Whenever great Yorkshire trainers are mentioned in conversation, it is difficult not to bring up the name of Michael Dickinson who, prior to pulling off the miraculous “Famous Five” feat in the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup, achieved a perhaps even more remarkable feat on Boxing Day 1982 by saddling twelve winners in one day.
Ever the meticulous planner, Michael had plotted this world record bid over dinner with his parents – Tony and Monica – in November of that year.
Dickinson had been inspired by Colin Hayes, an Australian Flat trainer who won 10 races on a single day in January 1982. He later told the Yorkshire Post, “I had 55 horses at Harewood and I picked out 28 that we thought we could get ready for Boxing Day. We had 21 runners and they were all in the first three, apart from Green Teddy, and he was later found to have a bad heart.”
The cavalry was duly dispatched to Wetherby, Sedgefield, Market Rasen, Wolverhampton and Kempton where the trainer and family were bidding to win a fifth successive renewal of the King George VI Chase.
By the time that race began at 2.15pm Delius (Wetherby), Brunton Park (Wolverhampton), W Six Times (Market Rasen), Prominent Artist (Wolverhampton), Marnik (Huntingdon) and Happy Voyage (Wetherby) had all scored victories.
Slieve Bracken then brought up the Dickinson seven-timer at Wolverhampton before John Francome produced one of the rides of his career on Wayward Lad in the Kempton feature. Londolizi then won at Sedgefield and Thornacre’s win at Huntington equalled the record before Fearless Imp (Market Rasen) and B Jaski (Sedgefield) brought up victories 11 and 12 almost simultaneously just after 3.15pm.
Such an astonishing feat of training is almost impossible to imagine – never mind actually execute – which is why the name of the genius Michael Dickinson will forever be foremost in any discussion of Yorkshire racing legends.
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