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23 Jan 23
15:25
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18 Feb 02
'He was different class' - training stalwart Milton Bradley dies at age of 88
Milton Bradley: trainer of The Tatling
Milton Bradley: trainer of The Tatling
Julian Herbert
1 of 1
By James Stevens
UPDATED 3:13PM, JAN 23 2023
Tributes have been paid to the "remarkable" trainer Milton Bradley, and his unique ability to transform cheaply bought horses, following his death at the age of 88.
Bradley retired in 2021 after more than 50 years as a licence-holder and he was best known for his gift of transforming racehorses bought for little into prolific winners and top-class performers.
Bradley claimed The Tatling for £15,000 after the sprinter won at Catterick in 2002 and he went on to win the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot two years later.
The trainer sent out more than 1,000 winners in both codes from his farm at Sedbury, situated close to the Welsh border in Gloucestershire, and other fondly remembered horses include Brevity, Sooty Tern, Grey Dolphin and Offa's Mead.
He had as many as 90 horses in his yard at one time and has passed on his enthusiasm for racing to granddaughter Hayley, who is involved with a training operation with husband Charlie Wallis in Essex.
Wallis said: "There aren't enough words to appreciate how wonderful he was. He was a great man who gave everybody a chance, including a lot of the jockeys. I rode a few winners for him and trained some for him too which I'm very proud of.
"As a trainer he was different class, he was a very good horseman. I'd always be on the phone to him twice a week as I had a couple to train for him and he'd give me advice and fill me with confidence if ever we had a bad run. He'll be a massive loss to me and my wife. We're all heartbroken."
The Tatling wins the 2004 King's Stand Stakes under Darryll Holland
The Tatling wins the 2004 King's Stand Stakes under Darryll Holland
Edward Whitaker
Eddie Hayward OBE remained an owner with Bradley since having his first jumps horse with him in 1977 and the pair developed a strong friendship for more than 40 years.
"He was a remarkable man," said Hayward. "His knowledge of racing was incredible, right from being a youngster. He went from riding horses to training them and together we've had well over 200 winners. Many of them didn't cost much too, not everyone can do that.
"He'd have a go at every race and one of the comical things he'd usually say is 'Yes, the horse is 20-1 but he doesn't know that'. We've been close friends all the way through for over 50 years."
Bradley was also given the Lifetime Achievement award for his service to the sport at the 2019 Welsh Horseracing Awards.
Milton Bradley CV
Full name John Milton Bradley
Born January 5, 1935
Stables Meads Farm, Sedbury, Gloucestershire 1970-2021
First winner under rules Cwrt Bleddyn, selling hurdle, Taunton, November 26, 1970
First Flat winner Rock Bottom, seller, Bath, July 18, 1973
Group 2 winner The Tatling (2004 King's Stand Stakes)
Group 3 winner The Tatling (2003 King George Stakes, 2004 & 2005 World Trophy)
Listed winner The Tatling (2003 Porcelanosa Sprint Stakes)
Big-handicap winners Offa's Mead (1978 Bovis Handicap), Bali Royal (2002 Scottish Sprint Cup), The Tatling (2002 Coral Sprint Trophy), Salviati (2003 Hong Kong Jockey Club Sprint), Corridor Creeper (2005 Hong Kong Jockey Club Sprint), Regal Parade (2012 Coral Sprint Trophy)
Most prolific winners in a jumps season Grey Dolphin (10 wins in 1983-84), Yangtse-Kiang (8 wins in 1987-88), Mighty Marine (7 wins in 1975-76 & 1976-77)
Most prolific winners in a Flat season Nineacres (9 wins in 2000), Eastern Trumpeter (8 wins in 2000), Brevity (8 wins in 2001)
Group 1 runner-up The Tatling (2003, 2004 & 2005 Nunthorpe Stakes, 2004 Prix de l'Abbaye)
Highest-rated horse The Tatling (RPR 119 six times)
Oldest Flat winner The Tatling (2 wins aged 14, 2011)
Notable 1-2 The Tatling, Bali Royal (2003 Porcelanosa Sprint Stakes)
Last winner Iesha (80-1) Kempton, December 14, 2020
Most wins in a season 70 in 2005 (Flat), 20 in 1983-84 (jumps)
Total wins 1,037 (749 Flat, 288 jumps)
Compiled by John Randall
Milton Bradley: trainer of The Tatling
Milton Bradley: trainer of The Tatling
Julian Herbert
1 of 1
By James Stevens
UPDATED 3:13PM, JAN 23 2023
Tributes have been paid to the "remarkable" trainer Milton Bradley, and his unique ability to transform cheaply bought horses, following his death at the age of 88.
Bradley retired in 2021 after more than 50 years as a licence-holder and he was best known for his gift of transforming racehorses bought for little into prolific winners and top-class performers.
Bradley claimed The Tatling for £15,000 after the sprinter won at Catterick in 2002 and he went on to win the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot two years later.
The trainer sent out more than 1,000 winners in both codes from his farm at Sedbury, situated close to the Welsh border in Gloucestershire, and other fondly remembered horses include Brevity, Sooty Tern, Grey Dolphin and Offa's Mead.
He had as many as 90 horses in his yard at one time and has passed on his enthusiasm for racing to granddaughter Hayley, who is involved with a training operation with husband Charlie Wallis in Essex.
Wallis said: "There aren't enough words to appreciate how wonderful he was. He was a great man who gave everybody a chance, including a lot of the jockeys. I rode a few winners for him and trained some for him too which I'm very proud of.
"As a trainer he was different class, he was a very good horseman. I'd always be on the phone to him twice a week as I had a couple to train for him and he'd give me advice and fill me with confidence if ever we had a bad run. He'll be a massive loss to me and my wife. We're all heartbroken."
The Tatling wins the 2004 King's Stand Stakes under Darryll Holland
The Tatling wins the 2004 King's Stand Stakes under Darryll Holland
Edward Whitaker
Eddie Hayward OBE remained an owner with Bradley since having his first jumps horse with him in 1977 and the pair developed a strong friendship for more than 40 years.
"He was a remarkable man," said Hayward. "His knowledge of racing was incredible, right from being a youngster. He went from riding horses to training them and together we've had well over 200 winners. Many of them didn't cost much too, not everyone can do that.
"He'd have a go at every race and one of the comical things he'd usually say is 'Yes, the horse is 20-1 but he doesn't know that'. We've been close friends all the way through for over 50 years."
Bradley was also given the Lifetime Achievement award for his service to the sport at the 2019 Welsh Horseracing Awards.
Milton Bradley CV
Full name John Milton Bradley
Born January 5, 1935
Stables Meads Farm, Sedbury, Gloucestershire 1970-2021
First winner under rules Cwrt Bleddyn, selling hurdle, Taunton, November 26, 1970
First Flat winner Rock Bottom, seller, Bath, July 18, 1973
Group 2 winner The Tatling (2004 King's Stand Stakes)
Group 3 winner The Tatling (2003 King George Stakes, 2004 & 2005 World Trophy)
Listed winner The Tatling (2003 Porcelanosa Sprint Stakes)
Big-handicap winners Offa's Mead (1978 Bovis Handicap), Bali Royal (2002 Scottish Sprint Cup), The Tatling (2002 Coral Sprint Trophy), Salviati (2003 Hong Kong Jockey Club Sprint), Corridor Creeper (2005 Hong Kong Jockey Club Sprint), Regal Parade (2012 Coral Sprint Trophy)
Most prolific winners in a jumps season Grey Dolphin (10 wins in 1983-84), Yangtse-Kiang (8 wins in 1987-88), Mighty Marine (7 wins in 1975-76 & 1976-77)
Most prolific winners in a Flat season Nineacres (9 wins in 2000), Eastern Trumpeter (8 wins in 2000), Brevity (8 wins in 2001)
Group 1 runner-up The Tatling (2003, 2004 & 2005 Nunthorpe Stakes, 2004 Prix de l'Abbaye)
Highest-rated horse The Tatling (RPR 119 six times)
Oldest Flat winner The Tatling (2 wins aged 14, 2011)
Notable 1-2 The Tatling, Bali Royal (2003 Porcelanosa Sprint Stakes)
Last winner Iesha (80-1) Kempton, December 14, 2020
Most wins in a season 70 in 2005 (Flat), 20 in 1983-84 (jumps)
Total wins 1,037 (749 Flat, 288 jumps)
Compiled by John Randall
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It makes you wonder how he'd have done with deeper-pocketed owners.
I remember Offa's Mead well, it was a horse i used to follow and he won at some decent prices. I vaguely remember he liked to be drawn outside of the others (?). Named after the school his children were educated at.
RIP Milton
RIP Milton
Mighty Marine running at those Newton Abbot meetings on hard and f[rm ground in August, great memories , RIP Milton.
Yangtse Kiang and Mighty Marine are the first horses i would remember him by....
Grafter…it’s what society survives on, people like Milton…
I was doing a stint at Bath in October 2002 for the old ATR channel, and Milton was interviewed by Alice Plunkett because he'd just won a 16 runner claimer at Lingfield with a horse rated 32! He stopped to chat with me afterwards and said he'd thought the horse had no chance and that the apprentice who rode it might be a future champion if he could win on one that bad. The jockey was R L Moore (5).
He was a pretty good judge! Lovely man, Sparrow got it right - Old school - describes hin perfectly. RIP Milton.
He was a pretty good judge! Lovely man, Sparrow got it right - Old school - describes hin perfectly. RIP Milton.
I asked about a horse called The Trader recently and I think it was Alan who provided the details,at the time The Tatling finished in front of this one at Longchamp,backed it many time including his last run aged 14.It takes some doing to keep a horse sweet and sound and he never wrapped him in cotton wool,a measure of his skills.
Also told about backing one of his with an away bookie at a Carlisle evening meeting,won in a photo down at Windsor @ 33s,cleaned out the bookie and had to lend him petrol money to get to Hamilton for the next day.As he said "The horse doesn't know its price".
Will be sadly missed but leaves plenty of good memories.
Also told about backing one of his with an away bookie at a Carlisle evening meeting,won in a photo down at Windsor @ 33s,cleaned out the bookie and had to lend him petrol money to get to Hamilton for the next day.As he said "The horse doesn't know its price".
Will be sadly missed but leaves plenty of good memories.
One of the great characters of grass roots racing.
Thanks for everything.
And thanks Anorak for your contribution.
Thanks for everything.
And thanks Anorak for your contribution.
RIP Milton...a life well lived and a nice story from Anorak.
Let's just re-live The Tatling's final race with Richard Kingscote onboard...9 other jockeys had a win on him as well.
Jubilant scenes from connections at the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrwuZYkm59U
Let's just re-live The Tatling's final race with Richard Kingscote onboard...9 other jockeys had a win on him as well.
Jubilant scenes from connections at the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrwuZYkm59U
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