Classic heroes and Arc angel Rheingold on the list of Barry Hills giants
Further Flight
Not the classiest performer Hills ever trained, but arguably the most popular and certainly the most hardy. Racing from 1988 to 1998, the grey won 24 of his 70 races, including top staying races such as the Goodwood Cup and Ebor. However, he is best remembered for winning the Jockey Club at Newmarket five years in a row (1991 to 1995).
Haafhd
Haafhd bridged a 10-year gap without Classic success for Hills in 2004 when landing the 2000 Guineas, ridden by his son, Richard. Haafhd clearly saved his best for Newmarket, as he had earlier won the Craven Stakes and ended his career that autumn with victory in the Champion Stakes.
Moonax
The most unlikely of Hills' Classic winners was Moonax when he took the St Leger at odds of 40-1. In the expert hands of Pat Eddery, the enigmatic colt defeated none other than Broadway Flyer, trained by Hills' son, John, and ridden by another son, Michael. Moonax showed that victory was no fluke by following up in the French St Leger a month later.
Rheingold
The best horse Barry Hills ever trained came early in his career. Rheingold almost gave him a Derby triumph, but he was just touched off by Roberto in 1972. However, a year later the colt ran out an impressive winner of Europe's premier race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, beating the brilliant Allez France by two and a half lengths.
Tap On Wood
Hills' first major success at Newmarket came with Tap On Wood in the 1979 2000 Guineas, as he upstaged hot favourite Kris in the hands of Steve Cauthen. The young American had recently been enticed to Britain at the request of Robert Sangster and showed his prowess by driving Tap On Wood home by half a length.
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Powys County Times
25 minutes ago
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Darryll Holland ‘owes everything' to Barry Hills
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an hour ago
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Darryll Holland ‘owes everything' to Barry Hills
Hills, who died at the age of 88 and saddled over 3,000 winners during a long and decorated career in the training ranks, had a huge influence on Holland's early career and is also credited with setting many on the path to success within the racing industry. Holland enjoyed many big-race wins around the world in the saddle before setting up as a trainer himself. However, he will always remember fondly the early days of his racing life which were shaped by Hills and his wife Penny, becoming champion apprentice under Hills' stewardship in 1991. Darryll Holland began his career with Barry Hills (Mike Egerton/PA) 'I owe everything to Barry and Penny, they engineered my career and guided me to where I am today,' said Holland. 'He made me champion apprentice and then first jockey and he was a tough man but very fair and a genius of a trainer. It's an end of an era really. 'I was a raw 15-year old from Manchester and he guided me through, I owe him an awful lot. 'It was a steep learning curve at times and I had the pleasure of bumping into him at the Lockinge meeting (Newbury) and introducing my kids to him and he was still as scary then as he was 30 years ago, but he was an amazing fellow and I always had nothing but respect for him. 'He was a father figure and him and Penny were like my second mum and dad and it was a very sad day yesterday when I got told the news from Michael (Hills).' Nicky Henderson has paid tribute to his great friend Barry Hills (David Davies for the Jockey Club/PA) There were also words of sorrow from the world of jumps racing, as Nicky Henderson reminisced about the times he enjoyed with his great Lambourn neighbour. Henderson said: 'We were good friends but he certainly taught me a few things. I was a bit younger and it was a bit of a strange duet really but we would do an awful lot of things together on and off the racecourse. We had some wonderful times. 'He always said whatever he thought and we could have had an argument, but there was no point as he was always going to win it. If he said something you disagreed with, you just went with it as he was always going to prove he was right in the end! 'He made himself but he also made a lot of people who got on the bus with him and we have to be very grateful to have been a part of it.' Barry Hills was head of a great racing dynasty (PA) Speaking to Racing TV's Luck On Sunday, he added: 'It was one of those incredible innings and you get the feeling the last few weeks haven't been easy. 'He'd had a few adversities over the year but kept coming back and back, mainly through Penny, who has just been unbelievable throughout. 'He would always call it 'God's waiting room' and he visited it a few times but kept coming back and these last few weeks he just didn't want to leave the party and that's what he was all about, as he had such a will to live and love it all. 'That family has just been remarkable and Penny has pulled him through so many battles, he would keep coming back for more and what a lot of fun we have had over some fantastic years. 'He was just a man of huge integrity and friendship and the family he brought up, he would just be so proud of them all. I know he will look on it as a fantastic era, as we all do.'
