GalopSport has received the sad news that the former jockey and Derby-winning trainer Desmond Scarlett has passed away. “Des” came to Norway from England in 1967, and two years later he moved on to Denmark, where he will be remembered above all for his many big-race successes as a trainer at Klampenborg.
Scarlett’s career in racing began as far back as 1961, when he took up an apprenticeship on Epsom Downs at the age of 16.
In Denmark he trained initially at Damgården, before spending many years based in Dominostalden, side by side with Inge Mette Dejgaard and Gert Hansen.
Des saddled his first Classic winner in 1993, when Baby Queen won Dianalöpning (the Swedish 1000 Guineas) at Täby, and he followed up later with All Right in Mowerinaløb (the Danish 1000 Guineas), McGuire in the Danish St. Leger, and finally with Cut Champion’s 2000 Guineas / Derby double at Klampenborg in 2001.
Des will also be remembered as the trainer of a string of the Brendholdt family’s other “Cut horses”, notably the Pokalløbet winner Cut Comeau, the Danish Criterium winner Cut Legend and the Opdrætningsløbet winner Cut Sieger.
In 2003 Desmond Scarlett won Skandinavisk Grand Prix with Easy Boy, and his last big-race winner was saddled in 2007, when Copperfield took Larch Ærespræmie.
Desmond Scarlett passed away early on Wednesday 19 August at Herlev Hospital, surrounded by his closest family from England and Norway and by his close friends Ian McCluskey and Christian Usinger.
Honoured be the memory of Desmond Scarlett.
