'He deserves his chance' - Roger Charlton steps away from licence but backs son Harry for Beckhampton success

Roger Charlton on Sunday backed his son Harry to succeed at their historic Beckhampton base following the news the Derby-winning trainer will relinquish his part of their joint licence at the end of the season.

The widely respected Charlton, who stressed he would not be stepping away from day-to-day duties, started training with a bang in 1990, when he saddled Quest For Fame to win the Derby and Sanglamore to land the Prix du Jockey Club, months after he had replaced his then-boss Jeremy Tree at the famous Wiltshire estate, which has housed countless Classic heroes and was once home to racing royalty Fred Darling and Noel Murless.

The 73-year-old has continued to enjoy top-flight glory in an enduring career thanks to the likes of Patavellian, Avonbridge, Cityscape, Al Kazeem, Decorated Knight and more recently Quadrilateral, and last year he linked up formally with his eldest son Harry.

Al Kazeem: a star for CharltonCredit: Edward Whitaker

That partnership will cease, at least on paper, for 2024, and Charlton snr said: "We were only ever going to have a joint-licence for a couple of years. This wasn't a decision that was made recently, it was always part of the programme and I think the timing is right.

"I don't think much will change, but I hope we will be in a position to attract more owners and we'll probably form syndicates and have more multiple-ownership models.

"In the structure of the place and the way it runs, nothing will change, but Harry deserves a chance to have runners in his name, although I'm not going anywhere. I'll still get out of bed in the morning and assist him in any way I can."

Charlton has trained for some of the sport's biggest names, including Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte operation, which raced Quest For Fame and Sanglamore, the late Queen Elizabeth II and Lady Rothschild, who died in 2019.

"You expand a stable by getting results, which is the most important thing along with being honest and transparent," added the winner of more than 1,400 races. "That gets you more horses and I think the way forward in racing is much more multiple ownership rather than expecting to have support from big owner-breeders, which I think is a bit more in the past now.

"Harry is very good with people and I think it's an image thing we had to change. We're open for business and Beckhampton is a special place that needs to be put on display.

"It doesn't hurt me [coming off the licence] and it doesn't feel any different, while the hard work won't stop – I'm not retiring.

"I think when Jeremy brought me in as his assistant in 1978 he needed someone to help and get more owners, and have a younger image – they were his words – and, without Harry doing it, one would wonder how long we would survive."

In his 37-year-old son, Charlton, who won the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival on Pride Of Kentucky in 1969 as an amateur rider, feels he has a rounded, talented operator to continue Beckhampton's legacy.

Beckhampton has a rich historyCredit: Julian Herbert

"We're both capable of doing 100 per cent of the job," he said. "So when either of us were away at the sales or racing, everything just carried on like clockwork. Training horses is mainly common sense with a bit of flair, although a lot of it is gut feeling and it isn't written in a text book, and Harry has that ability.

"If something has been around for 200 years, like Beckhampton has, there is a responsibility to maintain it, so hopefully he can."

Steve Drowne rode more winners than anyone for Charlton and was quick to hail his one-time ally.

"First and foremost he was always a gentleman to ride for," he said on Sunday morning. "He had bags of patience with horses. Quite often you'd find a two-year-old who you might think could be Royal Ascot material, but Roger might take his time and put him away, and, more often than not, he was right.

"I was at Mick Channon's but started riding out for Roger and got the odd ride, but Tim Sprake, who rode regularly for him at the time, was hurt in a car crash and I got on a few more. Before I realised, I was riding most of the string which was lovely."

Now a BHA steward, Drowne added: "Patavellian was rated in the 60s when Roger got him and went on to win four on the bounce, then the Stewards' Cup and Abbaye. He was brilliant at planning and always had a plan for each horse."

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