Trautmann by a neck: all-weather winner revives memories of Man City goalkeeper

It just had to happen and the irony was not lost on racegoers of a certain age when Trautmann won at Newcastle on Thursday, by a neck.

The victory brought back memories of the 1956 FA Cup final when Manchester City's goalkeeper Bert Trautmann broke his neck making a save but famously played on in City's 3-1 victory over Birmingham at Wembley. Trautmann collided with Birmingham's Peter Murphy, with the collision leaving the goalkeeper with several broken vertebrae in his neck.

The four-year-old Trautmann maintained the neck connection with his winning distance, having previously won by a head.

German-born Trautmann died in 2013 aged 89. He played more than 500 times for Manchester City having arrived in Britain as a prisoner of war after being awarded the Iron Cross for serving as a paratrooper with the Luftwaffe.

A German-English film, Trautmann, based on his life was released this month and tells the tale of how the goalkeeper came to fall in love with England and his wife Margaret.

Other horses to be named after former or current Manchester City players include: De Bruyne Horse, Aguerooo, Kool Kompany, Leroy Leroy, Nasri, Tevez and Zabaletaswansong, while Guardiola runs in honour of Etihad Stadium boss Pep Guardiola for trainer Bernard Llewellyn.

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