John Hammond To Cease Training

Multiple Classic-winning trainer John Hammond has announced his decision to retire from the French training ranks at the end of this year.

“If you'll forgive the pun, I've had a great trot,” he told TDN on Monday. “I have been spoilt with good owners, good staff, some great horses and some fantastic memories that I will cherish forever. However, everything has a lifespan and it was never my intention to train until I dropped.”

Famed for his association with the brilliant Montjeu (Ire), the Englishman has been based in Chantilly for the entirety of his training career, which began in 1987. It wasn't long before his name featured regularly alongside the names of Group winners, his first Classic success coming with the victory of Suave Dancer in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club in 1991. Later that year the son of Green Dancer went on to become the first of the trainer's two winners of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, having also won the Irish Champion S. following his three-length defeat by Generous (Ire) in the Irish Derby.

Further international success came the following year when Dear Doctor (Fr) won the Arlington Million—one of 15 individual Group/Grade 1 winners for the trainer in six different countries.

Backed by many of the sport's leading owner-breeders, including Sheikh Hamdan, the Niarchos family and Coolmore, Hammond struck up a hugely successful partnership with Cash Asmussen, who was in the saddle for most of his major winners in the earlier years. The big-race victories came at each end of the distance spectrum, with Sought Out (Ire) winning the G1 Prix du Cadran in Lord Weinstock's colours before becoming an important broodmare for Ballymacoll Stud, producing Derby winner North Light (Ire). The filly Cherokee Rose (Ire) won both the Prix Maurice de Gheest and the Haydock Sprint Cup for owner/breeder Sheikh Mohammed, and a third victory in the latter race for the trainer came with Nuclear Debate, who also won the Nunthorpe S. and the King's Stand S.

But Montjeu was the horse who will be most readily associated with the Hammond stable by racing fans. The son of Sadler's Wells, who raced initially for his breeder Sir James Goldsmith before being sold to Michael Tabor, won his only two starts at two and then announced his immense potential with victory over Sendawar (Ire) in the G2 Prix Greffulhe on his 3-year-old debut. In a glittering season he went on to win the Prix du Jockey Club, Irish Derby, Prix Niel and the Arc in consecutive starts. Better still at four, Montjeu annexed another four group races, starting with the Tattersalls Gold Cup and including his career-defining facile King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. victory over Fantastic Light.

In a TDN interview in 2017, Hammond recalled, “Before he even raced we felt Montjeu was pretty special but there had been a few other false dawns and you can sometimes have horses who you like very much at home and they can even go and win first time out but for many different reasons, whether mentally or physically, a wheel just comes off. But Montjeu was very special because he just kept on improving and, despite the fact that he was a handful in the mornings, he had an extraordinary capacity to then lie down and sleep in his box, and that saved him. I don't think he'd have lasted as long as he did otherwise.”

Hammond also played a part in the success story of the Cheveley Park Stud stallion Pivotal (GB). He trained his sire Polar Falcon, initially for Michel Zerolo, and advised David Thompson to buy the Nureyev colt, who went on to win the Lockinge S. and the Haydock Sprint Cup for his new owner. After his retirement to the Thompsons' Cheveley Park Stud, Polar Falcon's first foal born was the subsequent Group 1 winner Pivotal.

At the age of 59, Hammond is certainly not about to put his feet up. He said, “I have some interesting projects ahead, one of which will be taking up a prime role with OTI Racing as their European representative. In the modern era, Terry Henderson of OTI was the first Australian to buy European stayers for Australia. They have had great success, being only a nose away from winning two Melbourne Cups but also winning the Caulfield Cup, Australian Derby and Victoria Derby. Last year they had 18 stakes winners. They have enjoyed racing success here in France and in the UK, and OTI have also sponsored two young European trainers, Matt Cumani and Archie Alexander, as they have set up their businesses in Australia.”

He continued, “Terry and I have discussed the opportunities that exist by introducing Europeans to Australian racing where the prize-money, by our standards, is exceptional. I am looking forward to being associated with this growing part of the business.”

In what would be an appropriate finale to a career which has garnered plenty of international success, Hammond's final overseas runner is likely to be Haky (Ire) (Muhtathir {GB}), co-owned by OTI Racing and the trainer's friend Jim Paltridge, and who is currently in quarantine ahead of a trip to Melbourne.

Hammond will retain his yard adjacent to Les Aigles in Chantilly and it will be leased by young Japanese trainer Hiroo Shimizu, who will also take on the training of some of the horses currently in the stable.

He said, “Hiroo is only in his second year training and he has had nine winners from only a handful of horses. I think he has heaps of talent and I am sure he will do well.”