Veteran racing trainer dies in hospital after suffering fractured skull in freak accident
Racehorse trainer Bill Turner who suffered a fractured skull in a freak accident has died in hospital. His daughter Kathy confirmed the news live on Sky Sports Racing in an interview with presenter Matt Chapman.
She described the accident when he was knocked over by a horse at his yard on the Somerset-Dorset border as a 'freak', saying: "I can't get round this injury doing this to him.
"I've pulled him out from under horses, he's been up on roofs just last Sunday - that was him, you'd never change him. Dad passed away about an hour and a half ago - we had the phone call while on the way to Chepstow races.
"He slipped away this morning. The messages and the support from everyone have just been absolutely outstanding.
"I've tried to reply to as many people as I could but I'm so sorry if I haven't replied. The love that man had - he wasn't just my dad, he was everyone's dad."
Turner, who was 78 last Sunday, suffered a serious head injury in the incident at his yard in Dorset on Monday.
The experienced horseman was rushed to hospital where medics found that he had fractured his skull.
Turner, who had 12 horses in his care and held a combined licence with the British Horseracing Authority, has famously sent out six winners of the Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster – the first two-year-old race of the Flat season.
The run dates back to 1996 when Indian Spark was ridden to victory on Town Moor by Tim Sprake and up until the record five-length success of Mick's Yer Man in 2013, a horse ridden by his grandson Ryan While.
At the time, Turner's stable had just had one of its most successful years with 29 winners and almost £100,000 in prize money.
And further profit was gained when he sold Brocklesby winner Mick's Yer Man privately to Hong Kong, where the sprinter was renamed Always Win.
Turner trained both flat and jumps horses, enjoying success with both according to form records dating back to 1988.
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Turner, who was based in Sigwells in Somerset, was a former jockey and as a trainer became synonymous with the Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster, having won the traditional first race of the Flat turf season six times. He had been in a serious condition in hospital after reportedly fracturing his skull in a fall on Monday and his daughter, Kathy, announced his death on Thursday afternoon. Speaking at Chepstow racecourse, she told Sky Sports Racing: 'Dad passed away about an hour and a half ago. 'We got the call in the lorry, I'd made the decision to come here, the horse (Red Snapper) was to run in dad's name in his honour, whatever had happened he would have wanted that. 'He slipped away this morning. The support from everyone in racing has been absolutely outstanding. I've tried to reply to as many people as I could, but I am so sorry if I haven't replied to you or someone else. The love that man had was absolute. 'He wasn't just my dad and my sister's dad and Ryan's grandfather, he was everyone's dad and the people who he has helped in their careers saw him as a dad. 'He would have preferred to have been going flat out up the gallops but unfortunately it was a freak accident. 'I still can't get round that this injury has done this to him, as I've pulled him out from such serious injuries on the gallops. Only last Sunday he was re-felting my sister's salon roof.' Mick's Yer Man was Turner's last Brocklesby winner in 2013 and that victory held special significance. Kathy Turner added: 'His best ever moment was when Ryan (While, grandson) won the Brocklesby on Mick's Yer Man.' In a statement British Horseracing Authority chief executive Brant Dunshea said: 'Everybody at the BHA is deeply saddened by the news of Bill Turner's death. My thoughts, along with my colleagues at the BHA and everyone involved in the sport, are with Bill's family and friends, as well as everyone who works at the yard. 'Bill was a wonderful stalwart of our sport. He poured his heart and soul into racing, both as a jockey and then a trainer, and we will particularly miss his annual runner in the Brocklesby Stakes, which he won an impressive six times. 'We will do everything we can to support the yard during this incredibly challenging period.'
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Horse racing is in mourning following the death of iconic trainer Bill Turner at the age of 78 on Thursday morning. Turner passed away after succumbing to his injuries sustained in a 'freak accident' on Monday, where he fractured his skull. The unfortunate incident involved a colt he had been reportedly riding at his Dorset yard. He had been on a ventilator since being rushed to hospital on Monday, but died less than 72 hours later. His daughter Kathy revealed the news in an emotional interview on Sky Sports Racing: 'Everyone in racing will miss him. I can't get round this injury doing this to him. 'I've pulled him out from under horses, he's been up on roofs just last Sunday - that was him, you'd never change him. 'Dad passed away about an hour-and-a-half ago - we had the phone call while on the way to Chepstow races. He slipped away this morning. 'The messages and the support from everyone have just been absolutely outstanding. 'I've tried to reply to as many people as I could but I'm so sorry if I haven't replied. 'The love that man had - he wasn't just my dad, he was everyone's dad. The people he helped all through his years. He was everyone's dad. 'He would have preferred to be going flat out up the gallops with something like this. 'But it was just a freak accident. He was holding onto a cob, not on top of a racehorse going flat out, which he thoroughly enjoyed.' In his memory, a minute's silence was held at Salisbury Racecourse on Thursday. Turner was born in 1947 in Shropshire and ran his stable at Sigwells with his wife Tracy and daughter Kathy. He looked after a dozen horses and held a combined licence with the British Horse racing Authority. 'The first two or three days I had him I thought to myself "you silly old devil, I've bitten off more than you can chew here." We were having real problems,' he said. 'The landlord down the pub and customers reckoned it would take six months to train but after two-and-a-half weeks we did it.
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