Michael Bell has hailed Motivator as an “exceptional racehorse” following the death of the Derby winner at the age of 24.It is 21 years since the son of Montjeu's career-defining victory at Epsom, with the manner of his five-length defeat of Walk In The Park, with super-sire Dubawi back in third, living long in the memory.Motivator headed to post at Epsom unbeaten in three starts, with his other wins including the G1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster as a juvenile, before he warmed up for the Derby with an impressive success in the G2 Dante Stakes at York.Bell told the Press Association, “I was very lucky to have him as part of my life and he obviously gave us many special days, but one in particular.“He was a very, very high-class horse and I think on Derby day he would have won a lot of Derbys. He was absolutely on his game that day and was very impressive – it would have taken a good Derby winner to beat him, I think.”Motivator failed to add to his tally in three subsequent starts as a three-year-old. Having filled the runner-up spot behind Oratorio in both the G1 Coral-Eclipse and G1 Irish Champion Stakes, he then signed off with a fifth-place finish in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.“He never had the rub of the green after that [the Derby],” Bell added. “On Eclipse day, it rained everywhere bar Sandown and then we played away in the Irish Champion Stakes and were beaten by Oratorio again, but playing away against Ballydoyle is very difficult.“Although he started favourite for the Arc, I think he'd slightly gone by then, but he was an exceptional racehorse and I was very privileged to have him.”Motivator's Derby win also saw him become the first ever syndicate-owned winner of that Classic for the 230 members of the Royal Ascot Racing Club, which is managed by Harry Herbert.“Michael Bell trained him supremely well and everyone involved with the horse will be saddened by his passing, but he leaves a wonderful memory,” said Herbert.“The life-size bronze of him by the pre-parade ring at Ascot is something very special. I certainly know that, every time I pass it, I smile.”He added, “He was one of the most impressive Derby winners any of us have seen really – he won by five lengths eased down. It was wonderful that he was owned by Ascot, running in the name of the Royal Ascot Racing Club, and he gave over 200 members the day of their lives.“He went on to be a successful stallion, being the sire of Treve, and he had a very high black type strike-rate with his runners in France, in particular.”Motivator was retired at the end of his three-year-old season to stand at the Queen's Royal Studs at Sandringham. However, having been introduced at a fee of £20,000, he was denied the opportunity to cover a full book of mares after injuring himself in a paddock accident.In 2010, Motivator's stud career met with another setback when a tendon injury forced him to miss the breeding season in its entirety. He stood for £8,000 when he returned in 2011 and then just £5,000 in 2012.Only 33 foals came from that final crop bred at the Royal Studs, with Motivator soon being sent on his way to Haras du Quesnay in France for 2013, having sired 10 individual stakes winners up until the end of 2012. The bright spark was Ridasiyna, his first Group 1 winner when landing that year's Prix de l'Opera.Then along came the aforementioned Treve, the dual Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe whose exploits as a three-year-old in 2013 saw Motivator sustain the strong support he'd received in his first season at Haras du Quesnay. Introduced at €7,000, he produced 99 foals from that first crop conceived in France and another 92 the following year, at the increased fee of €15,000, after Treve had rattled off a Group 1 hat-trick.But whilst seven stakes winners emerged from those two crops, Motivator was unable to really kick on with his Flat runners in the way that might have been hoped.Instead, the most accomplished performers conceived in Motivator's later years at Haras du Quesnay were in the National Hunt sphere, headed by the Grade 1-winning hurdlers For Fun, Jigme, Pentland Hills and Stormy Ireland.More recently, Motivator proved a popular visitor attraction at Haras du Hoguenet following his move there in 2023. He covered 80 mares as recently as 2024 and is survived at the Normandy farm by his aforementioned son, Jigme.The post “Exceptional” Derby Winner Motivator Dies at 24 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.