Middleham mourns as former trainer Tommy 'Squeak' Fairhurst dies aged 95

Former Middleham trainer Tommy Fairhurst, known to all as 'Squeak', has died at the age of 95.

Born in 1927, Fairhurst served his apprenticeship under the village’s Derby-winning trainer Matt Peacock, whose Dante won the Classic – run at Newmarket – in 1945 during Fairhurst’s time there. Fairhurst then worked as head lad to Ernie Weymes while riding as a jockey until 1968 before turning his hand to training a year later.

Juvenile sprinter Barrys Gamble completed a hat-trick – which included the Beverley Two-Year-Old Trophy – on the biggest stage at Royal Ascot in the Windsor Castle Stakes under Pat Eddery in 1988.

Fairhurst's son Chris took over the licence in 1993.

“He’s had a long, long life,” Fairhurst said of his father. “Racing was his life and he fulfilled his lifetime ambition winning at Royal Ascot with Barrys Gamble. That was the highlight of his career.

“In latter years, when he coudn’t go, he got a lot of pleasure watching Joe Fanning winning all those races for Mark Johnston because Joe started with us.”

Chris Fairhurst: 'Racing was his life and he fulfilled his lifetime ambition winning at Royal Ascot with Barrys Gamble'

Fanning, now a multiple Group 1-winning rider, rode winners over jumps and on the Flat for Fairhurst after moving from Ireland to Britain in 1988. “I was apprentice to Tommy when I came over and I had three and a half, four years with him,” he said.

“It’s a family-run business and he was great to ride for. He was a lovely man and a great character."

“My first Flat winner was for Tommy and I went from there to Mark’s.”

Johnston, echoed Fanning’s sentiments saying: “Squeak was a kind man with a lovely family.”

Andrew Crook, like Fanning, rode for Fairhurst and has been training out of Middleham since 2001. He said: “I was an apprentice when I first came to Middleham and Tommy was training. He was a quiet, nice man and no-one had a bad word for him. What a gentleman he was and a good trainer. If he got the right horses he could train them.”

Mick Easterby was just four year’s Fairhurst’s junior, and although training from Sheriff Hutton rather than Middleham, still held a strong affection for his former colleague.

Easterby said: “He was a very good trainer and a good friend of mine. He knew a horse when he saw one, he was a very good judge of a horse and he was a great man and a great character. He was a total gentleman who’d do anything for you.”

Best horses: Royal Ascot winner Barrys Gamble (1988 Windsor Castle) and champion northern two-year-old Cragside – see CV below. Father of trainer Chris Fairhurst.

TOMMY FAIRHURST CV

Full name Thomas Fairhurst

Born Horden, County Durham, June 5, 1927

Apprenticed to Matt Peacock, Middleham 1942-46

First winner as jockey Chanlana, Haydock, May 20, 1955

Total wins as jockey 16 (all on Flat 1955-67)

Head lad to Ernie Weymes, Middleham

Stables as trainer The Cottage, Middleham 1969-77; Glasgow House, Middleham 1978-93

First winner as trainer Brython, Pontefract, April 16, 1969

Royal Ascot winner Barrys Gamble (1988 Windsor Castle Stakes)

Top-rated northern two-year-old Cragside (1984 Carlsberg Trophy Nursery)

Top-rated fillies in Northern Free Handicap Woodsome (1975 Firth of Clyde Stakes), Bright View (1981 Whelmar Nursery)

Other notable wins
Royal Louise (1970 Brocklesby Plate), Brython (1970 Manchester Memorial Cup, 1971 Liverpool Spring Cup, Forest Hall Handicap, 1972 Tennent Trophy), Pandu (6 juvenile wins 1976), Relative Ease (1977 Tilcon Trophy), Coded Scrap (1978 Bretby Handicap), Bohle (1979 Brocklesby Stakes), Rebollino (1981 Convivial Stakes), Tophams Taverns (1984 Manx Derby), Barrys Gamble (1988 Massey 2-Y-O Trophy)

Last winner Celestine (Catterick, September 18, 1993)

Most wins in a season 34 in 1978

Total wins as trainer 471 (406 Flat, 65 jumps)

Compiled by John Randall