Much respected former Newmarket trainer Tony Hide dies at 85

Former Newmarket trainer, Tony Hide, died on Saturday at his home in Tenerife after a short illness and surrounded by his family. He was 85.

Born into racing his father Bill was a farmer-turned-trainer based near Wenlock Edge in Shropshire and the young Hide left Ellesmere College at 16 to become his apprentice.

His elder brother, Edward, who died just last year at the age of 86, had been champion apprentice and went on to ride two Derby winners, but Tony saw his future lay in training.

From the age of 18 until his marriage in 1970 Tony always spent two weeks on holiday in St Moritz, with his brother. Their father banned them from skiing, so along with jockey Sir Gordon Richards, they took up curling and the year the Swiss town hosted a European winter sports Tony was picked to represent Great Britain.

When his father retired, he went to be assistant trainer to Major Nelson in Lambourn where he stayed for a year before moving to Newmarket to join Bruce Hobbs at Palace House Stables in Newmarket in 1969.

It was there he met his wife to be Sue, a scion of the Leader racing dynasty. They married a year later and their daughter, Lucie, arrived on their first wedding anniversary.

In 1973, the year their son, Philip, was born, Tony was head-hunted by the leading Italian owner-breeders, Razza Dormello Olgiata the stud founded by the late Federico Tesio, as their trainer had been killed in a road accident three years previously. The owner’s son, Marchese Enrico, had taken over but things were not going smoothly. Tony trained for them for four seasons heading the trainers’ standings for three of them and being dubbed The Wizard by the Italian racing press.

Sue’s family owned Machell Place Stables in Newmarket’s Old Station Road where her grandmother still lived but in 1976 it was decided she was not well enough to continue living there on her own. Tony and Sue then decided to return to Newmarket and bought the yard from the Leader family.

Tony was to train there for the next 24 years winning group races in England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Sweden with his best horses being Mansfield, who won the Italian 2,000 Guineas, Celestial Dancer and Doc Marten.

Before the start of his first season in England, the family went on a short break to the Los Gigantes hotel in Tenerife which was to be their holiday destination for the next seven years. On their final visit in 1983, the year after their third child Tim was born, they saw building work starting on some houses. After having a look they put down a deposit cementing their relationship with the island they loved.

Tony and Sue later made Tenerife their permanent home returning to Newmarket during the summer months when they were able to catch up with their family and many friends and where Tony was a regular at the Newmarket Links golf course and at the Newmarket Avenue Bowls Club.

“On retirement Tony loved not only following the success of his children but also that of his son-in-law, Sean Woods. The Racing Post was still a morning staple,” said Sue.

As well as his wife and children, Tony leaves four grandchildren. His funeral service will be held today in Tenerife.