Financial pressures force trainer Mark Tompkins to retire after 40 years

Classic-winning Newmarket trainer Mark Tompkins is to call time on his career at the end of this month after 40 years.

The Yorkshireman, who trained more than 1,000 winners, is best known for his handling of Bob's Return, who won the St Leger at Doncaster under Philip Robinson in 1993.

Robinson was also in the plate for a memorable near-miss three years later when Even Top was beaten a short-head by Mark Of Esteem in the 2,000 Guineas.

Tompkins, 68, trained many other Group winners including Franklins Gardens (Group 2 Yorkshire Cup), Ted Spread (Group 3 Chester Vase), Steenberg (Group 2 Duke of York) and the popular Group and Lincoln winner Smokey Oakey, who was owned by Dame Judi Dench.

The trainer also enjoyed success over jumps, most notably with Halkopous, who won the Fighting Fifth and Bula Hurdle in 1992 before finishing third to Granville Again in that season's Champion Hurdle.

Mark Tompkins and Dame Judy Dench with AmsbyCredit: Chris Bourchier

One of Newmarket's longest-serving trainers, Tompkins was understudy to Walter Wharton and Ryan Jarvis before branching out on his own at Flint Cottage Stables just off the Exeter Road in 1979.

After a drop in numbers, Tompkins sold that yard to William Haggas in 2013 and moved across the road to a stable at Exeter Ride, and then on to his present premises at Frankland Lodge on the Hamilton Road.

Financial pressures and a recent health scare have finally forced Tompkins to cease training and his string of just over 20 have also been in the doldrums, with no winners from 45 runners this year.

The trainer said: "I plan to retire at the end of the month and do a Luca Cumani if you like – go and live on my stud at Dullingham. I feel now is the time to call it a day as it's very hard to make it pay in the game and I've not been in the best of health in recent years."

Tompkins, who has been chairman of the Newmarket Trainers Federation since 1997, added: "We've not had a winner this year as my horses had a virus, but we will run a couple at Chelmsford next week before I pack up. Who knows, they may send us out on a high."

Oscar-winning actress Dench and her driver Brian Agar still have Amsby, an unraced two-year-old by Sir Percy, in training with Tompkins. The trainer added: "Amsby is a lovely horse for the future and the plan is to put him in training with James Eustace."

Reflecting on the glory days of the 1990s, the trainer added: "Bob's Return was obviously the highlight and he was a proper horse. It's very hard to find proper horses these days, especially training for small British owners as I do. You need the big overseas people behind you to make it pay."

Robinson said: "When I came back from Hong Kong the second time in the 1990s we had a great purple patch together, including when Even Top was second in the 2,000 Guineas. At the time, neither me nor Frankie [Dettori, rider of Mark Of Esteem] knew who had won and I thought it might be a dead-heat."

He added: "Obviously, the win of Bob's Return in the St Leger was a great day and I'm sad Mark is retiring as he's a great friend of the family."

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