trained by Aidan O’Brien, and transformed himself from a top-class middle-distance performer into a top-class stayer.
As a three-year-old, Fame And Glory won the Irish Derby and beat all bar Sea The Stars at Epsom, while in 2010 he added victories in the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup and Group One Coronation Cup to his CV.
The 2011 campaign began with a Listed victory over 13 furlongs at Navan in April and he followed up over a mile and six furlongs in a Listed contest at Leopardstown on May 29.
His first start at a race beyond two miles came in the two and a half-mile Group One Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on June 16. Perfectly positioned throughout by Jamie Spencer, the five-year-old showed his Group One class as he powered away in the final furlong for a three-length victory over Opinion Poll.
Two slightly disappointing efforts followed, when he was beaten by Fictional Account in a 14-furlong Listed contest at the Curragh in August and came fourth in the Irish St Leger over the same course and distance the following month.
However, a return to Ascot on October 15 for the inaugural QIPCO British Champions Day saw the Montjeu horse return to his devastating best. Lining up in the Group Three QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup (a two-mile race run with Group One conditions), he hit the front a quarter of a mile from home and stayed on well to defeat his old rival Opinion Poll by a length and a quarter.
Given his trainer’s superb handling of Yeats in recent years, we can hopefully look forward to seeing Fame And Glory return to Ascot for the next few years.

 

Cartier Champion Sprinter​

DREAM AHEAD (USA)​

3 b c Diktat - Land Of Dreams (Cadeaux Genereux)​

2011 form: 51711 Owner: Khalifa Dasmal
Trainer: David Simcock Breeder: Darley

With two Group One victories, Dream Ahead ended 2010 as joint top-rated juvenile colt alongside Frankel. Like his illustrious contemporary, he too proved himself to be a colt of true class in 2011.
The dry spring meant that Dream Ahead missed the early season Classics and he did not reappear until the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes over a mile at Royal Ascot on June 14, when he ran with credit to take fifth behind Frankel.
With both of his juvenile Group One victories coming over six furlongs, connections then decided to revert to sprinting with the son of Diktat and he headed to the Group One Darley July Cup at Newmarket on July 9.
Despite not having the clearest of runs in the closing stages, he showed all his class to get up in the final furlong and defeat Bated Breath by half a length, handing Hayley Turner her first Group One victory in the process.
His only below-par performance of 2011 came when seventh in the Group One Prix Maurice De Gheest at Deauville in August but he more than made amends with victories in the Group One Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock Park in September and when stepped up to seven furlongs in the Qatar Prix De La Foret at Longchamp the following month.
He has been retired to Ballylinch Stud in Ireland and is sure to prove a popular sire.

 

Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit 2011​

BARRY HILLS​

Anyone who has taken even the remotest interest in horseracing over the past 40 years or so cannot possibly have failed to have noticed the name of “B W Hills” in their newspaper or racecard.
Barrington William Hills was born on April 2, 1937, in Worcester. An equine career was always likely for him as his father George (known popularly as Bill) was head lad to trainer Tom Rimell and also an accomplished trainer of ponies, while his mother Phyllis hailed from a family of hay and coal merchants.
His education was undertaken at Ribston Hall in Gloucestershire before he was apprenticed to Tom’s son Fred at the age of 13. After a two-year spell with Rimell, he made the move to Newmarket and spent five years under the watchful eye of George Colling. As an apprentice jockey, Hills enjoyed his first success on Sudden Light at Newmarket on July 14, 1954 and went on to partner a total of nine winners for Colling, four of which were on the Lord Derby-owned Peter Pan.
Hills’ riding career was interrupted by a call-up for National Service, served at the Royal Horse Artillery in St John’s Wood in London. Following his discharge, he returned to Colling’s yard in Newmarket although this time it was to be as travelling head lad as rising weight had forced him to turn his back on a career as a jockey.
After Colling’s death in 1959, the licence at Hurworth Horse passed to John Oxley with Barry continuing to occupy the position of travelling head lad. He performed this role for the next decade.
The day that truly changed the course of Barry’s life was March 27, 1968. The traditional curtain-raiser to the Flat season, the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster, was run then and the Oxley stable had two runners in the race, Copper’s Evidence and Frankincense. Copper’s Evidence had been sent to Oxley by ex-trainer Syd Mercer with the specific aim of winning the Lincoln but Barry had soon established that Frankincense was the superior animal. Backing him all the way from 66/1 down to 5/1, Hills netted a cool £60,000 (worth around £1.5 million at today’s values).
That life-changing win gave Barry the means to do what he had always wanted to do - train in his own right. His winnings from the Frankincense victory were used to purchase South Bank Stables in Lambourn, the former base of Lester Piggott’s father Keith, and he sent out his first runners in 1969.
A first training victory did not take long to arrive when La Dolce Vita scored in the hands of Ernie Johnson at Thirsk on April 18, 1969, and the trainer’s first season ended with a highly-satisfactory 17 winners. His first significant victories arrived the following year, when Hickleton landed the Great Metropolitan Handicap at Epsom’s Spring Meeting and Golden Nomad took the Dee Stakes at Chester, beginning a lifelong love affair with the Roodee for Barry.
Following the promising start to his career, the quality of horses at South Bank Stables began to improve significantly. Hills’ first equine superstar was Rheingold. Narrowly denied by the Lester Piggott-ridden Roberto in the 1972 Derby, Rheingold had the benefit of the Long Fellow in the saddle when landing the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1973.
A first Classic success soon followed when Dibidale scooped the 1974 Irish Oaks after being unlucky in the Oaks at Epsom, while another filly, Enstone Spark, handed Hills a first domestic Classic victory in the 1978 1,000 Guineas.
One of the most enduring relationships that Hills ever made was with owner Robert Sangster. After an initial meeting at Haydock Park, the duo would go on to enjoy a plethora of big-race success together and the pair became lifelong friends. Between 1987 and 1990 Hills trained at the famous Manton Stables, owned at the time by Sangster, before returning to South Bank Stables. In 1994 he moved into the state of the art Faringdon Place, which he designed himself.
Further Classic success came with Tap On Wood in the 1979 2,000 Guineas when partnered by a certain Steve Cauthen. It was Barry and Robert Sangster who had urged the talented American to come to ride in Britain.
Barry went on to win a total of five English Classics. A second 2,000 Guineas success came courtesy of Haafhd in 2004, while Ghanaati was the heroine of the 2009 1,000 Guineas. These two Newmarket victories were made more special by the fact that the horses were both partnered to victory by his son Richard in the role of retained jockey to owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.
Barry’s one St Leger victory was with 40/1 chance Moonax in 2004. The circumstances of the quirky colt’s victory were somewhat ironic. Moonax was galvanised for a strong late run by Pat Eddery to score by a length and a quarter from Broadway Flyer - who was trained by his eldest son John.
The big race that got away was the Derby, although Barry trained the runner-up on no less than four occasions. Following Rheingold’s agonisingly close defeat in 1972, Hawaiian Sound was just denied by Shirley Heights in 1978. Hawaiian Sound was owned by Robert Sangster, as were his other two Derby seconds, Glacial Storm (1988) and Blue Stag (1990). Barry did gain some consolation however when Sir Harry Lewis annexed the Irish version of the Classic in 1987.
Barry was always the man to follow at Chester’s May Meeting, where his remarkable record of over 150 successes included 11 victories in the Dee Stakes, four in the Chester Cup, five in the Cheshire Oaks and two in the Chester Vase. He also boasted an enviable record at Royal Ascot where his 25 winners included back-to-back victories for Gildoran in the Gold Cup (1984 and 1985).
The popular grey Further Flight was superbly handled by Barry for a career that lasted 10 seasons and included a remarkable five successes in the Jockey Club Cup - a record number of wins for a horse in a European Pattern race.
Certain trainers gain a reputation for handling a particular type of horse but that is a statement that could never be applied to Barry.
His expertise was demonstrated by his expert handling of top-class two-year-olds that yielded three Dewhurst Stakes wins and three victories in the Middle Park Stakes, while his training of middle-distance performers and older horses speaks for itself.
Just for good measure, he proved he could mix it with the best over jumps, sending out the Robert Sangster-owned Nomadic Way to take second twice in the Champion Hurdle (1990 and 1991) before the talented entire gained a deserved win at the Cheltenham Festival in the 1992 Stayers’ Hurdle.
Barry announced on August 8 this year that he would retire from training after the Ebor Meeting at York and hand over the reins to his second-youngest son Charlie, who had been assistant to his father for the previous eight years. Barry sent out his last runners on August 20 and it was the perfect ending with a double at Chester and his final runner winning at Bath. He was responsible for well over 3,000 winners.
As alluded to above, Hills heads a racing dynasty. His oldest son John is a successful trainer in Lambourn, while the twins Michael and Richard are both Classic-winning jockeys and among the most respected members of the weighing room. Richard’s son Patrick is also a jockey. Barry’s youngest son George works in bloodstock insurance in the USA, while of course Charlie is his successor at Faringdon Place. He has been married to Penny since 1977.
On a personal level, Barry has fought a battle with his health over the years, with treatment for throat cancer and a life-threatening bout of septicaemia in 2009. Yet he has always been remarkably stoic and not been the type of man to make a fuss.
His nickname may have been “Mr Grumpy” but anyone who has been fortunate enough to meet Barry will know his bark is far worse than his bite and that he is one of the most genuine people, a truly self-made man with lifelong friendships.

 

Fascinating read, thanks for this PN

 

Great write up PN... Very interesting...