God Bless Guv’nor – Ascot will miss you
I will miss my flick on the head with a rolled up race card this year; life will never quite be the same again without the guv’nor and his mischievous ways. I was privileged to have known Sir Henry Cecil since 1984 and last Tuesday was the end of a very special era for me and generations of racing fans whose lives have been touched in one way or another by this wonderfully unique man.
I first met Henry after a 2yo filly of his had dotted up in a Newmarket maiden and I congratulated him. The time he spent talking to me fired my enthusiasm for the sport and after a couple of congratulatory letters to him on Group winners in the following months, he kindly invited me to visit the yard. After watching work with him one morning, I was overawed to find myself breakfasting with him, Madam (Julie Cecil), Lady Tavistock and other assorted owners. On thanking him for an unforgettable experience he said, “Feel free to come up whenever you want.” I wonder if he ever regretted that as every Saturday morning for the next couple of decades were spent watching work with the Warren Place team. Work mornings were special seeing the maestro at work where he was happiest.
The great horses came by the lorry load and it was Group 1 after Group 1 – heady days indeed. As fortunes dipped for a short while, the one thing that did not change was the guv’nor; he still had a heart of gold and the eye of a genius. The guv’nor cared for those around him, those he did not even know and above all else his horses. After his knighthood only once did I dare call him Sir Henry, “I’m guv’nor or Henry to you” he told me. To me he will always be the guv’nor.
After the winners I would say, “Well done guv’nor” as he languidly glided toward the winner’s enclosure; that’s when it happened, the special moment when he gave you the winning flick. I loved getting a whack on the head with the race-card; you knew the yard had had a decent winner. He was the only person who could make you feel special with a whack on the head. The harder the whack, the bigger the winner. The last whack came when Hot Snap won the Nell Gwyn this April – I will never forget it.
The guv’nor had time and that special smile for everyone. When my friend’s 10 year old son, Jack, saw him at Halloween two years ago Jack was wearing a purple Dracula outfit. “Wow Jack, I love that outfit. What a great colour, I would like one of them. If you go trick or treating tonight don’t accept any sweets; ask them for the money instead, it will be much handier.” He left Jack feeling very special having had Sir Henry compliment him. The guv’nor transcended generations and knew how to make us all feel special.
He had a mischievous sense of humour and took great delight one day in telling anyone who spoke to him at Yarmouth races one day that I was his stable mascot who was fresh out of jail for chasing a policeman. The truth of the matter being I had been to Swaffham magistrates earlier in the morning to pick up a speeding fine!
The guv’nor cared so much for others and couldn’t stand the thought of letting anyone down. When I had a chat with him on the gallops a couple of weeks after Frankel’s last race he told me and Star Sports colleague, David Haddrell, that despite knowing Frankel would hate the ground at Ascot, “I just had to run him didn’t I, I had no option as I would have let everyone down if I hadn’t. I could not let everyone down.” The Guv’nor never let anyone down, he was so special and his passing has left an enormous gap in the lives of many of us.
The guv’nor was a genius of a racehorse trainer and we will never see his like again, but above all this he was the most unbelievably unique, brave and kind man many of us will ever have the privilege to know.
I am sure at some point this week one of his horses will come home 1st at Royal Ascot and I will feel that whack on the head from up above; let’s hope it is a buyer’s market. God bless guv’nor.
