Reticent in public, gregarious in private - Stoute's two polar extremes inside the same man

He likes to whistle while he works but there was never any prospect of Sir Michael Stoute being mistaken for one of Snow White’s dwarfs. A big man physically, his heavyweight mind propelled him to the summit of a profession that was not his original calling.

Stoute came to Britain from his native Barbados in 1964 to pitch for a role on the BBC commentary team. Had his rich, baritone voice impressed his auditioners he might have made a celebrated double act with Sir Peter O’Sullevan. Instead he sits on the highest perches in the trainers’ hall of fame.

One litmus separates a great trainer from the herd. The likes of Sir Henry Cecil had a deep reverence among punters who will follow them blindly over a cliff. It spawns from years of success, of proving themselves over and over again. In that respect Stoute has one of the biggest armies in the game.