Colin Davies
Colin Hughes Davies, the son of a Cardiff property developer, was born on May 23 1928, and served with the Fleet Air Arm from 1947 to 1949. An astute businessman and amateur rider, he was also an accomplished motor racing driver who held the lap record at Aintree and won the Grand Prix des Frontieres at Chimay in Belgium.
Colin Hughes Davies, the son of a Cardiff property developer, was born on May 23 1928, and served with the Fleet Air Arm from 1947 to 1949. An astute businessman and amateur rider, he was also an accomplished motor racing driver who held the lap record at Aintree and won the Grand Prix des Frontieres at Chimay in Belgium.
He started off riding in point-to-points, winning the 1958 Lady Dudley Cup, held then at Upton-on-Severn, aboard his own horse Master Copper. That same horse also gave him his first success under National Hunt rules when landing the North Warwickshire Hunters’ Chase at Warwick on February 21, 1959. One of his rivals that was the mighty Colledge Master, one of the finest hunter chasers since the war.
He started off riding in point-to-points, winning the 1958 Lady Dudley Cup, held then at Upton-on-Severn, aboard his own horse Master Copper. That same horse also gave him his first success under National Hunt rules when landing the North Warwickshire Hunters’ Chase at Warwick on February 21, 1959. One of his rivals that was the mighty Colledge Master, one of the finest hunter chasers since the war.
He won three more hunter chases on Master Copper in 1960 including the United Hunts’ Challenge Cup at Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting.
He won three more hunter chases on Master Copper in 1960 including the United Hunts’ Challenge Cup at Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting.
He rode another of his horses, Claymore, in the 1964 Grand National and completed the course, thus becoming one of the few people to have gone around Aintree on horseback and in a racing car.
He rode another of his horses, Claymore, in the 1964 Grand National and completed the course, thus becoming one of the few people to have gone around Aintree on horseback and in a racing car.
In 1963 he took out a trainer’s licence and established a modern training complex at Oakgrove, near Chepstow. By far the best horse he handled was Persian War, with whom he won the Champion Hurdle three times (1968, 1969, 1970), along with the Welsh Champion Hurdle (1969) and the Schweppes Gold Trophy (1968). He also trained Persian Empire to win the 1970 Imperial Cup, ridden by Brough Scott.
In 1963 he took out a trainer’s licence and established a modern training complex at Oakgrove, near Chepstow. By far the best horse he handled was Persian War, with whom he won the Champion Hurdle three times (1968, 1969, 1970), along with the Welsh Champion Hurdle (1969) and the Schweppes Gold Trophy (1968). He also trained Persian Empire to win the 1970 Imperial Cup, ridden by Brough Scott.
Colin Davies died a rich man on May 4, 1996, leaving a fortune of £1,072,340.
Colin Davies died a rich man on May 4, 1996, leaving a fortune of £1,072,340.