Trainer set for a new future (From Gazette & Herald)

Trainer set for a new future

Charles Booth, who has been training in Ryedale for the best part of 30 years, has decided not to renew his licence at the end of the month and instead will concentrate of furthering establishing his stud.

Booth, 58, who is based at Gravel Pit Farm at Foston, has seven mares in partnership with John Porteous, for whom he trained, and is pleased with the progress of their breeding operation.

Booth said: "I've loved training, and I've had some wonderful times, but if I'd had the wherewithal initially, I probably would have gone down the breeding road, because it's something I've always studied and loved. The whole thing fascinates me.

"We've got some decent mares now, the whole thing is going well, and I'd like to think that when it comes to breeding, I'm a purist, in that I'm trying to breed racehorses rather than sales-horses. For me, this is not so much the end of training, as the start of a new era."

Booth, whose training career got off to a memorable start when, with his first-ever runner, he won the Kestrel Hurdle at Ascot with Ruddy Duck, the mount of Tommy Stack. He never had a big team of horses under his care, but did have the knack of producing some decent ones, especially through the 1980s.

"The best would have been Mademoiselle Chloe," he said, referring to his high-class speedster, who won her first three races as a two-year-old.

"We had great fun training her. She won the Harry Rosebery Stakes at Ayr, was an unlucky third in the Duke Of York Stakes at York and would probably have finished in around the same place in the King's Stand at Royal Ascot if only the owner hadn't insisted that we booked a top jockey instead of using Kevin Hodgson, who rode her regularly," he insists, "We got a top jockey as requested, but what the filly got was an inept ride, which left me furious."

Booth, who also enjoyed consistent success at Cagnes-sur-Mer in the South of France, housed another high-ranking horse in Jamais Derriere, whose most notable success was achieved in the Petition Stakes at Newmarket. Among other prolific winners he coached were Barrie Baby, Crown, Emerald Eagle and her talented daughter Saphire, who was placed in Listed-race company.

"The last two or three years have been dire," declares Booth, pulling no punches that poor-quality horses, coupled with a dwindling band of owners, led to his decision to call it a day.

"When I told my owners I was finishing, they generously rallied round and bought me some yearlings, which put me in the difficult position of then having to ask myself, 'Do I carry on now, or not?' But I'd made my decision and I decided to stick with it, even though two of the yearlings I've got are as nice as any we've had in many years."

The pair, a colt by Fayruz, and a filly by Primo Valentino, are to be transferred to other trainers.

"I have advised the owners where they should go, and I would say that both horses will definitely 'greet the judge' - and I shall be there to watch them win," he adds confidently.

One of the great characters in a sport which is now running desperately short of such personalities, Booth, who is seldom short of producing an amusing aside, jokingly observes that, "Instead of colourful characters, the weighing-room is full of people who look as though they're going to be hanged."

He also takes delight in reminding this writer, "You used to phone regularly when we were having winners, but then you don't come near us for years until you have to put together my 'obituary'."

Booth also tells the story of a long-gone conversation, involving himself and former Norton jockey Lindsay Charnock, which went along the lines of him declaring, "Charnock, if I were your weight, I'd be champion jockey by now," to which Charnock replied, "Charles, if you were my weight, I'd have knocked off your head long ago!"

The training ranks will undoubtedly be a poorer place without Charles Booth. We wish him and his wife Gill all the very best in their continuing breeding venture, and hope that in the not-too-distant future, one of their home-grown performers will hit the heights.

Two of the Gazette & Herald's Ten To Follow representatives could be in action at Wetherby on Saturday.

Flight Command, trained by Peter Beaumont, is on course to contest the 'Celery And Stilton' Novices' Chase over two-and-a-half miles.

The seven-year-old justified his place in our list with a win at Leicester, but he finished only third at Wetherby's Christmas meeting. Fingers are crossed for a better showing on Saturday.

Simply Mystic, trained by Peter Niven, may also be Wetherby-bound.

Having already done the Ten To Follow squad proud by notching a 10-1 success at Huntingdon last month, Simply Mystic bids to do us another good turn in the European Breeders' Fund Novices' Hurdle.

Rachel Wright, who each year works tirelessly on behalf of Spinal Research, is understandably pleased to report that £12,700 was raised from her annual raceday at Wetherby in mid-October.

Wheelchair-bound Wright, who lives at Stamford Bridge, has been instrumental in raising £220,000 in 14 years of putting together racedays in aid of a charity close to her heart.

Typically modest about her Trojan efforts, she said: "It's down to Skybet, who sponsor the day, and all the people who support us, including everyone who comes to the lunch. We had 260 there this year and Peter Beaumont brought more than 70 - I just don't know how he does it. And this year, we also had great support from the National Hunt jockeys, who sponsored a race, and who have promised to repeat it next year, which is brilliant."

Wolverhampton is proving a happy hunting ground for Ryedale trainers this winter, and Andy Turnell was the latest successful rider on Monday.

The Norton handler, based at the Highfield yard, sent out Dower House to gain a 14-1 success in the colours of Claire Hollowood.

Although he went through last year without a win, Dower House, now ten-years-old, has clearly retained plenty of enthusiasm and ability, despite not having the best of legs, and this Polytrack surface seems to suit him ideally. It would be no surprise to see him win again.

Also on the mark on the same course last week was Linda Stubbs, one of Turnell's Highfield neighbours, who saddled the speedy Zoom Zoom to score handsomely.

Ryedale-based apprentice Paul Mulrennan, as revealed last week, duly picked-up the 'Ride of the Year' award at the 'Lesters' - racing's equivalent of the Oscars - in London's Grosvenor House Hotel last Saturday night.

Unfortunately none of the other Ryedale nominees managed to scoop a prize. Frankie Dettori took the Flat Jockey of the Year award, for which Sheriff Hutton-based Kevin Darley was nominated, while Tom Queally picked-up the Apprentice of the Year, overshadowing two Ryedale starlets in Dave Allan and Tom Eaves.

Vince Slattery received the Special Recognition Jump-Jockey award, for which Russ Garrity was nominated, and Willie Ryan, who retired in November, gained the Flat Jockey's equivalent, for which Dale Gibson was in the running.

With a crowd of around 600 people attending this lively affair, which was run by the Jockeys' Association, it is safe to report that a good night was had by all.

Updated: 12:40 Wednesday, January 12, 2005