1872-1880 Thomas Dawson
Whilst it would be pleasant surprise to discover that Christopher Jackson and William Bethell were in anyway connected to Thorngill Stables, the present day stables were built by Thomas Dawson in readiness for his retirement. Thomas Dawson, eldest son of the Dawson Family of Gullane from his second marriage, was born in 1809 and left Gullane in 1830 to move south, settling at Brecongill stables, Middleham, in Yorkshire, where he trained for Lord Eglinton. Whilst almost every other member of his famous family drifted towards Newmarket, Tom remained in Middleham, initially at Brecongill, and after 1849 at Tupgill.
Alongside him at Tupgill, but training on his own account between 1862 and 1866, was his son Thomas Sutherland Dawson. When Tom Dawson senior retired from the training ranks at the end of the 1872 season, he moved to nearby Thorngill where he enjoyed 8 years retirement. However, between 1873 and 1880 Thomas Sutherland Dawson used the stables at Thorngill as his training base. In 1879 Tom senior required an operation which went well, but despite being 70 years old and told to rest, Tom insisted on witnessing a trial on Middleham High Moor and caught a chill. He gradually got worse and died at Thorngill on 18th February 1880, ansd shortly afterwards his son Thomas Sutherland Dawson vacated the stables.
1873-1880 Thomas Sutherland Dawson
Thomas Sutherland Dawson, oldest son of Tom Dawson, was born at Thorngill Lodge on 23rd April 1840 and registered his colours in 1861. He negotiated a way to train on his own account in 1862 and began training at Tupgill alongside his father, but on his own account. He was highly successful during his 5 years at Tupgill, training for Lord Glasgow amongst others. He won the 1862 Chester Cup with Tim Whiffler 25/1, in addition to the Queen's Vase, Goodwood Cup and Doncaster Cup. His string numbered 35 in 1862, which was his most successful year, and increased to 39 in 1863. He won the 1862 Ayr Gold Cup with Little Captain, and such was his reputation, that his numbers increased to 43 in 1865 and 60 in the year he left Tupgill, 1866. He married in 1866 and moved, with his wife, to Spring Cottage Norton in 1867, and at the end of the season transferred to Ilsley, training 22 horses in his first year there, and 14 in 1868. When his father Tom senior retired to his Thorngill Lodge in 1872, Thomas Sutherland Dawson began training at Thorngill there in 1873 where he remained until his father's death in 1880. Thomas then moved to Hungerford House, Malton and spent time as Clerk of a number of Yorkshire racecourses. He died aged just 46 at Hungerford House on Saturday 30th October 1886 and was buried in Norton Cemetery.
1862 Chester Cup TIM WHIFFLER 25/1 owned by J Jackson, trained by Thomas Sutherland Dawson and ridden by Doyle
1862 Queens Vase at Royal Ascot TIM WHIFFLER 5/1 owned by J Jackson, trained by Thomas Sutherland Dawson and ridden by Ralph Bullock
1862 Goodwood Cup at Glorious Goodwood TIM WHIFFLER 7/2 owned by Lord W Powlett, trained by Thomas Sutherland Dawson and ridden by Ralph Bullock
1862 Ayr Gold Cup LITTLE CAPTAIN owned by Mr Oswald, trained by Tom Dawson jnr and ridden by Blackburn
1862 Doncaster Cup TIM WHIFFLER 4/6 fav owned by Lord W Powlett, trained by Thomas Sutherland Dawson and ridden by Ralph Bullock
1880-1881 Robert Winskill
After the death of long-time Middleham trainer Tom Dawson, Thorngill became available and Robert Winskill, 24, was registered there in the 1881 Census. He was a saddler by trade and lived at Brecongill with his wife Janie, 28, and their one-year-old daughter Mary. When he eventually departed Thorngill was taken over by Robert Osborne, previously at Ashgill.
1882-January 1892 Robert Osborne
Robert Osborne, born at Ashgill in 1838, son of the legendary Middleham trainer, had 4 brothers, William, John, Philip and Richard, and 5 sisters Sarah, Mary, Jane, Ann and Ellen. After his father's death in July 1865 Robert joined two other brothers, William and John, to jointly train at Ashgill. This partnership continued until the 1880s when Robert set up on his own account at nearby Thorngill. He wasn't as successful as his father or brother William, and certainly wasn't a patch on his brother John Howe as a jockey. He did ride Classic winner Manganese to her first victory in the Bishop Burton Stakes at Beverley. However, in the 1891 Census when aged 52 he was registered as the trainer at Thorngill, ably supported by his wife Annie, 43, and their 4 children George 18, Marian 15, Evelyn 14 and Hilda 9. He trained few winners of prestigious races, preferring to concentrate more on the breeding side, including Lily of Lumley who won two high quality races at Manchester. He also bred Minaret and Mintdrop, from whom he produced Wild Mint, Mint Lozenge and Peppermint, all of whom won races. Unfortunately, Robert died of influenza and inflammation of the lungs on Wednesday 27th January 1892 aged just 54.
December 1892-1894 George Platt
George D Platt, born 1851, was from a racing family, his younger brother by one year, William, was an accomplished jockey, and both were associated with the Ashgill stables from an early age. In the 1871 Census William, then aged 19, was a stable jockey for William Howe Osborne, while George was the Head Groom overseeing the work of the 24 stable boys. Within 3 years George had begun training on his own account, and enjoyed immediate success, winning the Chesterfield Cup at Goodwood with Dalham, and landing the 1875 City & Suburban Handicap at Epsom with the same horse. His training skills attracted the interest of Baron Gustav Springer who appointed him as his private trainer in Austria where the pair celebrated many high-profile continental winners. However, in December 1892 George was lured back to Middleham, replacing the deceased Robert Osborne at Thorngill, although at that time he only had the highly regarded Bowlegs and 2 youngsters in his string. In April 1893 he released one of his youngsters, Fruit Knife, a chestnut colt by Bread Knife out of St Mary, in the White Mare Plate at Thirsk and it won in a common canter. By 1894 Platt was replaced by Thomas Connor who was to remain at Thorngill for over 25 years.
1874 Chesterfield Cup at Goodwood DALHAM 25/1 owned by T Smith, trained by George Platt and ridden by Mills
1875 City & Suburban Handicap at Epsom DALHAM 50/1 owned by T Smith, trained by George Platt and ridden by Mills
1893 White Mare Plate at Thirsk FRUIT KNIFE 7/4 fav owned by James Ridley, trained by George Platt and ridden by William Platt
1894 Hornby Castle Handicap at Catterick Bridge LORD OF THE DALE 6/1 owned by William Platt, trained by George Platt and ridden by E Smith
1894-1919 Thomas Connor
Thomas Connor, born in 1850, rode his own horses from his Newmarket base in the early 1880s before moving north to Beverley to train in 1891, continuing to train in the north for 31 years. In 1883 he and his wife had a son, Thomas, followed by a further son Charles and daughter Emily. In 1892 he trained the Chester Cup winner Dare Devil for Mr C Perkins, and although he moved stables to Morpeth the next year, he saddled Dare Devil for a second Chester Cup success in 1893. Indeed, he was unlucky not to complete the treble in 1894 when Dare Devil 100/15 finished second, beaten 3 lengths, by Lord Penrhyn's 5/2 fav Quaesitum. However, compensation was gained in 1896 when Dare Devil won the Northumberland Plate. Genial Tom Connor, as he was affectionately known, recorded his own place in history when Tommy Tittlemouse, who he had guided to 41 race successes, provided the great Fred Archer with his final mount on Thursday 4th November 1886 in the Castle Plate at Lewes, although the 8/13 fav was unplaced. Just 4 days later, on 8th November 1886, Fred Archer shot himself at Falmouth House, Newmarket. Thomas Connor moved to Thorngill, Middleham in the mid-1890s, training a horse suitably named Thorngill for Mr Humphries in 1898. Tragedy struck at Thorngill on Friday 28th February 1902 when oldest son Thomas was fatally kicked by a horse witnessed by his younger brother Charles, a verdict of accidental death being declared. Although Connor opted to move just down the road from Thorngill in March 1906 to become private trainer for Major Reynolds, the move was short-lived because Reynolds decided to transfer his string of 7 to Letcombe in January 1907 enabling Connor to return to Thorngill. Happier news for the Connor family came in 1909 when they celebrated the wedding of daughter Emily on Tuesday 17th August 1909 at St Oswald's Church, Fulford, York to George Maurice Cornu of Broomfield, Sheffield. Connor continued to train at Thorngill until 1918, but in March 1919 the stable was put up for sale, Connor moving just down the road to East Witton to spend his retirement. However, he did train again between 1920 and 1922, and in late November 1925, whilst attending Manchester races, Thomas was taken ill. He required an operation at Manchester Hospital, but sadly died on 3rd December 1925 aged 75.
Thursday 4th November 1886 Castle Plate at Lewes TOMMY TITTLEMOUSE 8/13 fav owned by Mr Crest and ridden by Fred Archer was unplaced in his last ride
1892 Chester Cup DARE DEVIL 11/2 owned by C Perkins, trained by Thomas Connor and ridden by Mullen
1893 Chester Cup DARE DEVIL 9/2 owned by C Perkins, trained by Thomas Connor and ridden by J Fagan
1896 Northumberland Plate at Newcastle DARE DEVIL 6/1 owned by C Perkins, trained by Thomas Connor and ridden by J Fagan
1920-June 1923 Vernon Casebourne, Ossie Casebourne, George Casebourne
George Casebourne, father of top amateur jockey Oswald James Casebourne, and the twins Lionel Joseph and Vernon Andrew, born in early 1886; trained in the Ripon area before moving to Thorngill in 1920 with his son Vernon. His son 'Ossie' had transferred to nearby Spigot Lodge to train on the Tupgill Estate and during that time Ossie became a professional jockey, as well as training, and married Hilda Jessie Dobson to cement the relationship between 2 influential northern racing families. Vernon never married, but is believed to have trained at Thorngill between 1920 and 1921, with his father also in residence. In 1922 Vernon's brother, Oswald Casebourne, transferred from Spigot Lodge to Thorngill and took ownership of the stables. He remained there in the early part of 1923, but in June 1923 sold the stables to R V Hartley.
When wealthy owner R V Hartley purchased Thorngill from the Casebourne's in June 1923 he appointed John William Leng as his trainer, although Leng also trained for Sir E Hoyle. He remaind in post for 18 months without recording any major victories, and in 1925 the stables were occupied by William Robert Ridley.
William Ridley, son of J Ridley of Bellerby, took over at Ashgill at the start of the 1897 season, having moved from his Beverley base earlier in the year. It is not clear whether William Osborne still resided at Ashgill, but Ridley was churning out winners from those stables in 1897. His string in Middleham consisted of Dame Constance, Kidnapper II, Rataplan, Gallia, Bellerby Maid, Old Sarum and Descender, but after the death of William Osborne in December 1901 Ridley, then aged 30, took full charge at Ashgill. On the 1901 Census Ridley, born at Bellerby, Yorkshire, lived at Ashgill with his brother-in-law George Bell 39, nephews James and George Platt, 17 and 16 respectively, who were stable jockeys, and Fred Hampson 17 and Fred Finlay 14 who were apprentices. Fred Finlay should not be confused with the more famous jockey of the same name who was born in Newcastle in 1865 and later won the Champion Stakes in 1895. In December 1898 a tragic incident took place involving stablehand Marshall, who was exercising Dame Constance on Middleham Moor when he was thrown and dragged for some distance and died at the scene. Ridley had a good season in 1898, chalking up numerous wins in April at Northern meetings, and finished the season with a flourish with Dame Constance and Markham. He continued to be successful from his Ashgill base as the turn of the century approached, winning 7 races in 1899 and a further 5 in 1900. Indeed, he was still based at Ashgill for the 1905 season. although he departed Middleham for a considerable period, he returned in 1925 to train at Thorngill. In 1925 he trained 17 horses, but this reduced to 16 in each of the next two years, and then reduced still further to 8 in 1928 and 7 in 1929. Although he is believed to have remained at Thorngill in 1930, Horses in Training does not show him to have any horses.
Wilfred Edward Lyde, born in 1893, had a distinguished War time career serving as a Lance Corporal in the 1851 Warwickshire Yeomanry, the Corps Hussars and later became a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Irish Hussars. Between the War years he began training, and in 1932 took over at Thorngill with just 5 horses, remaining there until the outbreak of War in 1939 when his string had grown to 22. One of his earliest winners was Apple Green in the Earlstown Selling Handicap at Haydock, but he then began to win more worthwhile prizes in 1933, landing the Richmond Handicap Chase and Hartington Handicap Steeplechase with Toreley. In 1934 the same horse won the Stayers Handicap Chase at Birmingham at 20/1 and the Ashton Chase at Manchester. In the years leading up to the outbreak of War Lyde won the 1937 Chorlton Hurdle at Manchester with Ethedo, the 1938 South Durham Open Hunt Challenge Cup at Sedgefield with Nymph Errant II, and the 1939 Lambton Handicap Hurdle at Sedgefield with Strong Measure. On Thursday 10th August 1939 he married Audrey Harper, only daughter of Mr & Mrs Albert Harper of The Chalets, Bradford in the parish church in Bradford. After the Second World War ended Lyde, by now a Lieutenant Colonel, and later awarded the OBE, moved to the historic Spigot Lodge, beginning with an initial string of 19, although it grew rapidly in 1947 to 30 horses, and by 1951, such was his reputation, that it had expanded to 51 horses.
1932 Earlstown Selling Handicap Hurdle at Haydock APPLE GREEN 8/1 owned by E Nuttall, trained by Wilfred Lyde and ridden by H Beasley
1933 Hartington Handicap Steeplechase at Cartmel TORELEY 4/1 owned by Mrs S Barrett, trained by Wilfred Lyde and ridden by Jack Fawcus
1934 Ashton Chase at Manchester TOMMY TITTLEMOUSE 100/6 owned and trained by Wilfred Lyde and ridden by R Lyall
1934 Stayers Handicap Chase at Birmingham TORELEY 20/1 owned by Mrs S Barrett, trained by Wilfred Lyde and ridden by A Marsh
1935 Walsall Handicap Hurdle at Wolverhampton BALLYFOX 8/1 owned by Commander Whitehead, trained by Wilfred Lyde and ridden by G Archibald
1936 College Handicap Chase at Windsor DESLYS 13/8 fav owned by S Barratt, trained by Wilfred Lyall and ridden by G Archibald
1937 Chorlton Hurdle at Manchester ETHEDO 8/1 owned by F W C Wedon, trained by Wilfred Lyde and ridden by J Bissill
1938 South Durham Open Hunt Challenge Cup at Sedgefield NYMPH ERRANT II 11/10 fav owned by Miss Rogerson, trained by Wilfred Lyde and ridden by H P Bell
1939 Lambton Handicap Hurdle at Sedgefield STRONG MEASURE 6/1 owned by S Barratt, trained by Wilfred Lyde and ridden by G Wilson
Gerald Armstrong, oldest son of trainer Robert Ward Armstrong, was always likely to carve out a career in horse racing and was a very promising amateur jockey. When the family moved from Clifton Hill stables, Penrith to Tupgill in 1923, father Robert trained at Tupgill, which he had owned since 1906, but had leased it to Captain N Scott, and bought Ashgill for son Fred and Thorngill for Gerald, although he did not move there straight away. Their sister Doris later owned Tupgill when their father died. Gerald trained under both codes in his early training career, starting with a string of 14 at Tupgill, winning the 1924 Topcliffe Handicap at Thirsk with Sir Emanuel Hoyle's IOS. He continued to train at Tupgill, with numbers fluctuating for the next decade between a low of 17 in 1927 and a high of 26 in 1929. In 1940 and 1941 he was recorded, in Horses in Training, to be based at Ferngill, although this is most likely to have been his residence for some time, as Ferngill did not have any stables, so it is most likely that he continued to stable his horses at Tupgill. However, in 1942 he transferred to Thorngill where he trained just 21 horses in his first year. During the War years of 1943, 1944 and 1945 he trained 20, 23 and 25 horses respectively. By 1947 his string had increased to 37 and in that year he gained one of his most important successes when he won the Nunthorpe Stakes with Como, later going on to win the Ayr Gold Cup the following year.
The sons of Robert Ward Armstrong, shown courtesy of Leeds Mercury, January 1925
Famously, Willie Carson served his apprenticeship with Gerald at Thorngill, gaining his first win at Catterick Bridge in the summer of 1962 aboard Pinker's Pond in an apprentice handicap, and has fond memories of his time in Middleham. Pinker's Pond is a large tarn situated next to the Coverham Lane, about a mile west of the town of Middleham and to the east of Thorngill. Gerald continued to train at Thorngill for a further 14 years, with numbers varying between 12 in 1954 and 39 in 1948. Gerald retired in December 1962 and the stables were taken over by Joseph Hartigan.
1947 Nunthorpe Stakes at York COMO 3/1 owned by Captain Jack Fielden, trained by Gerald Armstrong and ridden by Harry Carr
1948 Ayr Gold Cup COMO 10/1 owned by Captain Jack Fielden, trained by Gerald Armstrong and ridden by J Marshall
1963-1971 Joseph Hartigan
Joseph Henry Hartigan, born in 1919, trained at Tarporley until March 1960 before relocating to the Tupgill Estate near Middleham. He took up lodgings at Ferngill in April 1960, although there were no stables at Ferngill, so he stabled his horses at nearby Tupgill. He began with a string of 22 in 1961, which decreased to 17 the next year. By 1963 Joseph had transferred his string of 22 to Thorngill stables which were close by. He trained at Thorngill between 1963 and 1971, his string fluctuating between a high of 34 in 1964 and a low of 11 in 1971. His best horses during his 9 year stay at Thorngill were Strawberry Moon and Blue Whirlwind, who won the 1971 Melmersby Plate at Ripon. Joseph retired in 1971.
1967 Blue Star Stakes at Newcastle STRAWBERRY MOON 11/2 trained by Joseph Hartigan and ridden by Johnny Seagrave
1971 Melmersby Plate at Ripon BLUE WHIRLWIND 13/8 fav trained by Joseph Hartigan and ridden by Edward Hide
1972-November 1977 Eric Collingwood
Eric Collingwood, born in 1932, got his first taste for racing as a schoolboy when helping out at the weekends at the Bishop Burton yard of Captain Averly Hall-Watt, and was also a groom, travelling to Finland in 1952, with the show-jumping team at the Helsinki Olympic games. He gained further racing experience with Pat Taylor, based at Beverley, and spent 10 years as travelling head lad to Colonel Wilfred Lyde at his Spigot Lodge, Middleham stables. He married Audrey, who he met in Beverley, and the couple were blessed with 2 daughters, Jane and Susan. He launched his training career in Beverley in 1968 with a string of 8 horses, where one of his best horses was Tamsburd, who gave him his first winner and went on to land 4 consecutive wins, but after just a year Collingwood moved to larger premises at Wold House, Malton, remaining there for 3 years until he bought the historic Thorngill stables. At that point Thorngill, just a stones throw from the Low Moor gallops, consisted of 4 houses, 50 boxes and 30 acres of land, and was valued in excess of £100,000. His best horses during his 6 years at Thorngill were Apple King, winner of the 1973 Northern Free Handicap, Cecil Frail Stakes and Sinnington Stakes at York, Meadow Monarch, Roi-des-Toits, Fighting Lady, winner of the Duchess of Montrose Stakes at Newmarket and Beeswing Stakes at Newcastle, Hundalee, Bilsborrow and Battlement. His stable jockey, Alan Flint, enjoyed many winners during Collingwood's final seasons at Thorngill, but Flint's greatest prize was to become engaged to Collingwood's daughter Susan. In November 1977 Collingwood was offered the chance to train at Sha Tin for the Hong Kong Jockey Club and took up that post in June 1978, having trained nearly 200 winners in the UK. He stayed in Hong Kong for 12 seasons, training over 400 winners, and eventually retired to East Yorkshire, but also spent 3 months a year in the Algarve.
1968 Carberry Plate at Edinburgh TAMSBURD 8/1 owned by T Park, trained by Eric Collingwood and ridden by Jimmy Skilling
1968 Kidsneuk Stakes at Ayr TAMSBURD 11/10 owned by T Park, trained by Eric Collingwood and ridden by Jimmy Skilling
1968 Campsie Stakes at Hamilton TAMSBURD 4/5 fav owned by T Park, trained by Eric Collingwood and ridden by Jimmy Skilling
1968 Egglescliffe Stakes at Teesside Park TAMSBURD 4/6 fav owned by T Park, trained by Eric Collingwood and ridden by Jimmy Skilling
1973 Sinnington Stakes Handicap at York APPLE KING 11/4 owned by Harold Price, trained by Eric Collingwood and ridden by Brian Connorton
1973 Northern Free Handicap at Newcastle APPLE KING 9/4 fav owned by Harold Price, trained by Eric Collingwood and ridden by Brian Connorton
1973 Cecil Frail Handicap at Haydock APPLE KING 5/2 fav owned by Harold Price, trained by Eric Collingwood and ridden by Brian Connorton
1976 Duchess of Montrose Handicap at Newmarket FIGHTING LADY 7/2 owned by D O’Dell, trained by Eric Collingwood and ridden by Joe Mercer
1976 Beeswing Stakes at Newcastle FIGHTING LADY 9/2 owned by D O’Dell, trained by Eric Collingwood and ridden by Edward Hide
In June 1978 Eric Collingwood, based in Hong Kong, sold Thorngill to wealthy Italian aristocrat Marquis Enrico Incisa della Rochetta for over £100,000. The Italian sportsman, whose family can be traced back to 1300, was born in 1934 and Cambridge educated, and had then trained in Milan, sending out Trierceron to win the Gran Premio d'Italia, but wished to continue his training and breeding operations in England where he saw greater opportunities, and where horse racing has a higher profile. His father Mario, in partnership with Frederico Tesio, bred and raced both Ribot and Nearco, with Ribot carrying his father's racing colours when he won all his 16 races, culminating in victories in the 1955 and 1956 Prix De L'Arc De Triomphe. Don Enrico travelled to England in 1979, and began his thoroughbred breeding business at Thorngill, but in 1981 he successfully applied for a trainer's licence, although the first occasion Horses in Training recorded that he had horses was in 1985 when his string numbered 15. That is not surprising, given that he did not train a winner between 1981 and 1984, and only managed 3 in 1985.
His size of string and number of wins per season make interesting reading between 1986 and 1996; in 1986 he trained 14 with a single winner, in 1987 it was 13(1), in 1988 it was 13(2), in 1989 it was 14(0), in 1990 it was 11(2), the 1991 figures were 12(4), in 1992 it was 14(1), in 1993 it was 9(0), in 1994 it was 10(3), in 1995 it was 12(0) and in 1996 it was 12(1); these are not the figures of a highly successful trainer, but he was hugely respected on the racecourses on the Northern circuit. In 1997, his string still at a dozen, he purchased a selling plate filly named McGillycuddy Reeks for 2500 guineas and carved out a special programme of races for her. She was named after a mountain range in County Kerry, Ireland, which includes Ireland's highest peak Carranotohill at 3414 feet. She certainly reached her peak, running 137 races in her career and winning 15, 107 of which were for Don Enrico when she won 12 and accumulated over £63,000 in prize money. In one purple patch lasting just 29 days she won 4 races, 2 at Beverley and one each at Pontefract and Nottingham, and later in her career came ninth in the John Smith's Cup at York. He continued to train for the next 8 years when numbers fluctuated between a low of 15 in 1998 and a high of 20 in 2000 and 2002. Don Enrico died on Saturday 30th April 2005 after collapsing at Thorngill the day before, and was admitted to Northallerton Hospital where he died the next evening. He left the stage as he would have liked, given that his final winner was Simply the Guest, owned and trained by him and ridden by his great friend Kim Tinkler, as the horse was completing a trio of successes in just 27 days. On Saturday 1st October 2005 Redcar marked his passing by staging the Don Enrico Incisa Memorial Handicap which was won by the William Haggas trained Whispering Death ridden by Nicky Mackay.
8th July 1997 King Richard III Fillies Handicap at Pontefract McGILLYCUDDY REEKS 20/1 owned and trained by Don Enrico Incisa, and ridden by Kim Tinkler
21st July 1997 Blakey Haulage Fillies Handicap at Beverley McGILLYCUDDY REEKS 8/1 owned and trained by Don Enrico Incisa, and ridden by Kim Tinkler
29th July 1997 Timeform Ladies for Dorothy Laird Trophy at Beverley McGILLYCUDDY REEKS 3/1 jt fav owned and trained by Don Enrico Incisa, and ridden by Kim Tinkler
6th August 1997 Antigua Handicap at Nottingham McGILLYCUDDY REEKS 9/2 owned and trained by Don Enrico Incisa, and ridden by Kim Tinkler
14th February 2005 Littlewoods Pools Handicap at Wolverhampton SIMPLY THE GUEST 3/1 owned and trained by Don Enrico Incisa, and ridden by Kim Tinkler
7th March 2005 Littlewoods Pools Handicap at Wolverhampton SIMPLY THE GUEST 5/2 fav owned and trained by Don Enrico Incisa, and ridden by Kim Tinkler
James David William Bethell, son of David, 5th Baron Westbury, was born on 22nd February 1952 and was always likely to forge a career in racing given that his father was a prominent Member of the Jockey Club. After completing his compulsory education, James gained experience of training, initially with Bruce Hobbs in Newmarket, and then Arthur Budgett at a time when Budgett won the Epsom Derby with Morston in 1973, having already won it in 1969 with Blakeney before Bethell had joined him. In 1975, at the tender age of 23, James took over from Arthur Budgett and very soon celebrated his first winner, Baffin Bay at Bath on 28th April 1975. Within 2 years he had landed his first prestigious prize, the 1977 King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot with Celtic Pleasure. Two months later James sent Daring March to Newcastle to capture the Northumberland Sprint Trophy, having run well when 5th in the Stewards Cup at Goodwood some weeks beforehand, and was a key part of James's best season in terms of winners when he totalled 25. Celtic Pleasure was to do James another favour in 1978 when he won the Rosebery Stakes Handicap at Kempton, while Daring March won the Group 3 Criterion Stakes at the rewarding odds of 25/1. In 1992 James transferred his string to Middleham to take over at Manor House stables, and knew that he had a high standard to maintain. In his first season at his new premises he had a string of 19, but the next year it increased to 28 and the year after to 29. At some stage the premises became known as Sunsque Cottage and the famous yard was labelled the Dante Yard after the 1945 Derby winner. In 1996 Bethell became linked with Clarendon House, a grade II Listed building on the south side of the market place in Middleham when his string decreased to 20. However, in 1997 Sally and James Bethell launched Clarendon Thoroughbred Racing from their Manor House Stables, a group which went on to enjoy tremendous success. James won the Group 2 July Stakes in 1996 with Rich Ground, and in 1998 won the early season Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster with Hunters of Brora owned by Robert Gibbons. At the end of 2000 James transferred to Tupgill Park, taking over stables previously occupied by Micky Hammond who had relocated to Oakwood Stables, on the outskirts of town. Manor House stables were purchased by Patrick Haslam who moved just across the road from his Castle Stables. In 2004 James celebrated another Royal Ascot victory when money spinner Mine won the Royal Hunt Cup, while two years later he landed another Group race when Strawberry Dale won the Middleton Stakes at York in the hands of Jamie Spencer. Despite his group wins and Royal Ascot successes, it would be difficult to look beyond Mine when choosing his favourite horse. Mine won three Bunbury Cups at Newmarket, firstly in 2002 and then again in 2005 and 2006, but also won the 2004 Victoria Cup, Royal Hunt Cup and 2007 John of Gaunt Stakes. In 2006 James was firmly established at Thorngill which proved to be his final stable, remaining there until his retirement in 2020, although he handed the licence on to son Ed, sharing the training duties for a period.
1977 King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot CELTIC PLEASURE 12/1 owned by Miss F Rigden, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Richard Fox
1977 Northumberland Sprint Trophy at Newcastle DARING MARCH 11/4 fav owned by Mrs D Shirley, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Bruce Raymond
1978 Rosebery Handicap CELTIC PLEASURE 4/1 fav owned by Miss F Rigden, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Willie Carson
1978 Zetland Gold Cup at Redcar ABERCATA 12/1 owned by Mrs Neville Napier, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Richard Fox
1981 Bovis Handicap at Ascot MARYLAND COOKIE 11/2 trained by James Bethell and ridden by Lester Piggott
1985 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket DOMYNGA 20/1 trained by James Bethell and ridden by Steve Dawson
1986 Silver Seal Handicap GAY CAPTAIN 8/1 at Epsom owned by J Galvanoni, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Cash Asmussen
1996 July Stakes Group 2 at Newmarket RICH GROUND 40/1 owned by Mrs J E Vickers, trained by James Bethell and ridden by John Reid
1998 Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster HUNTERS OF BRORA 16/1 owned by Robert Gibbons, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Jason Weaver
2002 Bunbury Cup at Newmarket MINE 5/1 fav owned by M J Dawson, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Kieren Fallon
2004 Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot MINE 16/1 owned by M J Dawson, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Richard Quinn
2004 Victoria Cup at Ascot MINE 5/1 fav owned by M J Dawson, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Richard Quinn
2005 Bunbury Cup at Newmarket MINE 16/1 owned by M J Dawson, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Richard Quinn
2005 Gillies Fillies Stakes at Doncaster STRAWBERRY DALE 33/1 owned by M J Dawson, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Jamie Spencer
2006 Bunbury Cup at Newmarket MINE 10/1 owned by M J Dawson, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Mick Kinane
2006 Middleton Stakes Group 3 at York STRAWBERRY DALE 8/1 owned by M J Dawson, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Jamie Spencer
2007 John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock MINE 16/1 owned by M J Dawson, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Richard Quinn
2019 Wells Memorial Challenge Trophy Handicap at Ripon MOSS GILL 6/4 fav owned by G Van Cutsem & Partner, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Paul Hanagan
2019 Parsonage Hotel & Cloisters Spa Handicap at York MOSS GILL 7/2 fav owned by G Van Cutsem & Partner, trained by James Bethell and ridden by P J McDonald
2020 Betway Conditions Stakes at Wolverhampton MOSS GILL 11/10 fav owned by G Van Cutsem & Partner, trained by James Bethell and ridden by P J McDonald
2020 City Walls Stakes Listed race at York MOSS GILL 6/1 owned by G Van Cutsem & Partner, trained by James Bethell and ridden by Danny Tudhope
Edward Bethell, more commonly referred to as Ed, was always likely to go into a career in horse racing and, given his height of 6ft 4ins, it was always more likely to be as a trainer than a jockey. His father took over Thorngill Stables in 2006, replacing Don Enrico Incisa, having previously trained at Manor House Stables and Tupgill in Middleham, and before that at Arthur Budgett's old stables, so Ed has only known Middleham as his home. Ed was educated at Stowe School in the beautiful Buckinghamshire countryside, surrounded by gardens designed by Capability Brown. On completing his full time education, and gaining 3 A-Levels, he spent time with the well-known bloodstock agent, James Delahooke, and worked for Newmarket trainer William Haggas at Somerville Lodge Stables. In order to gain additional experience, Ed worked in America, in Ireland at Coolmore Stud, and in Australia with the legendary trainer Gai Waterhouse. In April 2016 he joined the Charlie Hills team at Farringdon Lodge, Lambourn, and by so doing, has worked in all 3 main training centres in England, Newmarket, Middleham and Lambourn. When his father, James, announced his retirement from the training ranks in October 2020, after 45 years as a trainer, having first attained his licence in 1975, Ed was fully prepared to take over the licence at Thorngill. He notched up his first win on 11th February 2021 when Mudawwan won at Newcastle. He has won a Group 3 with Artistic Rifles in the Superior Mile Stakes at Haydock, twice been placed in a Group 2, the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury with Fearby and the Dubai World Trophy Stakes at Newbury with Moss Gill, won numerous Listed Stakes, including the Coral Dragon Stakes at Sandown with Fearby. Furthermore, he has also won £33,210 just for being placed second in the valuable Tattersalls October Autumn Stakes at Newmarket with Fearby. His results in the short period he has been in charge suggest that Thorngill is in very capable hands.
2021 Bombardier British Hopped Amber Beer Apprentice Handicap at Newcastle MUDAWWAN 14/1 owned by Clarendon Thoroughbred Racing, trained by Ed Bethell and ridden by Gianluca Sanna
2021 Unibet Spring Mile Handicap at Doncaster ARTISTIC RIFLES 8/1 owned by Zaro SRL, trained by Ed Bethell and ridden by P J McDonald
2021 Watch Sky Sports Racing Handicap at Ripon ARTISTIC RIFLES evens fav owned by Zaro SRL, trained by Ed Bethell and ridden by P J McDonald
2021 Achilles Listed Stakes at Haydock MOSS GILL 6/1 owned by G Van Cutsem & J & S Bethell, trained by Ed Bethell and ridden by P J McDonald second to Kings Lynn
2021 EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes at Wetherby FEARBY 15/8 fav owned by Clarendon Thoroughbred Racing, trained by Ed Bethell and ridden by P J McDonald
2021 Molecomb Group 3 Stakes at Glorious Goodwood FEARBY 13/2 owned by Clarendon Thoroughbred Racing, trained by Ed Bethell and ridden by P J McDonald runner-up to Armor
2021 John Smith's City Walls Listed Stakes at York MOSS GILL 16/5 owned by G Van Cutsem & J & S Bethell, trained by Ed Bethell and ridden by P J McDonald second to Winter Power
2021 Almado Mile Handicap at Hamilton ARTISTIC RIFLES 3/1 owned by Zaro SRL, trained by Ed Bethell and ridden by Kevin Stott
2021 Sky Bet Summer Festival Handicap at Ripon BRIARDALE 11/4 owned by J Carrick & Clarendon Thoroughbred Racing, trained by Ed Bethell and ridden by Danny Tudhope
2021 Mill Reef Group 2 Stakes at Newbury FEARBY 8/1 owned by Clarendon Thoroughbred Racing, trained by Ed Bethell and ridden by P J McDonald third behind Wings of War and Hierarchy
2021 Betfair Superior Mile Group 3 Stakes at Haydock ARTISTIC RIFLES 15/2 owned by Zaro SRL, trained by Ed Bethell and ridden by Andrea Atzeni
2021 The Tin Man Handicap at Haydock REGIONAL 6/1 owned by Future Champions Racing, trained by Ed Bethell and ridden by Danny Tudhope
2021 Dubai World Trophy Group 3 Stakes at Newbury MOSS GILL 8/1 second behind Hurricane Ivor
2021 Tattersalls October Autumn Stakes at Newmarket FEARBY 15/8 fav owned by Clarendon Thoroughbred Racing, trained by Ed Bethell and ridden by Ryan Moore runner-up behind Lightning Warrior
COMO (1947 Nunthorpe Stakes, 1948 Ayr Gold Cup)
ARTISTIC RIFLES (2021 Superior Mile Group 3 Stakes)
MINE (2006 Bunbury Cup, 2007 John O'Gaunt Stakes)
MOSS GILL (2020,2021 John Smith's City Walls Listed Stakes)
APPLE KING (1973 Cecil Frail Stakes, Northern Free Handicap)
