Henry Cecil
- Thread starter Lanky Loll
- Start date
Despite this not coming as a huge shock I was utterly devastated when I heard the news earlier, I also met him briefly years ago on a visit to Warren Place, he was totally charming. Racing will never see the like again...RIP Sir Henry, at peace at last, hopefully will be watching Royal Ascot from a better place.
An amazing man. RIP Sir Henry and thank you for Frankel.
- Joined
- 18 January 2012
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- 1,442
We all knew how ill he was but it still hard to believe he is no longer with us. What an elegant and thoughtful man and astonishingly talented trainer. He will be much missed by all in, around and who follow racing.
Royal Ascot without Sir Henry will never be the same. There won't be a dry eye in the place if Tom Queally can get one over the line first next week. A fitting tribute.
Thoughts are with his family, friends, and all who live and work at the yard
Wonderful and moving tribute here from At The Races
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPfL2o9T7ao&feature=youtu.be
Royal Ascot without Sir Henry will never be the same. There won't be a dry eye in the place if Tom Queally can get one over the line first next week. A fitting tribute.
Thoughts are with his family, friends, and all who live and work at the yard
Wonderful and moving tribute here from At The Races
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPfL2o9T7ao&feature=youtu.be
A friend of mine used to work at Warren Place, in 2003 she won the prize for the best turned out in the Queen's Vase at Ascot. She was very fond of Henry, and yesterday was her birthday. Yesterday was not a day for celebration, and understandably, she'll be feeling very low at the moment.
Such loss.
Such loss.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10112896/Sir-Henry-Cecil.html
Lovely piece. 'Farewell, King Henry' on RUK is worth watching too, but keep a hanky at the ready. What a man.
Lovely piece. 'Farewell, King Henry' on RUK is worth watching too, but keep a hanky at the ready. What a man.
I remember, at 16 years old and probably about 6st wet through, going for an interview at Warren Place and the great man telling me that I was too young and too small and it was a tough life for anyone let alone a slip of a girl, to be managing sensitive and powerful TB's. But his words weren't sexist or patronising, simply that he thought I needed more time to grow and strengthen up. Time he said, was on my side. Come back in 2 years and then we'll see what you are made of.
I never did go back, as I went to college and then went to work on various competition & NH yards, but I always remembered his kind and encouraging words and the time that he took to show me and my mum round the yard, explaining the life of a racing stable.
And so, because of that, it was always Henry's horses that I followed on the flat, even though my heart was always with the NH game.
Looking at the list of just some of the horses he'd trained, I'd forgotton he'd trained the likes of Old Vic. Frankel aside, Reference Point, Oh So Sharp and Bosra Sham were just some of the highlights for me.
The man had the most amazing career and I would say a life well lived.
RIP Sir Henry
I never did go back, as I went to college and then went to work on various competition & NH yards, but I always remembered his kind and encouraging words and the time that he took to show me and my mum round the yard, explaining the life of a racing stable.
And so, because of that, it was always Henry's horses that I followed on the flat, even though my heart was always with the NH game.
Looking at the list of just some of the horses he'd trained, I'd forgotton he'd trained the likes of Old Vic. Frankel aside, Reference Point, Oh So Sharp and Bosra Sham were just some of the highlights for me.
The man had the most amazing career and I would say a life well lived.
RIP Sir Henry
http://www.racingpost.com/news/live.sd?event_id=1069825&category=0
A.Ds. tribute to Sir Henry, no one could have put it better.
A.Ds. tribute to Sir Henry, no one could have put it better.
That is a wonderful tribute, AD has such a way with words.
I've just watched the CH4 tribute. I wonder why it is that I feel such a sense of sorrow, and for someone who in truth I never met. Clair Balding's generosity only served to deepen a sense of loss which I don't entirely understand!
Alec.
Alec.
I don't think you are supposed to understand Alec or even try to make sense of it. But I suspect you feel pretty similar to the rest of us. He touched many people not just with his skill as a trainer, but with his dry wit and impish sense of humour, tinged with his vunerability. His horses always tried and every horse meant something to him. He cared.
And we loved him for all those things.
Royal Ascot will be a strange place this week without him.
And we loved him for all those things.
Royal Ascot will be a strange place this week without him.
Yes, a huge hole, but a wonderful appreciation of the great man from the Ascot crowd. I'm sure he'd be chuffed with the love & affection shown to him today.
Nice to see a minute's silenced observed properly and with dignity. (football crowds take note !!)
Nice to see a minute's silenced observed properly and with dignity. (football crowds take note !!)
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He was pretty amazing, all that epitomised racing (and not just the monied side of flat racing as opposed to NH) for people like me, that love the Winter Sport - he did enliven the Summer aspect as well - I am sure his legacy wil live on, not least because there are still UK (Eire) people who love and want to invest in all round offer regardless - whilst Frankel, was terrific for HC - thank goodness for Magnier at al who still send out Northern Hemisphere winners of prolific group and black type races!