Clive Smith, the proprietor of racing greats Kauto Star and Grasp Minded has died following a brief sickness, aged 82.
Mr Smith studied accounting and gained a enterprise diploma, then turned an entrepreneur, first concerned with golf and constructing golf programs.
His first racehorse, the Jenny Pitman-trained Hawthorn Hill Lad, was the primary to run in Mr Smith’s yellow, inexperienced and purple silks in 1987. He had horses with trainers Martin Pipe and David Elsworth, and his first main win was with the Martin Pipe-trained Rainbow Frontier within the Grade Three Swinton Handicap Hurdle.
In 2003, Mr Smith joined forces with Paul Nicholls and the next 12 months, Mr Smith purchased Kauto Star from France. The gelding turned some of the profitable staying chasers of all time. Skilled by Paul and ridden by Ruby Walsh, Kauto Star received 16 Grade Ones from 2005 to 2011. He received greater than £2m, taking the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice and the King George VI Chase 5 occasions, earlier than his retirement in 2012.
One other of Mr Smith’s notable horses was the Paul Nicholls-trained Grasp Minded, who received eight Grade Ones between 2008 and 2011, together with the Queen Mom Champion Chase on the Cheltenham Pageant in 2008 and 2009 with Ruby Walsh.
A British Horseracing Authority (BHA) spokesperson mentioned that Mr Smith owned horses “that captured the creativeness of racing followers younger and outdated”.
“They lit up a few of our greatest days and can stay eternally within the recollections of all who love our sport,” he mentioned.“The ideas of everybody on the BHA are with Clive’s household and buddies”.
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H&H senior information author
Since becoming a member of H&H in 2018, Becky has lined a broad vary of equestrian information together with welfare issues, veterinary research, FEI Tribunal hearings and street security campaigns. She has additionally interviewed high riders together with Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to call only a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, in addition to the Royal Highland and Blair Fort Worldwide Horse Trials nearer to house. She was additionally a key a part of the distant reporting group for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
