Roger Charlton to hand over training licence to son Harry

Roger Charlton has announced his son Harry will assume full control of the training licence at Beckhampton at the end of the season.

Charlton famously saddled Quest For Fame and Sanglamore to win the Epsom Derby and French Derby respectively in 1990, his first year in charge at the yard having previously served as Jeremy Tree’s assistant since 1978.

He subsequently sent out a string of top-class winners with the likes of Tamarisk, Patavellian, Tante Rose and Avonbridge striking Group One sprint gold, while Cityscape, Thistle Bird, Al Kazeem and Decorated Knight were middle-distance stars and Quest For More was a Group One stayer.

His son was added to the licence last year and will now take full control, although Charlton senior underlined he will still maintain his presence at the yard.

He told Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday: “We had a joint-licence and I discussed with Harry whether that was the right approach and we thought it was, you have a sort of seamless transition and the owners get to know him better. I think it’s right now, as he’s extremely experienced, very able and bright person, I think it’s right for him to hold the licence.

“I think it’s right for Beckhampton’s image to have a slightly younger image going forward, so we thought at the end of this season it (coming off the licence) was a sensible thing to do. It was just a case of when it was going to be announced and I have managed to ring all the owners already.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ve been there 45 years really doing the same thing I’ve been training for 33 years and I’m not suddenly not going to get up in the morning. I like doing it. I like horses and I love going round evening stables every day and I love going out on the downs and mowing the grass on the tractor and doing everything to keep Beckhampton going.”