Trainer David Brown Calls Time on His Career

David Brown had his final runner as a trainer before retirement when Blazing Hot finished seventh in the closing 5-furlong handicap at Southwell Jan. 23.

As Blazing Hot crossed the line it brought down the curtain on the 15-year training career that Brown embarked on after selling his engineering business to an American firm.

Explaining his decision to retire, Brown said: "I'm 78 now and it's time. We always planned to spend about that long training horses after we sold out of the business, and we've had a great time, met some lovely people and been all over the world. 

"It's been such a pleasure to train and the likes of Sheikh Fahad, John Fretwell, and other owners were so supportive of me and really backed me and what we were doing.

"We have a house in Spain and we're going to spend more time over there, but I think I might keep a horse over here in training. We've done all that we wanted to do."

Brown was not new to racing when setting up in 2008, starting out as a member of stable staff before setting up his engineering firm after attending night school.

He owned horses with Steve Norton and Sir Michael Stoute and also trained under a permit during the 1990s before taking out a full license.

The leading performer for Brown during his full-time training career was Frederick Engels , winner of the 2011 July Stakes (G2) and the first winner at Royal Ascot for Sheikh Fahad and his brothers in Qatar Racing when landing the Windsor Castle Stakes the same year.

"He wanted a horse who could win at Ascot so he could have tea with the Queen and I told him this was the horse, this horse would win, and I was delighted when he did," he said.

"He was a very good horse, he was frighteningly good really. He was that good. I didn't really have anything to work him with, so the week before Royal Ascot I galloped him with Doncaster Rover , who was rated over 100 and was leading, with the plan being for Frederick to join him.

"Well, when he was asked to quicken, he picked up and went clear of him, so I thought that was enough for me to be sure he would win the next week!"

As well as Frederick Engels, who was sold to Hong Kong at the end of his juvenile season, Brown trained multiple listed-winner Doncaster Rover, group 3 winner My Catch , and listed scorers Wind Fire , Medrano , and Mind of Madness  among his 224 flat winners in Britain, alongside four over jumps.