'He was full of optimism' - syndicate pioneer Henry Ponsonby dies

Henry Ponsonby, a hugely successful pioneer of syndicate ownership hailed by one trainer as "the most optimistic, enthusiastic person I've ever met", has died at the age of 74.

The partnerships he set up enjoyed hundreds of winners, including at the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot, and introduced the likes of Jilly Cooper and Sir Alex Ferguson to ownership.

When the Jockey Club, racing's then governing body, first allowed syndicates in 1976, Ponsonby took advantage "to fulfil my own ambition of racehorse ownership" and struck with his first runner when Beloved Mistress won at Salisbury the following year.

Among the many good horses he managed were Oregon Trail (who won the Arkle Chase), Tiger Cliff (Ebor), Who Dares Wins (Northumberland Plate, Queen Alexandra Stakes), Gatwick (Silver Bowl) and The Betchworth Kid (Mallard Handicap).

Tiger Cliff (left) and Tom Queally pounce for Ebor victory in 2013Credit: Mark Cranham

The last was named after his old friend Colin Mackenzie, a former racing journalist, who said: "Henry was one of those larger-than-life characters who lit up a room or a racecourse.

"He was full of optimism, as you have to be, and had a very thick skin when things went wrong.

"He persuaded me on my 65th birthday that he'd have a horse named The Betchworth Kid, which was my nickname on the Daily Express, if I took a ten per cent share. I did and it was one of the better decisions of my life as he won the Mallard and a Listed race."

Group 1-winning trainer Eve Johnson Houghton started out with Ponsonby and said: "I thought he was indestructible. He was the most optimistic, enthusiastic person I've ever met.

"Nothing got him down. Even when a horse ran badly it was, 'We're not going to dwell on it, on to the next one!' He loved winning and he was a really good loser.

"My first job in racing was working in his office for two years and I had so much time for him. He's going to leave a huge hole in my life."

Ponsonby's horses have been withdrawn from Newbury on Saturday.

Sword Beach was due to run for Alan King, who said on Friday: "It's a huge shock. I only spoke to him yesterday and he was very excited about going to photograph his new yearlings today. And we were due to have lunch with him at Newbury tomorrow.

"He was a great supporter of many trainers and a very good friend. He worked hard and played hard. We had a lot of fun with horses like Who Dares Wins, On To Victory and Scarlet Dragon."

Who Dares Wins holds off The Grand Visir to win the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal AscotCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Ponsonby served in the 15th/19th Royal Hussars and Mackenzie said: "The joke was he had a horse called Who Dares Wins and everybody assumed that meant he had been in the SAS – and he was very slow to correct that opinion!"

The syndicate business is set to continue, run by existing directors Fiona Marner and Liz Rutter. Ponsonby is survived by ex-wife Jane and daughter Christine. Funeral details have yet to be announced.