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Steve Raymont was a highly successful apprentice who has spent almost all his racing life at the renowned Beckhampton training establishment, at which he is now head lad to its present incumbent, Roger Charlton.
Steve Raymont was a highly successful apprentice who has spent almost all his racing life at the renowned Beckhampton training establishment, at which he is now head lad to its present incumbent, Roger Charlton.
Stephen John Raymont was born on February 5, 1957 and served his apprenticeship with Jeremy Tree at Beckhampton between 1974 and 1980. He rode his first winner on Yeoman, wearing the famous ‘pink, black and white striped sleeves, white cap’ colours of Jock Whitney, in the Crown Plus Two Apprentice Championship Handicap at Ascot on July 26, 1974. He won another Ascot apprentice race on Yeoman in October.
Stephen John Raymont was born on February 5, 1957 and served his apprenticeship with Jeremy Tree at Beckhampton between 1974 and 1980. He rode his first winner on Yeoman, wearing the famous ‘pink, black and white striped sleeves, white cap’ colours of Jock Whitney, in the Crown Plus Two Apprentice Championship Handicap at Ascot on July 26, 1974. He won another Ascot apprentice race on Yeoman in October.
He rode five winners during 1975, beginning with a 33-1 shock victory on Jock Whitney’s Cadence in a three-year-old fillies’ maiden at Newbury on April 19. Then it was back to Yeoman, winning an apprentices’ race at Sandown in May and the Noel Cannon Memorial Trophy at Salisbury in June. Another Whitney-owned horse, Peaceful, was Steve’s next winner, winning the Sandringham Handicap at Ascot on July 25. A fourth Whitney horse, the juvenile filly Still Flying, trained like the other trio by Jeremy Tree, won a Bath maiden in September.
He rode five winners during 1975, beginning with a 33-1 shock victory on Jock Whitney’s Cadence in a three-year-old fillies’ maiden at Newbury on April 19. Then it was back to Yeoman, winning an apprentices’ race at Sandown in May and the Noel Cannon Memorial Trophy at Salisbury in June. Another Whitney-owned horse, Peaceful, was Steve’s next winner, winning the Sandringham Handicap at Ascot on July 25. A fourth Whitney horse, the juvenile filly Still Flying, trained like the other trio by Jeremy Tree, won a Bath maiden in September.
Steve won ten races in 1976, three of them on Peaceful including two valuable handicaps, Redcar’s Vaux Gold Tankard on Whit Monday, May 31, and Haydock’s Old Newton Cup on July 3. Although he rode only five winners in 1977, they included the Somerset Stakes at Bath on Jock Whitney’s Grey Buttons, an ‘outside’ winning ride on veteran Bright Fire for neighbouring Beckhampton owner-trainer Herbert Blagrave at Salisbury, two wins on Jeremy Tree’s six-furlong sprinter Doctor Wall, and best of all, a Royal Ascot victory on Peaceful in the Bessborough Handicap.
Steve won ten races in 1976, three of them on Peaceful including two valuable handicaps, Redcar’s Vaux Gold Tankard on Whit Monday, May 31, and Haydock’s Old Newton Cup on July 3. Although he rode only five winners in 1977, they included the Somerset Stakes at Bath on Jock Whitney’s Grey Buttons, an ‘outside’ winning ride on veteran Bright Fire for neighbouring Beckhampton owner-trainer Herbert Blagrave at Salisbury, two wins on Jeremy Tree’s six-furlong sprinter Doctor Wall, and best of all, a Royal Ascot victory on Peaceful in the Bessborough Handicap.
His score trebled to 15 in 1978, the highlights being winning the Ladbrokes Silver Trophy on Peaceful at Epsom’s spring meeting, the Cosmopolitan Cup on Iliad at Lingfield in May, Salisbury’s Stockbridge Stakes on racecourse debutante Lyric Dance, and the J & B Whisky Handicap at Ascot on Herbert Blagrave’s Carey’s Choice.
His score trebled to 15 in 1978, the highlights being winning the Ladbrokes Silver Trophy on Peaceful at Epsom’s spring meeting, the Cosmopolitan Cup on Iliad at Lingfield in May, Salisbury’s Stockbridge Stakes on racecourse debutante Lyric Dance, and the J & B Whisky Handicap at Ascot on Herbert Blagrave’s Carey’s Choice.
Steve’s banner year came in 1979, with his 25 winners including a string of big race successes. It began well when winning Newcastle’s valuable XYZ Handicap on Jock Whitney’s three-year-old colt Baptism on April 14. A hat-trick for three different trainers, Brian Swift, Les Holt and Jeremy Tree, at Windsor in May was followed by victory in the Newbury Summer Cup on Herbert Blagrave’s Shady Nook. He also rode Shady Nook to win Ascot’s Sandringham Handicap and Windsor’s Quortina Challenge Cup.
Steve’s banner year came in 1979, with his 25 winners including a string of big race successes. It began well when winning Newcastle’s valuable XYZ Handicap on Jock Whitney’s three-year-old colt Baptism on April 14. A hat-trick for three different trainers, Brian Swift, Les Holt and Jeremy Tree, at Windsor in May was followed by victory in the Newbury Summer Cup on Herbert Blagrave’s Shady Nook. He also rode Shady Nook to win Ascot’s Sandringham Handicap and Windsor’s Quortina Challenge Cup.
He rode his second Royal Ascot winner on Brian Swift’s Lord Rochford in the 1979 Wokingham Stakes and followed that by riding him to victory in Ripon’s Great St Wilfrid Handicap in August. And to round off a great season, he won three in a row on Khalid Abdulla’s filly Alia, culminating in Group race success in the Princess Royal Stakes (Group 3) at Ascot on October 13.
He rode his second Royal Ascot winner on Brian Swift’s Lord Rochford in the 1979 Wokingham Stakes and followed that by riding him to victory in Ripon’s Great St Wilfrid Handicap in August. And to round off a great season, he won three in a row on Khalid Abdulla’s filly Alia, culminating in Group race success in the Princess Royal Stakes (Group 3) at Ascot on October 13.
His winners in 1980 included Newbury’s London Gold Cup and a second Old Newton Cup, both on Shady Nook. He completed his apprenticeship at the end of that year.
His winners in 1980 included Newbury’s London Gold Cup and a second Old Newton Cup, both on Shady Nook. He completed his apprenticeship at the end of that year.
He continued to ride as understudy to Beckhampton’s stable jockeys and had the pleasure of riding work on all the yard’s best horses, none better than the one he also looked after, Rainbow Quest. In 1985 he rode Rainbow Quest’s pacemaker August in all his British races including the Coronation Cup, Eclipse, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes.
He continued to ride as understudy to Beckhampton’s stable jockeys and had the pleasure of riding work on all the yard’s best horses, none better than the one he also looked after, Rainbow Quest. In 1985 he rode Rainbow Quest’s pacemaker August in all his British races including the Coronation Cup, Eclipse, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes.
Steve achieved his second Pattern race success aboard Pips Pride in the Grosser Preis von Berlin in 1993. He rode his last winner in 1996.
Steve achieved his second Pattern race success aboard Pips Pride in the Grosser Preis von Berlin in 1993. He rode his last winner in 1996.
Apart from a brief spell with the Godolphin operation, Steve was at Beckhampton for more than 40 years and according to trainer Roger Charlton, who succeeded Jeremy Tree there in 1990, “knows the gallops far better than I do.” He retired as Charlton’s head lad in February 2023, having reached his 66th birthday.
Apart from a brief spell with the Godolphin operation, Steve was at Beckhampton for more than 40 years and according to trainer Roger Charlton, who succeeded Jeremy Tree there in 1990, “knows the gallops far better than I do.” He retired as Charlton’s head lad in February 2023, having reached his 66th birthday.
Big winners:
Big winners:
1976: Old Newton Cup – Peaceful
1976: Old Newton Cup – Peaceful
1976: Vaux Gold Tankard – Peaceful
1976: Vaux Gold Tankard – Peaceful
1977: Bessborough Stakes – Peaceful
1977: Bessborough Stakes – Peaceful
1979: Wokingham Stakes – Lord Rochford
1979: Wokingham Stakes – Lord Rochford
1979: Great St Wilfrid Handicap – Lord Rochford
1979: Great St Wilfrid Handicap – Lord Rochford
1979: Princess Royal Stakes – Alia
1979: Princess Royal Stakes – Alia
1980: London Gold Cup – Shady Nook
1980: London Gold Cup – Shady Nook
1980: Old Newton Cup – Shady Nook
1980: Old Newton Cup – Shady Nook
1993: Grosser Preis bon Berlin – Pips Pride
1993: Grosser Preis bon Berlin – Pips Pride
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