Jojo
29-04-2006, 11:37
Trainer Martin Pipe has shocked the racing world by announcing his immediate retirement from the sport.
The 60-year-old will hand over the reins at his Nicholashayne yard in Somerset to his son David.
Pipe's retirement comes on the final day of the jump racing season, when chief rival Paul Nicholls will take the champion trainer title.
Pipe secured his 15th National Hunt trainers' crown last year, narrowly beating Nicholls into second place.
It was no secret David was due to take over from his father but it had been thought that Martin would continue into next season at least.
But speaking on Channel 4's The Morning Line, Pipe said: "I've not been in the best of health lately and I've taken the decision that it's time for David to take over.
"I'd like to be remembered for training horses who tried their best. I got a great thrill out of getting horses to enjoy their racing and getting them to try their best."
The son of a bookmaker, Pipe was an amateur rider until breaking his thigh in 1972.
He took out a trainer's licence three years later although he did not become champion trainer until 1989, when he had 208 winners, almost double the previous record.
"I suppose I just tried to get the horses fitter than any other trainer and hopefully David can continue that," said Pipe, who many in racing consider to have revolutionised training.
"I feel sure that that will happen. He is ambitious and energetic and things will continue to go the same way hopefully."
Champion jockey Tony McCoy was among the first to pay tribute to a man who has provided him with a huge percentage of his winners.
"I would just like to thank Martin for everything he has done for me," said McCoy, who was Pipe's stable jockey until 2004.
"I have learned so much from working with him and racing will be worse off without him.
"David has been very lucky that he has been able to learn from the best in the business and hopefully he will do as well as his dad.
"He was a brilliant boss and I'm not just saying that because he has retired and you knew his horses were always fit and trying their best and I think I rode nearly 1200 winners for him in seven years."
from bbc.co.uk
The 60-year-old will hand over the reins at his Nicholashayne yard in Somerset to his son David.
Pipe's retirement comes on the final day of the jump racing season, when chief rival Paul Nicholls will take the champion trainer title.
Pipe secured his 15th National Hunt trainers' crown last year, narrowly beating Nicholls into second place.
It was no secret David was due to take over from his father but it had been thought that Martin would continue into next season at least.
But speaking on Channel 4's The Morning Line, Pipe said: "I've not been in the best of health lately and I've taken the decision that it's time for David to take over.
"I'd like to be remembered for training horses who tried their best. I got a great thrill out of getting horses to enjoy their racing and getting them to try their best."
The son of a bookmaker, Pipe was an amateur rider until breaking his thigh in 1972.
He took out a trainer's licence three years later although he did not become champion trainer until 1989, when he had 208 winners, almost double the previous record.
"I suppose I just tried to get the horses fitter than any other trainer and hopefully David can continue that," said Pipe, who many in racing consider to have revolutionised training.
"I feel sure that that will happen. He is ambitious and energetic and things will continue to go the same way hopefully."
Champion jockey Tony McCoy was among the first to pay tribute to a man who has provided him with a huge percentage of his winners.
"I would just like to thank Martin for everything he has done for me," said McCoy, who was Pipe's stable jockey until 2004.
"I have learned so much from working with him and racing will be worse off without him.
"David has been very lucky that he has been able to learn from the best in the business and hopefully he will do as well as his dad.
"He was a brilliant boss and I'm not just saying that because he has retired and you knew his horses were always fit and trying their best and I think I rode nearly 1200 winners for him in seven years."
from bbc.co.uk