Leading owner, businessman and philanthropist Sir Robert Ogden dies aged 86

Sir Robert Ogden, whose famous mauve and pink checked silks were carried to success over jumps by such stars as Voy Por Ustedes and Exotic Dancer before he switched his attention successfully to the Flat, has died at the age of 86.

A self-made and proud son of Yorkshire who built his fortune initially through the quarrying, building and mining industries, Ogden became one of the first developers to spot the potential in London's Docklands. A generous donor to charities in Yorkshire, notably those connected to palliative care for cancer, he was awarded a knighthood in 2001.

Portrait of Sir Robert Ogden, who has died at the age of 86Credit: Courtesy of Lady Ogden

Long-serving racing manager Barry Simpson described him as "a great supporter" of both racing codes who "gave a lot of opportunities," while Nicky Henderson recalled "wonderful times" with "lovely horses".

After becoming champion owner for the first of three occasions in 1997, his jumps string became even more prominent in the first decade of the new century.

"The most exciting couple of days of racing we had was at the end of the 2001 season, and last two days at Sandown," said Simpson.

"He was trailing the late Norman Mason by a good £150,000 or so and we had a great run, with Fadalko finishing second to Edredon Bleu, Marlborough winning the substitute Gold Cup and then Ad Hoc winning the Whitbread the following day. It was tremendously exciting and it went down to the very last race."

The Queen Mother presents Sir Robert Ogden with the Whibread Gold Cup at SandownCredit: Courtesy of Lady Ogden

As well as Marlborough – the first of Ogden's four Cheltenham Festival winners – Henderson also enjoyed great success with horses such as Iris Royal and The Market Man.

He said: "We had some wonderful times and they were lovely horses. I used to go and stay up at Sicklinghall for York or to go and see the horses out in the fields. He lived a very, very full life.

"The horses and the racing were his passion and we were very lucky to be involved. I know he went Flat racing in the end, but I think he was a National Hunt man through and through, he loved his jumping."

Voy Por Ustedes and Star De Mohaison pulled off the Grade 1 novice chase double in the Arkle and Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the 2006 festival, while Voy Por Ustedes became Ogden's most decorated chaser at the top level, adding the 2007 Queen Mother Champion Chase, the 2009 Ascot Chase and a pair of Aintree Melling Chases to his CV.

Voy Por Ustedes (Robert Thornton, left) on their way to winning the 2007 Champion ChaseCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

"He used to say to me that he wanted to win a Gold Cup, but he also really wanted to win an Arkle and a Queen Mother Champion Chase," said Simpson. "Those were two races that were very high on his agenda, and Voy Por Ustedes won both."

Exotic Dancer joined Voy Por Ustedes as the joint-highest-rated horse to carry Ogden's colours and would undoubtedly have won more big races but for his misfortune to share a stage for much of his career with the likes of Master Minded and Kauto Star.

Ogden supported Martin Todhunter almost as soon as he left Gordon Richards to train in his own right, and the partnership enjoyed early success when Ogden's son Adam landed the Grand Military Gold Cup on Act The Wag at Sandown, before the classy Kingsmark went on to become a standing dish in major staying chases.

Kingsmark was a fixture in major staying chases for Sir Robert Ogden and Martin TodhunterCredit: Alec Russell

"After the Grand Military we won the Durham National, the Borders National and were fourth in the Scottish National," said Todhunter. "He'd tell you how he thought it was and he didn't like what he called bullshit. He just wanted the truth, and that's how we got along fairly well."

Todhunter added: "Kingsmark was fourth in the English National when Ruby rode him and he went wrong crossing the Melling Road, otherwise I think he might have won that day."

A year earlier Kingsmark won the three mile handicap the day before Red Marauder ploughed through the Aintree mud to win the National.

Todhunter said: "He was quite a shy man and when Kingsmark won, all the hierarchy at Liverpool were running round after him and said to me: 'Martin, let's go to Cartmel and have a proper drink, I'm sick of all this'. He never took the limelight, he always stepped back."

Sans Frontieres and Olivier Peslier win the Irish St Leger in the driving rainCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Ogden's first love may have been the jumps, but he kept a select string of Flat runners throughout his time as an owner and enjoyed Albany Stakes successes with La Chunga and Sander Camillo in the mid-2000s.

They were both trained by Jeremy Noseda, who went on to provide the owner with a cherished Classic success through Sans Frontieres in the 2010 Irish St Leger.

Obituary: successful businessman who became a leading owner over jumps and on the Flat

Ogden spent a large part of his later life trying to escape the harsh British winter aboard his luxury yacht La Masquerade, and sold his jumping string in 2013 to concentrate on the Flat.

He was rewarded when homebred Amazing Maria enjoyed a phenomenal run in the summer of 2015, having joined David O'Meara following a layoff.

Amazing Maria was a homebred daughter of Mastercraftsman and was named after Sir Robert Ogden's motherCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

"We had a great year with Amazing Maria and I'd been training for four seasons by then," said O'Meara. "Group 1 winners are important at any time but she was the best mare around that year.

"She won the Duke of Cambridge and the Falmouth and then she went to France. Ervedya was beating everything over there at the time and Maria properly put her in her place at Deauville."

Ogden is survived by his second wife Lady Ana Ogden, and by two sons Adam and Robert Alan from his first marriage.