Ben Cecil, Grade 1-winning trainer and nephew of Sir Henry, dies aged 56

Ben Cecil, the US-based trainer of multiple Grade 1 winner Golden Apples and nephew of Sir Henry Cecil, has died aged 56 following a lengthy battle with cancer. 

Cecil moved to the US in the early 1990s and worked as an assistant to trainers Gary Jones and Rodney Rash before launching his own stable in 1996. 

Based primarily in southern California, Cecil trained 325 winners and earned almost $24 million in prize-money. His best return came in 1998, when his runners earned more than $2m.

Eclipse Award winner Golden Apples, who placed in Group company in Ireland as a three-year-old, joined Cecil in 2001 before landing the Del Mar Oaks, the first of her three Grade 1 successes. 

Other top-level scorers trained by Cecil included Grade 1 winners Squeak, Donna Viola, and Passinetti, while Queenie Belle, Worldly and Hal's Pal also won Graded races. 

Cecil saddled his final winner on November 8 when two-year-old Look Forward scored on his debut at Del Mar. He is survived by his wife Kristy and two children, Francesca and Hugo.