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Graham Motion (right) with daughter Jane, son Marcus “Chappy”, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, and Barry Irwin after his Dubai World Cup win
TRM Trainer of the Quarter
GRAHAM MOTION
The TRM Trainer of the Quarter award has been won by Graham Motion. Motion and his team will receive a selection of products from the internationally-acclaimed range of TRM supplements, as well as a bottle of fine Irish whiskey. WORDS: BILL HELLER PHOTOS: ANDREW WATKINS, FRANK SORGE
16 AMERICA.TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 28
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S 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom opened a gaping lead in the stretch in the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 13th, trainer Graham Motion’s first thought was surprising: “This would be the cruelest thing if some horse came and beat him at the wire.” No one did. Instead, Animal Kingdom won the world’s richest race by two lengths, a remarkable accomplishment for a trainer and his horse who had only made three starts since being injured in the 2011 Belmont Stakes. “It was the result of a year’s work of worth for me and the crew,” Motion said. “I’ll never train another horse as exceptional as him. He was the horse of a lifetime.” Yet just six days later, Animal Kingdom’s owner, Barry Irwin’s Team Valor, announced it had hired Rick Mettee to become the stable’s private trainer, although Motion would be allowed to train Animal Kingdom, who may make his final start in England. Motion turned down the private job because he wasn’t about to abandon his other owners. “Our arrangement was set up so I could walk away some day, and