‘Inspirational’ owner dies two weeks after enjoying surprise Downpatrick double

John Wade, who was landlord to Rebecca Menzies, was a immense protagonist of racing successful the northbound of England arsenic trainer and proprietor implicit 35 years

A longstanding racehorse proprietor and trainer who has been progressive successful the athletics for 35 years has died.

John Wade trained successfully from 1989 until 2017, sending retired much than 200 winners, and continued to person horses successful his ownership erstwhile Rebecca Menzies moved to his Durham yard.

Just 13 days agone Wade was visiting Northern Ireland wherever the unchangeable enjoyed a treble from 4 runners astatine Downpatrick.

The program was hatched by Menzies arsenic a astonishment for her landlord who had told her not to person immoderate runners successful England portion helium was away.

“He didn’t accidental thing astir Ireland,” Menzies explained connected the day. “It was each kept concealed until 2 nights before, helium was looking connected his iPad due to the fact that immoderate of his different trainers made entries astatine Hexham and helium saw the sanction of the Downpatrick race.

“He spoiled his ain surprise, but it was inactive bully due to the fact that we managed to get to 2 days earlier without him knowing and past the stars aligned with 2 winners."

Wade, who was 80, enjoyed his biggest successes implicit jumps with Always Right, who won the Grimthorpe Chase, and Benny Be Good who won 7 races.

Menzies broke the quality of Wade’s decease successful a station connected her X account. "It is with large sadness and daze that we stock the quality that John Wade passed distant overnight,” she said.

“John meant and volition ever mean truthful overmuch to us, not lone arsenic our landlord but arsenic an owner, our biggest supporter, our inspiration successful truthful galore ways and astir importantly our friend.

“Along with his lifelong person Maria, they some person been instrumental successful the occurrence we person enjoyed and shared arsenic a squad since we came to Howe Hills galore years ago.

“Our lives are stronger and amended by knowing John and his beingness volition unrecorded connected with america for the aboriginal arsenic we proceed to enactment hard, to summation much occurrence successful the athletics that helium loved.

“We are truthful grateful that we enjoyed a precise peculiar time astatine Downpatrick past week, with some John and Maria enjoying a victor each successful their ain colours. “John said it was a fantastic time and champion helium could of hoped for and we accidental back, it was the slightest we could bash for you.

“John knows we volition uphold his standards and integrity arsenic we look guardant to galore much years astatine Howe Hills with occurrence and a show helium would beryllium arrogant of.

“We cognize without him we wouldn’t beryllium wherever we are present and helium volition beryllium sorely missed.”