Tony Clayton

Article by Chris Pitt

Anthony (Tony) Clayton held a professional jockey’s licence between 1956 and 1970 and rode more than 30 winners in Britain without ever registering more than six in a single season.

He began a seven-year apprenticeship in 1948, initially with Newmarket trainer Charles Long and rode his first winner on Wokey Hole in the Apprentice Handicap at Newmarket on June 28, 1949. He rode two more winners that year, La Valette and Giglet, both trained by Long. Despite that promising start Tony rode just one winner in 1950 – Wokey Hole at Salisbury – and none at all in 1951.

Charles Long died early in 1952 and Tony’s indentures were transferred to William Bellerby, who trained at Malton. He rode six winners that year, including three in a row on Bellerby’s three-year-old colt Cockfosters, at York’s May meeting, Doncaster in June and Manchester in July.

Having ridden just two winners in 1953, his scores improved to five in 1954 and six in 1955, the final year of his apprenticeship. All bar two were for William Bellerby, the others being for fellow Malton trainer Jimmy Thompson.

Mixing it with seasoned professional jockeys and devoid of a claim, Tony struggled and rode only two winners in 1956, both on Rufus Beasley’s three-year-old Leopard Story. He rode none the following year and just one in 1958, the Mick Easterby-trained mare Monurry at Thirsk. He did not hold a licence in 1959.

Looking to revive his fortunes, Tony returned south and in 1960 rode as stable jockey to owner-trainer Jim Weston-Evans, who was based at Herringswell, near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The new partnership got off to a perfect start with a winner, Nada, at Lincoln’s season opening fixture  and another at Nottingham before the month of March was out. But despite that brisk start, they had only two more winners all year. The arrangement lasted until 1963 but without further success, leading Tony to relinquish his licence at the end of that year.

It was three years before he rode again, this time having joined Derrick Candy’s yard at Kingstone Warren as work rider cum second jockey. He rode his first winner for seven years when steering Candy’s filly Fair Winter to victory at Chepstow on Whit Monday 1967.

There was to be just one more, ironically on the best horse Tony ever rode in a race, a big, rangy chestnut two-year-old colt named High Line, who provided a 33/1 shock when winning the Quidhampton Maiden Plate at Salisbury on his racecourse debut on September 11, 1968. Trained by Candy, High Line went on to win eight more races including Newmarket’s Jockey Club Cup three years running.

As for Tony Clayton, he rode for two more seasons before quitting the saddle in 1970. He then became head lad to that colourful and much-travelled trainer Rod Simpson.

Tony Clayton’s winners as a fully-fledged jockey were as follows:

Leopard Story, Doncaster, May 19, 1956

Leopard Story, Redcar, June 26, 1956

Monurry, Thirsk, August 1, 1958

Nada, Lincoln, March 23, 1960

Mohican, Nottingham, March 28, 1960

Prince Tudor, Doncaster, June 6, 1960

Sangpur, Lincoln, September 22, 1960

Fair Winter, Chepstow, May 29, 1967

High Line, Salisbury, September 11, 1968