Martin Pipe

Trainer Profile

Martin Pipe

Martin Pipe was born in Somerset, England on 29 May 1945.

Born to a West-Country bookmaker, David Pipe, Martin already had a keen interest in book-keeping and seemed destined to shadow his father, dreaming of one day becoming a 'turf accountant'.

However, unbeknown to him, he had another calling, and instead of pursuing his bookmaking career, he became an amateur jockey. His career was cut short in 1972 when he broke his thigh, and had to abandon his reverie of horse racing, but he wasn't about to allow such a minor drawback remove him from the sport completely. In 1974, he focused on training at Nicholashayne, Devon, and was to befall sports history, by becoming one of the most successful recorded horse trainers.

After his first win with Hit Parade in 1975, Pipe had few achievements as a trainer the following 10 years. Instead of giving up, he utilized this time in developing his radical approach to horse training. He considered that the conventional technique of horse training had a negative effect on the performance of the horses, and that a scientific approach would be far more beneficial.

Pipe?s horses were submitted to regimes of meticulous fitness and endurance training, followed by regular veterinary visits, guaranteeing only their best performances on race day. This, accompanied with him entering his horses to a greater quantity of less significant events, rather than fewer prominent events, made certain that Pipe created a consistent and extraordinary record number of wins at the races.

This bestowed Pipe with the title of Champion Trainer 15 times and put hundreds of winning race horses under his belt.

In April 2006, due to causes of ill-health, Martin Pipe publicized his retirement, and his intent of "handing over the reins" and his training yard to son, David Pipe.

Martin Pipe - 10 Notable Horses Trained

Hit Parade

Baron Blakeney

Granville Again

Make A Stand

Miinnehoma

Gaspara

There Is No Doubt

Blowing Wind

Bonanza Boy

Cyfor MaltaCativa