Born at Benwell Hall, Northumberland in 1837, the year Queen Victoria came to the throne, Mr E. C. Clayton, known familiarly as Uncle, was educated at Harrow then later at Oxford.
He was a keen amateur rider and owner whose Zoedone ran third in the 1882 Grand National behind Seaman and Cyrus. After the race he sold Zoedone to Austrian nobleman Count Charles Kinsky for £1,000, a transaction he came to regret when the Count rode it to win the following year's Grand National.
Norma, on which he on the 1866 Belvoir Stakes was just one of many good horses in Mr Clayton's stable -Idle Girl, Creslow, Whitenose, Tonio, Consolation and Broadway were among others.
He rode Diana to a short-head victory in the County Cup at Uxbridge before, in 1871, gaining many plaudits for his handling of the shifty Podesta, which he cajoled to win a welter plate at Cheltenham. He excelled at Croxton Park, riding many winners there.
In 1867, Mr Clayton bought Lozenge with a view to it winning that year's Cambridgeshire. He rode it in all its work before the race and was rewarded when Lozenze won the race after a dead-heat with Wosley, owned by Sir John Hawley. Normally, after a dead-heat, the winning purse - in this instance £10,000 - was divided, but Mr Clayton insisted on a re-run, and claimed the full pot.
A friend of King Edward, he was a member of the Jockey Club, and the club named a race after him at Newmarket.
At his home, memories of his career were perpetuated in paintings. One of which he was very proud hung in the hall and showed him and King Edward in company at Doncater. He also had, of course, a picture of Lozenze. In a cabinet were displayed various trophies, whips and crops, etc.
He was twice married: in 1860 to Charlotte Drake and, after she died in 1916, to Rosia Burn in 1920.
Aged 99, Mr Clayton died on Sunday December 22 1935 at Vottesmore Grange, Oakha, Rutland. His last wish was that there were to be no flowers and no mourning.
