'I hope you told him to f*** off' - how a merry Sir Henry Cecil made himself godfather to Sir Michael Stoute's daughter

Sir Michael Stoute has revealed the extraordinary story of how Sir Henry Cecil came to be godfather to his daughter Caroline.

Stoute was speaking to the Racing Post for an exclusive interview in Sunday's newspaper in which he looks back on his remarkable career, speaking frankly about many of his great colleagues and adversaries, and faces up to an uncertain future.

For much of his career, Stoute's big rival was fellow Newmarket trainer Cecil, who got a head start on him and had already been champion trainer on three occasions by the time Stoute managed the first of his ten titles in 1981, the year of Shergar's sensational Derby victory. There is a school of thought that the pair were great friends back then – but Stoute paints a different picture of their relationship.

'Pat told me to grow up'

"Everybody says I was great friends with Henry from early on," he said. "When I tell them I wouldn't say that, they point out he was godfather to my daughter – but that goes back to when Pat was pregnant and we went to a cocktail do.

"Henry used to drink a bit in those days. That particular night he touched Pat's tummy and asked when the baby was coming. After Pat told him, a pissed Henry suddenly declared he was going to be the baby's godfather. Pat related all this to me as we were going home. 'I hope you told him to f*** off,' I said, to which Pat replied she couldn't possibly have done that. I said, 'Bollocks', Pat told me to grow up and Henry became godfather to Caroline."

Sir Henry Cecil: "He never forgot a birthday"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

However, Stoute did add that Cecil more than kept up his side of the bargain when it came to Caroline prior to his sad death in June 2013.

"He never forgot a birthday," said Stoute. "Caroline and Henry's daughter, Katie, are still the very best of friends now."

Read more from Sir Michael Stoute in The Big Read, available in Sunday's newspaper or online for Members' Club Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday. Click here to sign up.

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