Roger Charlton: A Marathon not a sprint

Veteran trainer Roger Charlton has been based at historic Beckhampton Stables, near Marlborough, Wiltshire since 1978. Initially employed as assistant trainer to Jeremy Tree, Charlton spent 12 years in that role before finally taking charge of the yard in 1990, after his predecessor was forced to retire, due to ill-health, at the end of the 1989 season.

Remarkably, in his first season in charge, Charlton saddled Sanglamore, owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah, to win the Prix du Jockey Club, otherwise known as the ‘French Derby’, at Chantilly and, three days later, saddled Quest For Fame, in the same ownership, to win the Derby at Epsom. Of course, winning two of the most prestigious and valuable races in Europe within the space of 72 hours can hardly be described as a ‘flash in the pan’ but, subsequently, in the best part of three decades, Charlton has yet to train another Classic winner.

He does, however, have no fewer than 17 Group One victories to his name. Aside from Sanglamore, who also won the Prix d’Isphan, back at Chantilly, as a four-year-old in 1991, other notable achievements in the first half of his career included winning the Sprint Cup at Haydock twice, with Tamarisk in 1998 and Tante Rose in 2004, and Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp twice, with Patavellian in 2003 and Avonbridge in 2005.

More recently, in 2013, Al Kazeem flew the flag for the yard, winning the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on successive starts. Indeed, the Dubawi colt proved he was no back number when winning the Tattersalls Gold Cup again, as a seven-year-old, in 2015. More recently still, in 2017, Decorated Knight had an equally productive campaign, winning the Jebel Hatta at Meydan, Tattersalls Gold Cup and Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

Listed and Pattern races aside, Charlton also has an enviable record in so-called ‘heritage’ handicaps, including the Stewards’ Cup and the Totesport Mile, both at Goodwood, which he has won three times apiece. He was also won the Cambridgeshire and the Bunbury Cup, both at Newmarket, twice, and the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot twice, among other high-profile successes.