SIR MICHAEL STOUTE, the legendary trainer of Shergar, did not receive the fairytale ending he deserved when his final runner trailed in last at Nottingham on Wednesday.
The 9-4 favourite Wanderlust, ridden by Richard Kingscote, finished a whopping 48 lengths behind the winner.
Walter Swinburn on Shergar in the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster.
Stoute, who has not been seen much at the track in the last few months, was not there to witness the anti-climax.
The late Queen’s favourite trainer in September announced he would retire at the end of this season after 52 years of relentless success.
Most famously, the Newmarket icon trained the brilliant Shergar, who in 1983 was infamously kidnapped by an armed gang while at stud in Ireland.
The champion racehorse won the Derby in 1981 by a record 10 lengths. But his disappearance remains a mystery.
Shergar was valued at £10million when he disappeared.
Some believe the IRA snatched the horse, as they were looking for new sources of funding around the same time.
Despite the extraordinary events, the Barbadian’s success continued unhindered.
Stoute, 78, was crowned champion trainer a whopping 10 times during his career and won the Derby six times, most recently with Desert Crown in 2022.
And while things did not go to plan at Nottingham, there was an outpouring of appreciation for him regardless on X, formerly known as Twitter.
One punter said: ” Not to be today, but one of the all time greats.”
And Great British Racing, who paid tribute, said: “An incredible career draws to a close.”
Another Stoute fan referred to him as a ‘Hall of Famer’ while another mused ‘what a career he has had – wow.”
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Stoute has saddled more than 4,000 winners, 82 of which were Royal Ascot winners, his first being in 1977.
Among the most memorable of his successes at the Royal meeting was the late Queen’s top-class mare Estimate, who won the Gold Cup in 2013 sending the venue into jubilation.
He also saddled 29 British and Irish Classic winners, and was not a stranger to some big wins on the global stage either.
He won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2010 with Workforce, while he also bagged the Japan Cup, Dubai World Cup, Hong Kong Vase and several races at the Breeders’ Cup in America.
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