george cadwaladr was a great jock at the time ............rode for eric cousins

Ronnie, I've heard of Len Margeson but never knew him personally. He was just one of several 'pros' that used to frequent the tracks in the north/ north midlands along with John Gough,'Topper' Robson around 40 years ago.

Tambourine Man, excellent read on Jack Ormston. His gallops used to run alongside of the A66 about five miles up from Scotch Corner and you could watch the horses work from the roadside.

Blackbarn, it wasn't M Germon that went to Denys Smith around 1974 as I said, it was Micky Goreham, it's the old mind playing tricks.

On Walter Wharton, this was in the RP 10 years ago:-


THE paths of Walter Wharton and Vaguely Noble diverged after the colt's stunning victory in The Observer Gold Cup.

At the time of the success Wharton was in his fourth year as private trainer to Major Lionel Holliday, who was one of Britain's leading owner- breeders.

Inevitably, the paths of Wharton and his star recruit diverged as the former set out again as a public trainer and Vaguely Noble went on to greater glory.

Wharton eventually settled near Melton Mowbray where he trained until 1988 when he handed over to his son John, before moving from Leicestershire to the quiet village of Healaugh near Tadcaster after a training career spanning nearly 40 years.

"I was born at Clifford near Wetherby so it was back to my Yorkshire roots," he explains. "I gave up training because I'd had a triple bypass operation and there is a history of heart problems in the family."

However, he is far from losing touch with the game he loves. "I'm 78, but I still ride out every day," he says. "It's wonderful country around here and you never need go on a road."

Recalling his link with Holliday, Wharton says: "He used to send me a horse or two when I trained in Wetherby Park, and then he offered me the post of going down to La Grange Stables in Newmarket.

"Besides Vaguely Noble, we won lots of others good races including the 1,000 Guineas with Night Off and the Ebor with Proper Pride."

Looking back at Vaguely Noble's juvenile career, he adds: "We didn't rush him and he started to improve in the second half of the season. We had a few entered in the Doncaster race and wanted a runner and he was the only one left," he adds.

"Bill Williamson rode for us then, and I always remember him coming into the paddock and saying `we can win this'. He'd been talking to Lester [Piggott] in the gents and Lester told him that ours was the one to beat."

He certainly was - and he went on to greater glory in later years for Sea-Bird's trainer Etienne Pollet.

Although he held no Classic entries, Vaguely Noble fetched 136,000gns, a record for a thoroughbred at public auction at the time. But he proved a shrewd investment for his new owners, the Americans Robert Franklyn and Nelson Bunker Hunt, as, partnered again by Williamson, he went on to beat Derby winner Sir Ivor to win the following year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe before becoming a major stallion.

NAME: Walter Wharton

AGE: 78 (trained from 1950 to 1988)

THEN: Long-serving trainer based at Wetherby (1950-64), Newmarket (1964- 67), Richmond (1968-70) and Melton Mowbray (1971-88)

NOW: Living in retirement at Healaugh near Tadcaster in Yorkshire

CAREER HIGH: John Jacques winning the Topham Trophy in 1956

CAREER LOW: "When Major Holliday died and I learned that the stables and most of the horses were going to be sold. I had to start all over again."

Regarding Ubedizzy

'Ubedizzy' did not turn vicious when he went to stud as quoted by another poster. He was always difficult and his aggression became increasingly worse as his racing career heightened.
He did not bite the fingers off a stable lad in the 'Runners' Up' enclosure in 1978, it was a steward and why The Jockey club banned him from racing in Britain.
The race was at Newmarket and Ubedizzy was beaten into 2nd in a photo finish by 'Boldboy' over 6 furlongs in 1978.
The horse was notorious for un-seating his rider at the starting gate and bolting, often covering great distance before being re-captured and returned to the starting gate.
Ubedizzy ran blinkered in order to stop him from his habit of biting any horse that challenged him in the final furlong. His racing tactic was to leave the starting gate and 'amble' comfortably for the first two to three furlongs and begin to make ground around the fourth. He would make rapid headway into the final furlong and most results were a heart-stopping photo finish.
His forte was six furlongs but equally as devastating over five.
His track record for bolting and delaying races would see most horses withdrawn not under orders but Ubedizzy got away with holding up many a race. I remember one race where he actually completed the circuit, was captured, returned and went on to win in style.
In 1977, Ubedizzy had his best season and held the record that year for the heaviest handicapped horse winning his final race of the season carrying 16lb extra and coming in at 33-1.
After the savaging of a steward at Newmarket and recieving the ban, he went on to race briefly in Ireland and it was here that he savaged the stable lad. he was returned to britain to be sold at the 'Newmarket selling stakes.
Hundreds and hundreds of fans turned out to see Ubedizzy at the sale but sadly, not to buy him, merely to see him perform his notorious antics. Ubedizzy did not fail to please the crowds and gave them what they wanted by trying to kick out a brick wall.
He only just made his 8,000 Guienea reserve and was bought for stud. It was then after a thorough vetinary examination, Ubedizzy was found to be suffering from highly painfull warts on the knee's. It is believed he suffered this condition for many years and the pain would have become increasingly worse as he progressed through his career, heightening in the famous attack at Newmarket. The warts were removed successfully through surgery and he recovered well.

dt01, Morgan's Pride, saw it win the Great St Wilfrid at Ripon by a bus ride under David Coates. It was going so fast at the finish that the jockey had difficulty steering the horse round the bend after the finish. A pal of mine came from Shaw in Oldham and he used to take a great interest in Steve Nesbitt's exploits.

Another bit on Steve Nesbitt and Ubedizzy....Steve died 30 years ago.

I noticed recently that the Steve Nesbitt Nursery was run at Ripon. Was the race named after the former Middleham trainer? S Wilkinson, Leicester The Anorak says: The Ripon race was indeed named after Steve Nesbitt, who trained both locally and at Middleham during a career that lasted from 1966 until he died in January 1982, aged 51.

Ubedizzy, his best and most notorious horse, was a high-class sprinter who won the William Hill Trophy at York in 1976, and was fourth in the Nunthorpe in 1977 and second (to Boldboy) in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket in 1978.

Ubedizzy became savage, and in the unsaddling enclosure after the Abernant he knelt on his groom and started to eat him. He was not allowed to run again in Britain and was sold to race in Sweden, where he became champion sprinter. Other good winners for the dual-purpose yard included two more sprinters - Morgan's P ride in the Great St Wilfrid Handicap at Ripon in 1968 and Clear Melody in the Nottingham Stewards' Cup in 1976 - and handicap chaser Red Earl in the Charisma Records Gold Cup at Kempton in


After Nesbitt's premature death, his string was taken over by his widow, Myra, whose best horse was Mary Maguire.

Ubedizzy's groom (and occasional jockey) Andy Crook (pictured) recovered, minus part of one finger, and now trains near Middleham, from where he sent out Ryalux to win the Scottish National.

ged, I do remember Ubedizzy but I just copied that from another forum.

Did a horse called Blustery win the Lincoln twice in the 70s?

fff . future forest was owned by paul mellon who owned mill reef ..smashing filly who didn't really stay the mile if i remember correctly ...won a fair few races ...nigel did indeed train that massive colt roman warrior who won the ayr carrying a massive weight ...again all from memory so i could be wrong...

..stephen craine is 55 today ...in 1992 he rode a filly of mine at pheonix park who i thought would have a good chance ..she finished last of 5..he came back and said to me in that manx accent of his ...shes pissy weak....and walked off....

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I was at Leopardstown many years ago and was late arriving and the opener (5 Furlong sprint) had just finished and I was in the car park,the horses were just pulling up after the race and I looked over the rail and said to Stephen Craine as I didn't know what had won "Any luck Steve?" and he replied with that cheeky grin of his "Nah,I was nowhere,but I backed the winner"

workrider, Future Forest was a cracking sprinter with Nigel Angus mid to late 70s. Good enough to go stud. Scottish owned as well.

Forest Flower was Mellons.

Ubedizzy was a talented sprinter but he was a vicious *******. If I remember correctly, he had to race in a muzzle.

Didn't John Matthias ride for Balding around that time

John Matthias was stable jockey between 77/82 also still rode for Balding as late as 89 as he rode Dashing Blade to victory in the Palace House Stakes that year.

Yes,i think he was.

Mrs Penny was a good one. Can you remember the good handicapper he rode for Balding. His name slips my memory, but he was owned by Col. Berry and ran in the Lincoln a few times, I think.

The Mighty Mac - Re Col Berry = Col J Berry, Brown with Orange and Brown quartered cap.  He owned Centurion which Balding trained to win the Cesarewitch in 1978, again ridden by John Matthias.   Still trying to find the Lincoln runner??

2002 Snippet

John Matthias

who as a jockey enjoyed Group 1 success on some of Ian Balding's best-known campaigners, has launched his training career in Britain nine years after quitting

the saddle, write Jon Lees and Roy Briggs.

The former rider, who partnered Mrs Penny, Glint Of Gold, Dashing Blade, Silver Fling and others, has been granted a licence to train from Charnwood Stables in Newmarket.

Matthias, 48, has 20 boxes within the complex, from which Gay Kelleway also operates, but only four inmates at the moment.

"I trained in Dubai for five years, where I had 23 winners altogether, but this will be the first time I've trained in England," said Matthias.

"I came back in May 2000 and helped out at Ian Balding's for a while, but I wanted to try something else in my own right and the only thing I know is riding or training.

"I'm starting with just four horses, one a three-year-old filly called Santa Catalina that Ian had last year and I picked up at the sales, and hope to build it up from there. I'm enjoying it so far."

Matthias hopes to saddle his first runner at Leicester on June 3.

Thats the one blackbarn - thanks. I just couldn`t remember it`s name but could remember it running in Lincoln, but forgot it actually won it. Time can play tricks on memory.