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Racing legend and Classic-winning trainer Fulke Johnson Houghton dies aged 84
Fulke Johnson Houghton won the St Leger twice in a stellar training career
Fulke Johnson Houghton won the St Leger twice in a stellar training career
Credit: Edward Whitaker
Classic-winning former trainer Fulke Johnson Houghton has died at the age of 84.
Johnson Houghton took over from his mother Helen at Woodway Stables in Blewbury aged 20 and was responsible for several stars of the track in the 1970s, including the 1978 King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Ile De Bourbon.
He also trained Ribocco and Ribero, who both ran in the Nijinsky silks of American businessman Charles Engelhard, to win consecutive runnings of the St Leger in 1967 and 1968. Both horses also won the Irish Derby in the same years.
Johnson Houghton retired in 2006 when his daughter Eve took over the historic yard and in 2018 she added to the stable's Group 1 haul when Accidental Agent won the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot.
Fulke Johnson Houghton won the St Leger twice in a stellar training career
Fulke Johnson Houghton won the St Leger twice in a stellar training career
Credit: Edward Whitaker
Classic-winning former trainer Fulke Johnson Houghton has died at the age of 84.
Johnson Houghton took over from his mother Helen at Woodway Stables in Blewbury aged 20 and was responsible for several stars of the track in the 1970s, including the 1978 King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Ile De Bourbon.
He also trained Ribocco and Ribero, who both ran in the Nijinsky silks of American businessman Charles Engelhard, to win consecutive runnings of the St Leger in 1967 and 1968. Both horses also won the Irish Derby in the same years.
Johnson Houghton retired in 2006 when his daughter Eve took over the historic yard and in 2018 she added to the stable's Group 1 haul when Accidental Agent won the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot.
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R.I.P. Fulke...Followed the stable in the 60s without fail.
Very sad news to hear. A racing legend and true gentleman. Will always remember those great horses the great man trained, particularly Rose Bowl for Jane Engelhard and Double Form for Baroness Thyssen, who were big favourites of mine.
RIP Mr Johnson-Houghton.
RIP Mr Johnson-Houghton.
Very sad to hear this news.Had some marvellous horses late sixties. I was at Doncaster for Ribocco and Ribero.
A favourite of mine in the 60's, from Romulus in '62 to the lesser known Star Story in '68 and all in between..
To be honest, I thought he had died some time ago.
To be honest, I thought he had died some time ago.
Sad news
Like many lle de bourbon will be the one I remember best but two other great horses he trained were double form who won the vernons sprint and hot grove runner up in a memorable derby in 77
Like many lle de bourbon will be the one I remember best but two other great horses he trained were double form who won the vernons sprint and hot grove runner up in a memorable derby in 77
I did a thread on Charles Engelhard not so long ago.
Habitat and Ribofilio, amongst the other notables. Habitat won a very decent renewal of the Lockinge eight days after breaking his maiden.
Habitat and Ribofilio, amongst the other notables. Habitat won a very decent renewal of the Lockinge eight days after breaking his maiden.
Yes, and it was a great fred DD.
Now, I might be wrong Smoky but I`m pretty sure that Romulus was the horse that fell in the 1962 Derby and six others, including the favourite Heathersett were brought down.
Now, I might be wrong Smoky but I`m pretty sure that Romulus was the horse that fell in the 1962 Derby and six others, including the favourite Heathersett were brought down.
Trained for HH The Aga Khan, I believe. Same age? Strange synchronicity.
themightymac,.. from top of my head without checking.. an Irish grey horse called Sebring clipped the heels of Romulus? and brought others down with them.. stand to be corrected on that.
Always surprised there were not more accidents down that hill when fields were much larger in those days.
Always surprised there were not more accidents down that hill when fields were much larger in those days.
proper class old school . i was at longchamp 1979 when double form won . never met the man but his main jockey john reid i have several times . another class act from an age gone . these ' old school ' trainers are remembered well . henry cecil we all know was so polite but i once spoke to ian balding about mill reef and he was lovely . latterly kim bailey . i got into this sport as a daft lad going up to these people , reading about them , watching them with their horses . thats why its good to see lots still doing the same . note to peter savill ; don't dig a hole in the road here .
I was surprised that he was not older than that as it is 18 years since he handed the license to Eve and seems to have been out of the news for so long. I followed his stable avidly in the late 60s and then 70s and will never forget sneaking off work to watch Habitat winning the Lockinge under Ron Hutchinson with a feather weight beating Jimmy Reppin and others. Still the flat horse that is top of my memory list. He only raced for 6 months but became a great sire, particularly of mares and broodmares. After Engelhard died, he had an awesome record for the Aga khan with a 40% strike rate in one season.
RIP.
RIP.
mac, Smoky - good effort. It was Romulus who fell. Sebring finished 5th. 3 of the 7 horses that fell were 100/1 shots, and afterwards the stewards bemoaned the number of no-hopers who had been allowed by owners and trainers to take their chance. There was no film of the incident, as it happened at the top of descent out of sight of the cameras. 6 of the 7 jockeys were taken to hospital (3 with concussion), and the jockey of the winner (Larkspur), Neville Sellwood, died 5 few months later after a horse fell with him on the way to the start at Maisons-Laffitte. Sellwood said in the enquiry after the Derby that Larkspur went through Hethersett's upturned legs. Romulus returned lame. Best guess after the incident was that Romulus and Crossen, another of the fallers, had struck into each other. Larkspur was MVO'B's first Derby winner, and he also trained Sebring. Pat Glennon was Vincent's jockey then, and he picked Sebring.
Mention of Pat Glennon brings back great memories of Sea Bird 11.
I never saw sea bird sparrow I should think he would be the 2 nd best horse you have seen ?
Just remembered Khairpour who rn up a string of wins and thought he trained him for the Aga Knan
Checked here and so it was winning the Geoffrey Freer in 1983
RIP
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Freer_Stakes
Checked here and so it was winning the Geoffrey Freer in 1983
RIP
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Freer_Stakes
I remember why i remembered now.
I was at uni and had a Yankee on.
Khairpour was the 4th horse the first 3 all won.
I watched the race in Corals and he was going well then went on clear …. Until he swerved for no apparent reason when in front and threw the jockey off… i was literally gobsmacked. I would have won over 3 grand which was a hell of a lot back then in the early 80s especially for a skint student.
I was at uni and had a Yankee on.
Khairpour was the 4th horse the first 3 all won.
I watched the race in Corals and he was going well then went on clear …. Until he swerved for no apparent reason when in front and threw the jockey off… i was literally gobsmacked. I would have won over 3 grand which was a hell of a lot back then in the early 80s especially for a skint student.
A great shame but a good innings, was at Ascot for Ile De Bourbons KG&QE, all the old uns have virtually gone now, but he himself has bred a good one in Eve, RIP.
Thanks Ged for the information on the 1962 Derby.
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