George Margarson

George Margarson

Article by Alan Trout

Before becoming a successful Newmarket trainer, George Graham Margarson rode over jumps in the late 1970s and early ’80s and had four wins.

He began his career on the beach in Cleethorpes working with donkeys. From there his passion for horses flourished and he was soon in a racing yard learning everything he possibly could, based with Yorkshire trainer John Bingham. 

He had an eventful first ride under National Hunt rules when partnering Parva Prince in the Hartcliffe Handicap Hurdle at Haydock Park on January 22, 1977. The five-year-old, running for the first time in 16 months, led approaching halfway but then tried to run out and was soon tailed off. 

It was to be more than three years before George rode a winner but it finally happened at Catterick on March 26, 1980, when Mendelita made all the running and held off the strong challenge of Alan Dickman on Pleasant Polly to win the Toytop Novices’ Hurdle by a length. It was the four-year-old’s second start, George having partnered him when unplaced at the same course the previous month. 

That was his only success of the season but he made a good start to the 1980/81 campaign when Blood Orange, trained like Mendelita by John Bingham, won the Ovrevoll Perpetual Challenge Trophy Long Distance Novices’ Hurdle at Market Rasen on August 4 by a distance, having had the advantage of a run at the course two days earlier. 

Following a fifth-placed finish at Market Rasen two weeks later,, it looked as though George and Blood Orange would win again when coming to the second last hurdle well clear of his two toiling rivals at Southwell on August 26, only for the horse to blunder and unseat his rider. 

Despite that mishap, John Bingham continued to put George up on his horses and his faith was rewarded when Mendelita struck again, taking the Ludford Handicap Hurdle at Market Rasen on October 17, having made all the running. The partnership had their final success at Haydock Park on November 26, when landing the Bryn Handicap Hurdle by seven lengths. 

Two unplaced efforts followed before George had his final ride at Towcester on May 4, 1981, when pulling up on Will Gulf in the Holiday Novices’ Hurdle. 

After progressing to a travelling head lad, George eventually began training, based at Graham Lodge Stables, within a few minutes’ walk of the entrance to Newmarket’s famous Rowley Mile racecourse, having gained the backing of owner John Guest who’s family continue to support George as a trainer to this day.

Guest’s horses invariably have the suffix ‘Guest’ in their name. Arguably the most popular horse to carry his blue and white silks in recent times was seven-furlong specialist Ropey Guest, affectionately known as ‘Chubby. Although he only won four of his 46 races prior to being retired in 2024, he nonetheless amassed over £300,000 in prize-money, being placed in several valuable handicaps.   

George Margarson’s wins were, in chronological order:

1. Mendelita, Catterick Bridge, March 26, 1980 

2. Blood Orange, Market Rasen, August 4, 1980

3. Mendelita, Market Rasen, October 17, 1980

4. Mendelita, Haydock Park, November 26, 1980