A bit of a racing legend: Greatwood Charity favourite Montendre dies aged 29
Montendre with Greatwood studentsMontendre, whose racing career spanned ten years and 104 races, has died at the Greatwood Charity at Clench Common, near Marlborough. He was 29.
He had been a great favourite with the scores of young people who take part in Greatwood's extensive educational programmes.
Last October some of Greatwood's students went to Newmarket (thanks to the generosity of Greatwood sponsor Al Basti Equiworld). There they met jockey Frankie Dettori and were able to tell him how Montendre was doing since he retired to Greatwood in 2000.
In 1989 Frankie rode the bay gelding to victory in the Dewhirst Rockingham Stakes at York. He was then at Luca Cumani's yard.
Montendre - known to all as Monty - was a bit of racing history: he came second in his first race, then won at Brighton under Dettori and then, eleven days later, won that prestige, listed race at York winning just over £11,000 - good prize money in those days.
During his career Frankie Dettori rode him eight times and from those 104 races he notched up 11 wins under rules and 32 places.
His last win was at Kempton in July 1999 in the NTL Claiming Stakes - ridden by Ray Cochrane. He was then being trained by Ron Hodges.