A FORTNIGHT before his birth, Henry Cecil's father was killed in action in north Africa.
On June 11th, 1943, he was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, to a daughter of Maj Gen Sir James Burnett, 10 minutes before his identical twin brother, David.
In September 1995, a fax to Henry Cecil's home and training establishment at Warren Place in Newmarket brought the news that two horses were to be withdrawn from the stables of the most celebrated trainer in post war Britain.
This was a trickle that quickly turned into a tide as Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum decided to remove 10 more horses. They were all part of an experiment to train horses in the warmer climate of Dubai.
Behind the scenes, however, there were darker forces at work. Subsequent classic winners Vettori, Moonshell and Classic Cliche had previously been removed from Cecil's care and, when top juvenile Mark Of Esteem which won this year s English 2,000 Guineas - left the yard, Cecil's wife, Natalie, made her feelings known to a Sunday newspaper. This was a monumental blunder.
Sheikh Mohammed is a man renowned for placing immense value on loyalty and he does not appreciate insubordination from his employees, much less from an employee's wife.
"Henry Cecil is a great trainer, but when he allows people who hardly know anything bout thoroughbred horses to interfere, that is a bad thing. He knows about it. Everyone in Newmarket does," Sheikh Mohammed said.
Days later, Henry Cecil was at the Goffs sales in Kildare when he was informed that his training services were no longer required. The sheikh complained about the treatment of Mark Of Esteem on the colt's arrival in Dubai, but many felt the truth lay elsewhere.
No doubt, this experience left a bad taste with the sheikh. He went ahead with a nationwide clear out of young horses from racing's biggest names after Walter Swinburn partnered Lammtarra to Epsom Derby success on his seasonal reappearance. This was an incredible accomplishment and convinced the sheikh to look to Dubai.
Ceoil led a privileged life. In 1944, his mother married Capt Cecil Boyd Rochfort, who the previous year had been appointed trainer to King George VI. He continued as the royal trainer for Queen Elizabeth.
Cecil became assistant trainer to his father in law, Noel Murless, in 1964 and took charge of the stables at Freemason Lodge four years later on Boyd Rochfort's retirement. Punters were doubting his credentials when he saddled 25 runners without success.
His first winner was Celestial Cloud in the Newby Maiden Stakes for amateur riders at Ripon in May 1969. His first classic win came in the 1973 Irish 1,000 Guineas with Clodagh.
On the retirement of Sir Noel Murless, Cecil moved to Waren Place in Newmarket. At his side was Julie Muriess, soon to become his first wife.
Since then, he has amassed a list of record accomplishments. In 1987, he set two post war training records with seven winners at Royal Ascot and 180 race wins through the 550. He has been champion trainer 10 times - another milestone.
But, until this year, this unrivalled success was more like a millstone around his neck as he struggled in the shadow of his reputation and a two year lean period. When Sheikh Mohammed took his 40 horses from the yard, many thought the demise of Cecil as a classic player might have been in sight.
But they reckoned without his resilience and the support of three of his staunchest patrons. After the Sheikh Mohammed debacle, Lord Howard de Walden, Prince Khalid Abdulla and Louis Freedman pledged their continued support to the man who had brought them so much success.
Henry Cecil started 1996 as a man with a mission. The longtime favourite for the English 1,000 Guineas, Bosra Sham, eclipsed the opposition in the colours of Wafic Said. Then came Mark Of Esteem's 2,000 Guineas win in what must have been a bittersweet moment for Cecil. Lady Carla blitzed the field in the English Oaks at Epsom, before Dushyantor finished an unlucky second to Shaamit in the Derby.
So, with four of the five English classics this season decided, Cecil had trained the winners of the two fillies' classics, the second in the Derby and the 2,000 Guineas.
Not bad.
Tomorrow, at the Curragh, Cecil hopes Dushyantor will go one better than at Epsom. Undoubtedly, he will be disappointed at the absence of Shaamit because of a foot injury but, as a result, Khalid Abdulla's colt sired by Sadler's Wells will go off as favourite.