Stevens pays tribute to Royal Ascot winner Extortionist

Strenuous veterinary efforts were made to save the four-year-old colt, including three separate operations, but to no avail.

Owned by Sheikh Suhaim Al Thani and trained throughout his career at Robins Farm Racing in Surrey by Olly and Hetta Stevens, Extortionist was bought for £30,000 as a yearling by David Redvers Bloodstock at the 2012 DBS Premier Sale. Making his racing debut the following April he won a two-year-old maiden at Nottingham, and two months later followed up in Qatar Racing Ltd colours with a memorable Royal Ascot victory in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes under Johnny Murtagh (pictured above with Sheikhs Fahad and Suhaim, and Olly Stevens).

Extortionist, winning the Gr.3 Coral Charge in Sheikh Suhaim's colours

At three he won a Newmarket handicap and the Gr.3 Coral Charge at Sandown, and covered himself in glory when second, beaten a quarter of a length, to Take Cover in the Gr.2 King George V Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, and when third in the Gr.1 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes, beaten just half a length by winner Sole Power.

Reflecting on Extortionist, Olly Stevens said: "He was a wonderful horse to train in more ways than you might expect. A Royal Ascot winner and a Group horse at three, but also the first yearling to arrive at Robins Farm from the sales.

"A few months later, Simon Humphries, our travelling head man, said 'You'd better get out your top hat'. Simon is an incredible judge of a horse, and when he said that it gave us a goal and a bond to the core of our team during that first winter.

"Like many good horses, Extortionist wasn't the easiest to train, but he was very talented, and he's left us with so many special memories."

Photography: Laurence Squire