Dascombe and Owen End Twelve-Year Partnership

Tom Dascombe said the decision made by Michael Owen to end their successful trainer-owner partnership came as a "complete shock" after it was revealed Dec. 16 he would no longer train from the yard the ex-footballer joint-owns.

Owen—who owns Manor House Stables with Betfair founder Andrew Black—released a statement on Twitter saying he would no longer be working with Dascombe after more than 12 years together and that they had parted on "great terms".

But Dascombe spoke of his surprise at the decision, which he said he learned about two days ago. He said: "It's come as a complete shock to me. I've only known about this for 48 hours. I've had to tell my family, the hardest thing was telling all my staff here. I'll have to consider my options and find somewhere to go and train.

"As they say, I started out with nothing but I've got most of it left, so I'll just carry on."

The group 1-winning trainer is unsure where he will train next year, but insists he will not be quitting. He said: "There's one thing for sure, I will be training racehorses next year, but I just don't know where.

"I haven't had enough time to consider it with the speed of everything that's happened. I'll carry on. What else am I going to do? What else do I know anything about?"

Dascombe received a fillip when Skittlebombz (GB) won a nursery handicap at Southwell Thursday, after which he said: "I'm absolutely thrilled he's won, on the back of today's news it's probably the best winner I've had in my 12 years here because it goes to show that we are carrying on with the job.

"I know he's only won a Southwell all-weather race, but he's going the right way. John deserves all the success that he can have, he's a straightforward owner and let's me get on with the job."

In all but three years, Dascombe has had more than 50 winners a year since teaming up with Owen. His highest tally was 79 in 2012. He has saddled 58 winners this year at a 13% winning strike-rate.

The pair notably enjoyed great success with Brown Panther , who won the 2014 Palmerstown House Estate Irish St. Leger (G1), Dubai Gold Cup Sponsored By Al Tayer Motors (G2), Artemis Goodwood Cup (G2), a King George V Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot and also finished second in the 2011 Labrokes St. Leger (G1). He earned more than £1.1 million in prize-money before suffering a fatal injury when defending his Irish St. Leger crown in 2015.

Owen said in his Twitter statement: "After more than 12 years as trainer, Tom Dascombe will be leaving Manor House Stables in the new year. We have shared many great times and races together and created memories that will last a lifetime.

"I would like to place on record my own personal thanks for all his hard work and support over the years. We part on great terms and everyone at MHS will miss him and wishes him the very best for the future.

"Colin Gorman and the rest of the MHS team will naturally oversee things once Tom departs and it will be very much business as usual until we appoint Tom's replacement."

Dascombe and Owen were also famously associated with Chester and the May festival, with their most notable triumph at the Roodee coming with Brown Panther in the 2014 Boodles Diamond Ormonde Stakes (G3).

Having begun training in 2005, Dascombe's best prize-money haul in a calendar year came in 2019 when he amassed £1,145,875, a campaigned headlined by Angel Alexander 's William Hill Ayr Gold Cup (G2) victory.

Dascombe also enjoyed Royal Ascot victories with Ceiling Kitty  in the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) in 2012, her son Arthur Kitt  in the 2018 Chesham Stakes, and Rhythm Of Light  in the 2011 Sandringham. The latter capped her career with a triumph in the Goldikova Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park in 2012.

He also trained the popular sprinter Kachy  to win the 2019 All-Weather Sprint Championship final from the Cheshire yard, as well as finishing second in the 2016 Commonwealth Cup (G1).

The trainer had forged a successful partnership with former stable jockey Richard Kingscote while at Manor House Stables, but their 15-year partnership came to an end this year when Kingscote left to pursue opportunities with Sir Michael Stoute.