Julie Cecil: a member of racing's aristocracy who played a big role at the top

Julie Cecil, who died on Wednesday aged 80, was a member of racing's aristocracy and took part in the sport at the top level for most of her life.

The only child of Sir Noel Murless and first wife of Sir Henry Cecil, she witnessed from the inside the careers of many champions including Abernant, Crepello, Petite Etoile and Reference Point.

The first lady of Newmarket – she lived there from the age of ten – contributed significantly to her husband's success and then trained in her own name in the 1990s, with Alderbrook her best horse.

She was born Julia Murless – always known as Julie – on February 14, 1942 at Brecongill Stables, where her father trained on the north Yorkshire moors, near Middleham. Her Scottish-born mother, Gwen, was an expert horsewoman in her own right.

Noel Murless, who succeeded Fred Darling at Beckhampton in 1948, once said of his best horse, the great sprinter Abernant: "He used to stand in his box with his tongue hanging out and, when Julie was a kid, she would lie under him playing with his tongue."

She was a wonderful lady – Newmarket mourns death of Julie Cecil aged 80

Murless moved in September 1952 to Warren Place, Newmarket, where he became the most successful and respected British Flat trainer of his generation.

He won the Derby with Crepello (1957), St Paddy (1960) and Royal Palace (1967), and his other stars included the great filly Petite Etoile and Busted, the European champion of 1967 for whom Julie was the regular work-rider.

She had won her first race as an owner in 1957, and the following year, when still only 16, rode the winner of the Newmarket Town Plate.

Noel Murless's main rival was another royal Newmarket trainer, Cecil Boyd-Rochfort, who had identical twin stepsons, Henry and David Cecil.

At a party one day Julie needed a shoulder to cry on, mistook Henry for David and realised her initial dislike of him had been misplaced. They were married at St Mary's Church, Newmarket, in October 1966.

Henry took over his stepfather's string in December 1968, and for 21 seasons Julie played a big part in the success of the horses who earned him his first eight trainers' titles and his first 14 British Classics.

When her father retired in 1976, the couple bought Warren Place from him and moved in with their horses at the end of that year, with Henry having just become champion for the first time.

Together the Cecils had Derby winners Slip Anchor and Reference Point, top milers Bolkonski and Kris, outstanding stayers Buckskin, Le Moss and Ardross, fillies' Triple Crown winner Oh So Sharp, and various other champions including Wollow, Indian Skimmer and Old Vic.

Julie, who was called "madam" by the Warren Place staff – Henry was "guv'nor" – rode work in the mornings and her regular mounts included Light Cavalry, the 1980 St Leger winner.

Julie Cecil: Sheikh Mohammed, Robert Sangster, Daniel Wildenstein and Stavros Niarchos were among her ownersCredit: Edward Whitaker

Her deep involvement in the yard also meant going round evening stables, driving Henry to the races or saddling runners on her own, helping to buy yearlings at the sales, and generally giving Henry advice. This was in addition to bringing up two children – Katie, who was born in 1971, and Noel, born in 1973.

She also took part in amateur riders' races, and her five victories in 1984 made her champion lady rider, jointly with Elain Mellor.

During the marriage Henry's two best seasons were 1985, when he won four of the five Classics with Slip Anchor and Oh So Sharp, and 1987, when he won a record 180 races in Britain including the Derby, King George and St Leger with Reference Point.

In 1989 Henry started an affair with Natalie Payne, who had begun to ride out with his string and was to become his second wife.

Julie saddled Belmez to win the King George in 1990 but left Warren Place soon afterwards. By the end of the year she was divorced and setting up as a trainer in her own right at Southgate Stables on the Hamilton Road.

The staff members who followed her included assistant Willie Jardine, and she numbered Sheikh Mohammed, Robert Sangster, Daniel Wildenstein and Stavros Niarchos among her owners.

Her first winner as a licence-holder was Golan Heights at Newmarket in April 1991, ridden by Lester Piggott, a friend of many years who had partnered champions for her husband and father as far back as Crepello.

Her best horse was Alderbrook, who in 1994 won the Select Stakes at Goodwood and the Group 2 Prix Dollar at Longchamp on Arc weekend. That year she also trained Gneiss, who dead-heated for the Jersey Stakes; Premio Ribot winner Pater Noster; and Dark Den, whose Free Handicap Hurdle victory was her biggest over jumps.

However, when owner Ernie Pick unexpectedly decided to run Alderbrook over hurdles in early 1995, she was on holiday, so the son of Ardross was transferred to Kim Bailey, for whom he won the Champion Hurdle.

In 1997 the trainer won the King Edward VII and Cumberland Lodge Stakes with Kingfisher Mill for Lord Howard de Walden, who had owned Kris and Slip Anchor.

Yet she had not had a Group 1 winner by the time she gave up her licence after eight years, at the end of 1998.

In retirement Julie Cecil lived in a cottage in Newmarket. She never remarried and remained close to her ex-husband, often visiting him in hospital during his last illness.

In a Daily Mail interview just after his death in 2013, she said: "I still can't believe that he's not going to rally and come walking through my door unannounced for a coffee and a chat . . . We talked about the horses or whatever was going on in his life. He would ask my advice or just get things off his chest. He was my best friend and I shall miss him terribly."

Julie Cecil factfile

Full name Julia Cecil (nee Murless)

Born Brecongill Stables, Agglethorpe with Coverham, near Middleham, North Yorkshire, February 14, 1942

Father Sir Noel Murless, champion trainer nine times

Husband Henry Cecil; during their marriage (1966-90) the future knight was champion trainer eight times and his champions included Bolkonski, Wollow, Buckskin, Kris, Le Moss, Ardross, Diesis, Slip Anchor, Oh So Sharp, Reference Point, Indian Skimmer, Diminuendo and Old Vic

Children Katie and Noel Cecil

First winner as owner Meerschaum, Brighton, September 18, 1957

First winner as rider Fools Mate, Beverley, July 7, 1979

Joint-champion lady rider on Flat 1984 (five wins)

Total wins as rider 10 (1979-84)

Stables as trainer Southgate, Hamilton Road, Newmarket 1991-98

First winner as trainer Golan Heights, Newmarket, April 18, 1991

First winner over jumps Aremef, Stratford, February 6, 1993

Dual Group winners Alderbrook (1994 Select Stakes, Prix Dollar), Kingfisher Mill (1997 King Edward VII Stakes, Cumberland Lodge Stakes)

Other Group winners Gneiss (1994 Jersey Stakes dead-heat), Pater Noster (1994 Premio Ribot), Restructure (1996 The Minstrel Stakes)

Listed winners Ninja Dancer (1991 Autumn Stakes), Pater Noster (1993 Prix Massine, 1994 Prix Phil Drake), Alderbrook (1994 Festival Stakes), Mary Hinge (1994 Sandy Lane Stakes), Restructure (1995 Darley Stakes), Two Clubs (1998 Doncaster Stakes)

Big-handicap winners on Flat Cambrian (1992 Autumn Handicap), Lombardic (1995 Old Newton Cup), Restructure (1995 Food Brokers' Trophy), Mozambique (1998 Spring Mile)

Big-race winner over jumps Dark Den (1994 Free Handicap Hurdle)

Last winner Two Clubs, Doncaster Stakes, Doncaster, October 24, 1998

Most wins in a season 30 in 1992 (Flat)

Total wins as trainer 190 (168 Flat, 22 jumps)

Compiled by John Randall