David Elsworth, one of the greatest dual-purpose trainers of all time, has announced that he will not renew his licence next year, and thus retires after more than six decades in the sport. The news was first reported by Racing Post.
Elsworth's name will forever be entwined with two of the most beloved horses of the modern era, the legendary steeplechaser Desert Orchid (GB) and the hugely popular stayer Persian Punch (Ire), and in his handling of these two durable stars Elsworth demonstrated both his innate horsemanship and versatility as a trainer.
“If you go to a party, there is a time to go home,” said Elsworth on Wednesday. “I'm not upset or downhearted about anything. It is just time to move on. I've had a great time.”
The trainer, who turned 82 earlier this week, was last month awarded the Cartier Award of Merit, marking an extraordinarily successful career which began with him riding over jumps between 1957 and 1972 before taking out his licence to train in 1978.
Among the top-class horses to have emanated from his stable was In The Groove (GB), who won the Irish G1 1000 Guineas in 1990, making Elsworth one of the few trainers to have trained a Classic winner as well as a Grand National winner. In The Groove also won the G1 Juddmonte International S. and beat Linamix (Fr) in the G1 Champion S. during her high-flying 3-year-old season, as well as returning at four to win the G1 Coronation Cup.
While the great grey 'Dessie' will always rank as Elsworth's greatest jumping star, with his emotional victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup as well as four King George VI Chase victories and an Irish Grand National triumph, the Grand National was secured with Rhyme 'N Reason (GB) in 1988, while Barnbrook Again (GB) landed back-to-back runnings of the Queen Mother Champion Chase in the following two seasons.
“I've progressed over the years and we have had a degree of success, for which I feel very fortunate, and we have been associated with some good horses,” he said with some understatement.
“It creeps up on you. You are just doing your job and doing what you enjoy and when you win, it's good. I've been very grateful and lucky. I feel very fortunate to have been doing this for a long time.”
An early star who exemplified Elsworth's range of skills was Heighlin (GB), who won Cheltenham's Triumph Hurdle and the Ascot S. at Royal Ascot in 1980 before also landing the Goodwood Cup two years later.
Following Elsworth's move from his long tenure at Whitsbury in Hampshire to Newmarket's Egerton House Stables in 2006, the biggest name to emerge from his yard was Arabian Queen (Ire), who defeated Derby winner Golden Horn (GB) in the 2015 Juddmonte International for owner/breeder Jeff Smith, a long-term friend and patron of the trainer. Smith's colours were also carried by the 20-time winner Persian Punch, whose major victories included two Goodwood Cups and the Doncaster Cup.
Elsworth's most recent group-race success came with Sir Dancealot (Ire), whose four Group 2 wins included the Park S. and Lennox S. of 2019, the year in which the trainer also sent out Dandhu (Ire) to win the G3 Fred Darling S.
Paying tribute to his staff, who have included Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Employee of the Year Peter Maughan, his former long-time head lad Rodney Boult, and former assistants Jeannie Brown and Paul Holley (who also rode for him over jumps for many years, including guiding Oh So Risky (GB) to victory in the 1991 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival), he said, “If you are a footballer, you need to be on a good team and racing is a team effort as well. I was surrounded by lots of people who were with me and they shared the ambitions and the hopes, and the success we had. I may have been at the helm, but you don't get to be a successful racehorse trainer unless you are surrounded by good horses and good people. I have had them in abundance over the years and I have been very lucky.”
He added, “I feel I've been a very, very lucky man that I've been doing a job all my life and it has not been a job. It's a sport really, and I have been a participant in various ways.”
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