Sir Michael Stoute – A Hall of Fame Career

Features | 2^nd October 2024

Sir Michael Stoute – one of the most successful trainers in British Flat racing history – will retire at the end of the season.

Sir Michael Stoute nurtured a host of great horses and there are very few top races he has failed to win in his 52 year career.

Here’s a look at the vital statistics of a stellar career.

Six Derby winners

Sir Michael will forever be associated with record-breaking Derby winner Shergar. His 1981 Epsom Classic victory came by an astonishing margin of ten lengths but the Aga Khan’s star is more famous for his kidnapping less than two years later after retiring to stud.

The trainer’s second winner, Shahrastani, was also one of the most memorable Derbys. He famously held off fast-finishing Dancing Brave in a thrilling finish in 1986.

Sir Michael had to wait another 17 years for the next Derby winner. Then Kris Kin and North Light gave him successive victories.

Workforce added to his haul in 2010 and Desert Crown, three years ago, completed the sextet.

16 British Classic winners

As well as his six Derby wins, Sir Michael trained ten other Classic winners.

He recorded five victories in the 2000 Guineas and two in the 1000 Guineas. His two Oaks wins included his first Classic winner, Fair Salinia, in 1978.

Completing the full Classic set proved trickier. For much of his career, the St Leger, eluded the Newmarket-based trainer. He finally landed the oldest Classic at the 26^th attempt when Frankie Dettori partnered Conduit to victory in the 2008.

As well as his British Classic wins, he also won 13 Irish Classics. Shergar and Shahrastani both did the Derby double. He also won the Irish versions of the 1000 Guineas, 2000 Guineas and Oaks on at least one occasion.

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Ten Champion trainer titles

Sir Michael’s ten championship titles is bettered only by Alec Taylor’s dozen in the early 1900s.

He shares second place in the all-time list of Champion Trainers with his great rival Sir Henry Cecil.

The first of Sir Michael’s titles in 1981 was powered with the help of Shergar’s victories in the Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

He was crowned champion twice more in the 1980s and another twice in the 1990s. From the turn of the millennium Sir Michael won the honour five more times in nine years.

82 Royal Ascot winners

Only Aidan O’Brien has trained more Royal Ascot winners than Sir Michael.

It was only last year that the Irish Champion went to the top of the list of most successful trainers at Flat racing’s biggest meeting.

Sir Michael had passed his great rival Sir Henry Cecil’s record when Poet’s Word won the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes in 2018.

His 82^nd and final Royal Ascot winner came with Dream Of Dream’s victory in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

His most famous success came when Estimate, owned by The Queen, roared home to win the Gold Cup in 2013.

It was one of an impressive 18 Group 1 winners at the Royal meeting.

Eight Breeders’ Cup winners

Sir Michael was one of the first truly global trainers.

His eight victories at the Breeders’ Cup – America’s top meeting – show he can be considered one of the greatest trainers worldwide. The Breeders’ Cup Turf provided four of those victories, including dual winner Conduit.

He also won the Filly and Mares’ Turf on three occasions. Expert Eye’s success in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 2018 was his eighth and final win at the world-famous championship.

Sir Michael won Europe’s top race, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, with Derby hero Workforce in 2010.

He also twice landed the Japan Cup and won the Dubai World Cup with Singspiel in 1997. There has also been top-class victories in Hong Kong, Canada, Germany and Italy.

1998 the year he was knighted

He didn’t receive the ultimate ‘honour’ for his racing achievements but for services to the promotion of sports tourism in Barbados. He was born on the Caribbean island, where his father was chief of police.

Sir Michael remains a huge cricket fan and he is close friends with former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding.

Last year, he was inducted into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall Of Fame.