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Charlie Guest dies February 2021 aged 92
Born on November 12, 1928, Charles Guest, was the elder brother of jockeys Joseph and Nelson Guest. He served a five-year apprenticeship with Captain Rupert Laye, who sent out horses from Bonita, his Marlborough stables.
Charlie was light enough to ride under both sets of rules during the 1950s and 60s but never had a winner on the Flat in Britain, unlike his brother Nelson, who also rode under both codes but was more successful on the level.
He rode his first winner on Moderation for Broad Hinton, Wiltshire trainer Edward Champneys in the Axbridge Handicap Hurdle at Wincanton on Easter Monday, April 14, 1952. However, he had to wait more than three and a half years for his second, the Bob Turnell-trained Seringapatam at Worcester on December 3, 1955, the first of six winners he rode that season.
Charlie rode as a freelance and enjoyed his best season was in 1956/57 with eight winners, including Kempton’s Rendlesham Long Distance Hurdle on Belsay Castle, a win which he subsequently nominated as the highlight of his career.
He was leading jockey for half an hour after winning the first race of the 1960/61 season at Newton Abbot on Zakopane, but that, unfortunately, turned out to be his sole success of the campaign.
He rode two winners the following term, both of them on a handicap chaser named Trim Ruina at Wincanton and Chepstow in October 1961. He had his final winner on Bigamist for Cirencester owner-trainer Jim Bowie at Newton Abbot on August 29, 1962. He continued riding until 1968 before finally hanging up his boots.
Being a freelance meant that Charlie came in for many dangerous mounts and he took some crashing falls over the years. The most frightening was at Folkestone, when he was thrown into the open ditch, broke a leg, couldn’t get out, and was still there when the field crashed through the fence above him second time round.
He also took a nasty first fence fall from a novice chaser named Jim’s Place (left) at Plumpton on the last day of October 1962. The photo appeared in the following day’s Daily Mirror with the caption ‘Departing Guest’!
He had married Joyce Edwards on December 6, 1949; she gave him three daughters, Rita, Jane and Joanne, and two sons, Rae and Richard. Richard won the 2001 Grand National on Red Marauder and is now a successful trainer, as is Rae, who enjoyed an equally successful riding career in Scandinavia before setting up as a trainer at Newmarket. Jane married Sir Henry Cecil and trained for a couple of seasons after that
great trainer’s death, notably sending out Frankel’s brother Noble Mission to win the Champion Stakes at Ascot in 2014.
A race marking his 80th birthday, was run at Newmarket in 2008.
Born on November 12, 1928, Charles Guest, was the elder brother of jockeys Joseph and Nelson Guest. He served a five-year apprenticeship with Captain Rupert Laye, who sent out horses from Bonita, his Marlborough stables.
Charlie was light enough to ride under both sets of rules during the 1950s and 60s but never had a winner on the Flat in Britain, unlike his brother Nelson, who also rode under both codes but was more successful on the level.
He rode his first winner on Moderation for Broad Hinton, Wiltshire trainer Edward Champneys in the Axbridge Handicap Hurdle at Wincanton on Easter Monday, April 14, 1952. However, he had to wait more than three and a half years for his second, the Bob Turnell-trained Seringapatam at Worcester on December 3, 1955, the first of six winners he rode that season.
Charlie rode as a freelance and enjoyed his best season was in 1956/57 with eight winners, including Kempton’s Rendlesham Long Distance Hurdle on Belsay Castle, a win which he subsequently nominated as the highlight of his career.
He was leading jockey for half an hour after winning the first race of the 1960/61 season at Newton Abbot on Zakopane, but that, unfortunately, turned out to be his sole success of the campaign.
He rode two winners the following term, both of them on a handicap chaser named Trim Ruina at Wincanton and Chepstow in October 1961. He had his final winner on Bigamist for Cirencester owner-trainer Jim Bowie at Newton Abbot on August 29, 1962. He continued riding until 1968 before finally hanging up his boots.
Being a freelance meant that Charlie came in for many dangerous mounts and he took some crashing falls over the years. The most frightening was at Folkestone, when he was thrown into the open ditch, broke a leg, couldn’t get out, and was still there when the field crashed through the fence above him second time round.
He also took a nasty first fence fall from a novice chaser named Jim’s Place (left) at Plumpton on the last day of October 1962. The photo appeared in the following day’s Daily Mirror with the caption ‘Departing Guest’!
He had married Joyce Edwards on December 6, 1949; she gave him three daughters, Rita, Jane and Joanne, and two sons, Rae and Richard. Richard won the 2001 Grand National on Red Marauder and is now a successful trainer, as is Rae, who enjoyed an equally successful riding career in Scandinavia before setting up as a trainer at Newmarket. Jane married Sir Henry Cecil and trained for a couple of seasons after that
great trainer’s death, notably sending out Frankel’s brother Noble Mission to win the Champion Stakes at Ascot in 2014.
A race marking his 80th birthday, was run at Newmarket in 2008.
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I remember the first time i went to Newmarket (back in the day of maps) i was lost and stopped to ask someone for directions. It turned out to be Charlie. I only know that because he said my Son Rae has a horse running today....i'd like to say he gave me a 100/1 winner but that would be a lie.
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Father of Rae Guest (excellent Trainer of Fillies) and Jane (latter wife of Henry Ceil) - and Richard Guest (Black Sheep Trainer)
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I must admit I was following racing closely for the last 5 years or so of his career but I don't remember him. Which suggests he really didn't get many rides.
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I only remember an R Guest , Rae ? Charlie had a long life and seems he enjoyed it. Loved the irony of winning the first race of the season and thus being leading jockey in championship, only to find that it would be the only winner of the season ! Priceless. RIP Charlie.
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Did he not have another son called Michael?
Ryan Moore's driver |
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RIP
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I browsed through the oldest form book I have last night. It took me a long time to find Charlie but he rode a 33-1 outsider in a novice hurdle at wincanton in 1964. His brother joseph rode the 100-7 winner,a horse called Stalbridge Colonist.
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Wow thats amazing Salmon. R.I.P. Charlie.
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Blimey - salmon - That race was 2 years before Stalbridge Colonist beat Arkle in the Hennessey Gold Cup
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I can't seem to remember him at all and I was betting most days from 1964 onwards but maybe he wasn't getting so many rides towards the end of his riding days.
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Father of Rae Guest. Unbelievable.
sparrow Date Joined: 20 Jul 02 Add contact | Send message 20 Feb 21 18:55Joined: 20 Jul 02 | Topic/replies: 37,701 | Blogger: sparrow's blog I can't seem to remember him at all and I was betting most days from 1964 onwards Another sport sparrow but were you not at the 'big one' The Derby final at White City? (Record crowd) |
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stewarty the biggest crowd at the Derby Final was 92,000 in 1939 and I wasn't born then!
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Got that partly wrong sparrow but it was you who mentioned 'record crowd' for a dog meeting?
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At the time Stalbridge Colonist was trained by a T Jarvis in Devon. ( That's one Jarvis I don't remember). He only had one further run that season (1964-5)when winning a decent h'cap at Newbury under 10-0 again at long odds but by then he had transferred to Ken Cundell where he remained for his glory days.
I'm not surprised you don't remember Charlie,sparrow. I've looked at rather a lot of races in that season and so far that's the only ride I've found. Must have been mainly a work rider by then I imagine.He'd have been 36ish which was rather old for a jumps jockey in those days. |
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Charlie Guest had a few mounts for John Meacock, amongst others, in the 1964-65 season. For instance, he rode Vakil-Ul-Mulk (who had run in the '63 Derby) on that horse's hurdles debut at Kempton Park on Nov 19, 1964 - they were unplaced at 25/1. On the same card (in the second division of that novice hurdle), he rode one for R Pettitt (Shady Case - unplaced at 20/1). Frenchman's Cove won the feature race on the card, the Cottage Rake Hcap Chase over 3 miles, with 12-2.
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...a few weeks later he rode on the Hennessy card on which Arkle beat Mill House. He rode a complete no-hoper in the opening novice hurdle.
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...his brother Joe rode one of the jt favs in the latter race (Master Andrew, 5/1, unplaced) - there were 34 runners - that was Div 1; Div 2 had 30 runners.
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