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O just saw he had died and many moons ago i bought his best horse. But I don't know much about him as a a trainer, so would greatly appreciate it if someone could post it so I could have a read, thank you.
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Steve Norton: 'He was the best boss ever' - Group 1-winning trainer dies aged 87
David Carr
Reporter
Steve Norton: groundbreaking trainer has died at 87
Steve Norton: groundbreaking trainer has died at 87
Steve Norton, a "gritty Yorkshireman" and pioneering Group 1-winning trainer, has died at the age of 87.
Norton started out with jumpers and had a winner at the Cheltenham Festival before focusing on the Flat and training Britain's first Prix Marcel Boussac winner at Longchamp on Arc day with Goodbye Shelley in 1982.
His nephew John Norton, who trains in South Yorkshire, says: "My father and he bought a farm in Silkstone, near Barnsley and my dad ran the farm side of things while my uncle took care of the horses.
"He first came to prominence thanks to a horse called Nerak — my cousin Karen's name backwards — who won five in a row, including the Victor Ludorum Hurdle at Haydock in 1971."
Norton enjoyed Cheltenham Festival success in 1973 when Silkstone was awarded the George Duller Handicap Hurdle after it was found that original winner Parthenon was not qualified to run.
He changed direction in 1977, as John Norton explains: "He and his wife bought 220 acres of parkland in High Hoyland and put up a purpose-built barn complex. It was quite groundbreaking and he got up to about 100 horses.
"He used to go to Ocala in Florida and buy big, strapping colts by freshman sires, which were unfashionable over there, and go up to $10,000 for them. He got some really good horses that way."
Among Norton's best horses was Full Extent, who won the Gimcrack Stakes the year before Goodbye Shelley's French success. Both were ridden by John Lowe, who was also on board Leysh when he beat stablemate Morwray Boy to give the yard a one-two in the Cambridgeshire in 1984.
Leysh (John Lowe, far side) beats stablemate Morwray Boy to win the Cambridgeshire
Leysh (John Lowe, far side) beats stablemate Morwray Boy to win the Cambridgeshire
Credit: Alec Russell
Norton had a dual Classic runner-up in 1987 when Spruce Baby was second in the Irish St Leger and Prix Royal-Oak (French St Leger), while one of his biggest winners in later years was Mr Confusion, who passed the post first in the John Smith's Magnet Cup at York in 1992 only to be demoted by the stewards on the day, then reinstated on appeal the following week.
Mr Confusion was ridden by Ollie Pears, then a 17-year-old apprentice, who recalls: "That was a difficult time but there was great support from the yard. He was fine after the race – we all knew the horse should never have lost it and he got it on appeal."
Pears, who is now a trainer himself, adds: "I started riding out for Steve when I was 12 and he gave me a fantastic start, he was the best boss ever. He was very understanding to ride for and he gave you great support. He was fine if things didn't work out. He was a good horseman and incredibly good at buying horses."
Norton gave up training in 1995 after a divorce meant that the yard was sold. His last winner was Sudden Spin at Wolverhampton on October 30 that year, nearly 30 years after his first success with Another Wave in a selling hurdle at Wetherby on May 30, 1966.
"My uncle was a gritty Yorkshireman," says John Norton. "What you saw was what you got. If you got on the wrong side of him, you certainly knew about it. But he was 100 per cent loyal."
Funeral details have yet to be announced.
STEVE NORTON
Full name Stephen Geoffrey Norton
Born Darton, near Barnsley, June 5, 1937
Stables Throstle Nest, Silkstone Common, Barnsley 1959-77; Longsides, High Hoyland, Barnsley 1978-95
First winner Another Wave, selling hurdle, Wetherby, May 30, 1966
Group 1 winner Goodbye Shelley (1982 Prix Marcel Boussac by a short head at 36-1)
Group 2 winner Full Extent (1981 Gimcrack Stakes)
Group 3 winners Goodbye Shelley (1983 Fred Darling Stakes), Khaelan (1985 Prix Berteux, Prix de Lutece), Amongst The Stars (1986 Ludwig Goebels-Erinnerungsrennen), Glory Forever (1986 Prix Thomas Bryon)
Cheltenham Festival winner Silkstone (1973 George Duller Hurdle)
Victor Ludorum Hurdle winner Nerak (1971)
Cambridgeshire 1-2 Leysh (33-1) beat stablemate Morwray Boy by a neck, 1984
John Smith's Magnet Cup winner Mr Confusion (1992)
Dee Stakes winner Clifton Chapel (1988)
John of Gaunt Stakes winners Mr Meeka (1984), Celestial Key (1993)
Other big-race winners Marie Cath (1984 Warwick Oaks), Trucidator (1985 Cecil Frail Handicap), Amongst The Stars (1986 XYZ Handicap), Dr Bulasco (1987 Racing Post Mile), Just Class (1987 Wassl Race, Brownstown Stud Stakes), Mohamed Abdu (1987 Tote Dual Forecast Handicap)
Classic runner-up Spruce Baby (1987 Irish St Leger & Prix Royal-Oak)
Last winner Sudden Spin, Wolverhampton, September 30, 1995
Topweight in Northern Free Handicap Full Extent (1981)
Most wins in a season 45 in 1993
Compiled by John Randall
David Carr
Reporter
Steve Norton: groundbreaking trainer has died at 87
Steve Norton: groundbreaking trainer has died at 87
Steve Norton, a "gritty Yorkshireman" and pioneering Group 1-winning trainer, has died at the age of 87.
Norton started out with jumpers and had a winner at the Cheltenham Festival before focusing on the Flat and training Britain's first Prix Marcel Boussac winner at Longchamp on Arc day with Goodbye Shelley in 1982.
His nephew John Norton, who trains in South Yorkshire, says: "My father and he bought a farm in Silkstone, near Barnsley and my dad ran the farm side of things while my uncle took care of the horses.
"He first came to prominence thanks to a horse called Nerak — my cousin Karen's name backwards — who won five in a row, including the Victor Ludorum Hurdle at Haydock in 1971."
Norton enjoyed Cheltenham Festival success in 1973 when Silkstone was awarded the George Duller Handicap Hurdle after it was found that original winner Parthenon was not qualified to run.
He changed direction in 1977, as John Norton explains: "He and his wife bought 220 acres of parkland in High Hoyland and put up a purpose-built barn complex. It was quite groundbreaking and he got up to about 100 horses.
"He used to go to Ocala in Florida and buy big, strapping colts by freshman sires, which were unfashionable over there, and go up to $10,000 for them. He got some really good horses that way."
Among Norton's best horses was Full Extent, who won the Gimcrack Stakes the year before Goodbye Shelley's French success. Both were ridden by John Lowe, who was also on board Leysh when he beat stablemate Morwray Boy to give the yard a one-two in the Cambridgeshire in 1984.
Leysh (John Lowe, far side) beats stablemate Morwray Boy to win the Cambridgeshire
Leysh (John Lowe, far side) beats stablemate Morwray Boy to win the Cambridgeshire
Credit: Alec Russell
Norton had a dual Classic runner-up in 1987 when Spruce Baby was second in the Irish St Leger and Prix Royal-Oak (French St Leger), while one of his biggest winners in later years was Mr Confusion, who passed the post first in the John Smith's Magnet Cup at York in 1992 only to be demoted by the stewards on the day, then reinstated on appeal the following week.
Mr Confusion was ridden by Ollie Pears, then a 17-year-old apprentice, who recalls: "That was a difficult time but there was great support from the yard. He was fine after the race – we all knew the horse should never have lost it and he got it on appeal."
Pears, who is now a trainer himself, adds: "I started riding out for Steve when I was 12 and he gave me a fantastic start, he was the best boss ever. He was very understanding to ride for and he gave you great support. He was fine if things didn't work out. He was a good horseman and incredibly good at buying horses."
Norton gave up training in 1995 after a divorce meant that the yard was sold. His last winner was Sudden Spin at Wolverhampton on October 30 that year, nearly 30 years after his first success with Another Wave in a selling hurdle at Wetherby on May 30, 1966.
"My uncle was a gritty Yorkshireman," says John Norton. "What you saw was what you got. If you got on the wrong side of him, you certainly knew about it. But he was 100 per cent loyal."
Funeral details have yet to be announced.
STEVE NORTON
Full name Stephen Geoffrey Norton
Born Darton, near Barnsley, June 5, 1937
Stables Throstle Nest, Silkstone Common, Barnsley 1959-77; Longsides, High Hoyland, Barnsley 1978-95
First winner Another Wave, selling hurdle, Wetherby, May 30, 1966
Group 1 winner Goodbye Shelley (1982 Prix Marcel Boussac by a short head at 36-1)
Group 2 winner Full Extent (1981 Gimcrack Stakes)
Group 3 winners Goodbye Shelley (1983 Fred Darling Stakes), Khaelan (1985 Prix Berteux, Prix de Lutece), Amongst The Stars (1986 Ludwig Goebels-Erinnerungsrennen), Glory Forever (1986 Prix Thomas Bryon)
Cheltenham Festival winner Silkstone (1973 George Duller Hurdle)
Victor Ludorum Hurdle winner Nerak (1971)
Cambridgeshire 1-2 Leysh (33-1) beat stablemate Morwray Boy by a neck, 1984
John Smith's Magnet Cup winner Mr Confusion (1992)
Dee Stakes winner Clifton Chapel (1988)
John of Gaunt Stakes winners Mr Meeka (1984), Celestial Key (1993)
Other big-race winners Marie Cath (1984 Warwick Oaks), Trucidator (1985 Cecil Frail Handicap), Amongst The Stars (1986 XYZ Handicap), Dr Bulasco (1987 Racing Post Mile), Just Class (1987 Wassl Race, Brownstown Stud Stakes), Mohamed Abdu (1987 Tote Dual Forecast Handicap)
Classic runner-up Spruce Baby (1987 Irish St Leger & Prix Royal-Oak)
Last winner Sudden Spin, Wolverhampton, September 30, 1995
Topweight in Northern Free Handicap Full Extent (1981)
Most wins in a season 45 in 1993
Compiled by John Randall
I use Jebb Lane quite regularly, always think of Full Extent when I pass his yard near the top. My next door neighbour at the time
was yard apprentice and rode him out. Never stopped talking about the horse.
was yard apprentice and rode him out. Never stopped talking about the horse.
A name from the past. I had forgotten that he moved mainly to flat training. I never met him but my family bought a horse at auction from his yard back in the 1970s. He was called Highland Galaxy and won a hurdle at Doncaster ridden by Jim Wilson the champion amateur at the time. We had high hopes of him as a chaser but he had a career ending injury at the first water jump he ever faced.
that's a sad story sageform. Strange how the water jumps can cause issue yet look so innocuous.
Do you know why so many courses have done away with them ? There don't seem to be many now, yet not that many years ago nearly every course had a water .
Our local pt 2 pt cse has one and I believe its the only pt in the country with a water jump.
Do you know why so many courses have done away with them ? There don't seem to be many now, yet not that many years ago nearly every course had a water .
Our local pt 2 pt cse has one and I believe its the only pt in the country with a water jump.
For that reason oneten. The stats indicated that water jumps caused more injuries so some courses either removed or modified them. Our horse slipped on landing and a tendon came off of his hock.
Thanks Sage, I did wonder as they make a nice spectacle, so thought that might be the issue.
I don't think they have water jumps at all in Ireland.
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