Charlie Scott
Charlie Scott was a top-flight northern amateur rider of the 1950s and 60s. The son of Hawick owner-trainer Thomas Scott, he rode a total of 78 winners under National Hunt rules in addition to his many point-to-point successes. His big race victories included both the Cheltenham and Liverpool Foxhunters and the Haydock and Catterick Grand National trials.
Charlie Scott was a top-flight northern amateur rider of the 1950s and 60s. The son of Hawick owner-trainer Thomas Scott, he rode a total of 78 winners under National Hunt rules in addition to his many point-to-point successes. His big race victories included both the Cheltenham and Liverpool Foxhunters and the Haydock and Catterick Grand National trials.
He rode his first winner on Miss Pat Bruce’s hunter chaser Dunboy II in the Adam Hill Hunters’ Chase at Bogside on April 26, 1952, following that with victory in the United Border Hunt Challenge Cup Chase at Kelso on May 1.
He rode his first winner on Miss Pat Bruce’s hunter chaser Dunboy II in the Adam Hill Hunters’ Chase at Bogside on April 26, 1952, following that with victory in the United Border Hunt Challenge Cup Chase at Kelso on May 1.
The following season Charlie rode Dunboy II to win his first race of the season at Newcastle on February 23, 1953. They then competed on the biggest stage of all and fought out a desperate finish for the four-mile Foxhunters’ Challenge Cup at Cheltenham, getting up on the line to force a dead-heat with Merry, the mount of Gay Kindersley. Charlie then rode Dunboy II to win the John Peel Cup Hunters’ Chase at Manchester’s Easter fixture and score a repeat victory in Kelso’s United Border Hunt Challenge Cup. Charlie’s other hunter chase victories that season included Lost Chord II at Bogside and De Combat at Kelso.
The following season Charlie rode Dunboy II to win his first race of the season at Newcastle on February 23, 1953. They then competed on the biggest stage of all and fought out a desperate finish for the four-mile Foxhunters’ Challenge Cup at Cheltenham, getting up on the line to force a dead-heat with Merry, the mount of Gay Kindersley. Charlie then rode Dunboy II to win the John Peel Cup Hunters’ Chase at Manchester’s Easter fixture and score a repeat victory in Kelso’s United Border Hunt Challenge Cup. Charlie’s other hunter chase victories that season included Lost Chord II at Bogside and De Combat at Kelso.
He won several hunter chases on De Combat (right). In 1956 they won at Doncaster in February, Ayr in March and Bogside in April. They defeated top hunter chaser The Callant when winning at Ayr, albeit after The Callant had blundered badly at the last fence, and came close to beating him on two other occasions, finishing two lengths second at Kelso and going down by just half a length in the Rothbury Cup at that annual Northumbrian fixture.
He won several hunter chases on De Combat (right). In 1956 they won at Doncaster in February, Ayr in March and Bogside in April. They defeated top hunter chaser The Callant when winning at Ayr, albeit after The Callant had blundered badly at the last fence, and came close to beating him on two other occasions, finishing two lengths second at Kelso and going down by just half a length in the Rothbury Cup at that annual Northumbrian fixture.
That 1955/56 campaign was Charlie’s most successful with 12 winners. He rode his father’s novice chaser Anticipate to win all five of his starts, including when providing the first leg of a double for Charlie at Ayr on March 19, completed by De Combat in the Ayrshire Hunters’ Challenge Cup.
That 1955/56 campaign was Charlie’s most successful with 12 winners. He rode his father’s novice chaser Anticipate to win all five of his starts, including when providing the first leg of a double for Charlie at Ayr on March 19, completed by De Combat in the Ayrshire Hunters’ Challenge Cup.
The following season he won two handicap chases on Anticipate at Carlisle and Ayr and two hunter chases on De Combat. The next season’s highlight was an Easter Monday double at Carlisle on his father’s handicap chasers Anticipate and Glorious Day. His father also owned and trained a decent hurdler named Breathlessly Smart, on whom Charlie won the highly competitive Alnwick Castle Handicap Hurdle at Newcastle in November 1958. However, far and away the most significant of his winners that year was when winning the 1959 Liverpool Foxhunters’ Chase on Miss Winifred Wallace’s Merryman II, trained by Neville Crump. Having been left in the lead at Becher’s, the pair came home unchallenged a distance clear of their nearest rival Monks Choice.
The following season he won two handicap chases on Anticipate at Carlisle and Ayr and two hunter chases on De Combat. The next season’s highlight was an Easter Monday double at Carlisle on his father’s handicap chasers Anticipate and Glorious Day. His father also owned and trained a decent hurdler named Breathlessly Smart, on whom Charlie won the highly competitive Alnwick Castle Handicap Hurdle at Newcastle in November 1958. However, far and away the most significant of his winners that year was when winning the 1959 Liverpool Foxhunters’ Chase on Miss Winifred Wallace’s Merryman II, trained by Neville Crump. Having been left in the lead at Becher’s, the pair came home unchallenged a distance clear of their nearest rival Monks Choice.
Merryman II went on to win that year’s Scottish Grand National when partnered by Gerry Scott. Gerry only rode him on one other occasion, and that was winning the 1960 Grand National. The following year, Gerry was sidelined with a broken arm and couldn’t ride Merryman II in the Grand National. Charlie was put on standby to ride him but Neville Crump eventually decided to engage an experienced professional jockey and opted for Derek Ancil. It wasn’t a great season for Charlie, who had to be content with just two winners, those coming courtesy of a Whit Monday double at Hexham on Swindon Square in the Sportsmen’s Hurdle and Breathlessly Smart in the John McKie Memorial Challenge Cup Hurdle, both races being for amateur riders.
Merryman II went on to win that year’s Scottish Grand National when partnered by Gerry Scott. Gerry only rode him on one other occasion, and that was winning the 1960 Grand National. The following year, Gerry was sidelined with a broken arm and couldn’t ride Merryman II in the Grand National. Charlie was put on standby to ride him but Neville Crump eventually decided to engage an experienced professional jockey and opted for Derek Ancil. It wasn’t a great season for Charlie, who had to be content with just two winners, those coming courtesy of a Whit Monday double at Hexham on Swindon Square in the Sportsmen’s Hurdle and Breathlessly Smart in the John McKie Memorial Challenge Cup Hurdle, both races being for amateur riders.
He enjoyed a far more successful campaign in 1960/61, riding nine winners. He began by scoring on Breathlessly Smart at Carlisle in October and winning two novice and two handicap hurdles with his father’s mare Queen o’ the Border. But he gained his two most important victories in February 1961 on staying chaser Uncle Isaac, winning the Haydock Park National Trial by three-quarters of a length from Stan Mellor on Badanloch, and Catterick’s Grand National Trial Chase, defeating Stan Hayhurst’s mount Lady Nenagh by half a length.
He enjoyed a far more successful campaign in 1960/61, riding nine winners. He began by scoring on Breathlessly Smart at Carlisle in October and winning two novice and two handicap hurdles with his father’s mare Queen o’ the Border. But he gained his two most important victories in February 1961 on staying chaser Uncle Isaac, winning the Haydock Park National Trial by three-quarters of a length from Stan Mellor on Badanloch, and Catterick’s Grand National Trial Chase, defeating Stan Hayhurst’s mount Lady Nenagh by half a length.
Charlie won two more handicap chases on Uncle Isaac the following season, both of them at Newcastle, namely the Gosforth Park Amateur Cup in November and the John Eustace Smith Trophy in December.
Charlie won two more handicap chases on Uncle Isaac the following season, both of them at Newcastle, namely the Gosforth Park Amateur Cup in November and the John Eustace Smith Trophy in December.
He also won a pair of novice hurdles on his father’s promising horse Vice Regent and won on Queen o’ the Border at Carlisle’s 1962 Easter fixture. He won on the latter again at the corresponding meeting twelve months later.
He also won a pair of novice hurdles on his father’s promising horse Vice Regent and won on Queen o’ the Border at Carlisle’s 1962 Easter fixture. He won on the latter again at the corresponding meeting twelve months later.
All of Charlie’s four wins for the 1962/63 season were achieved within the space of one week. At Carlisle’s two-day October meeting on Saturday, October 5 and Monday, October 7, Charlie won a novice hurdle on Craigton on the first day and then scored a second day double on Queen o’ the Border and Vice Regent. He then won again on Vice Regent at Ayr seven days later. Vice Regent went on to win that season’s Eider Chase at Newcastle but with Stan Hayhurst on board as Charlie was unable to do the minimum weight of 9st 7lb.
All of Charlie’s four wins for the 1962/63 season were achieved within the space of one week. At Carlisle’s two-day October meeting on Saturday, October 5 and Monday, October 7, Charlie won a novice hurdle on Craigton on the first day and then scored a second day double on Queen o’ the Border and Vice Regent. He then won again on Vice Regent at Ayr seven days later. Vice Regent went on to win that season’s Eider Chase at Newcastle but with Stan Hayhurst on board as Charlie was unable to do the minimum weight of 9st 7lb.
Hayhurst was again in the saddle when Vice Regent won the valuable Godfrey Long Handicap Chase at Wetherby on Whit Monday 1965. Charlie’s sole success that season came on Roborough in an amateur riders’ hurdle at Ayr in March.
Hayhurst was again in the saddle when Vice Regent won the valuable Godfrey Long Handicap Chase at Wetherby on Whit Monday 1965. Charlie’s sole success that season came on Roborough in an amateur riders’ hurdle at Ayr in March.
Charlie visited the winner’s enclosure five times during the 1965/66 campaign, beginning with his father’s novice hurdler Sauce for the Goose (left) at Kelso on March 5. He then won three races on Roborough, twice at Ayr and once at Hexham, and finished the season by winning the Huntsmen’s Hurdle at Hexham on Whit Monday on Yukon Girl.
Charlie visited the winner’s enclosure five times during the 1965/66 campaign, beginning with his father’s novice hurdler Sauce for the Goose (left) at Kelso on March 5. He then won three races on Roborough, twice at Ayr and once at Hexham, and finished the season by winning the Huntsmen’s Hurdle at Hexham on Whit Monday on Yukon Girl.
He enjoyed another good season in 1967/68 when riding nine winners. Roborough contributed three of those, an Ayr handicap hurdle in October, a Hexham novice chase in November and a Newcastle handicap chase in March, the latter forming the first leg of a double for Charlie that day, completed by novice hurdler Humbleton Manor. He also won a three-mile handicap chase on Vice Regent at Carlisle’s Easter meeting.
He enjoyed another good season in 1967/68 when riding nine winners. Roborough contributed three of those, an Ayr handicap hurdle in October, a Hexham novice chase in November and a Newcastle handicap chase in March, the latter forming the first leg of a double for Charlie that day, completed by novice hurdler Humbleton Manor. He also won a three-mile handicap chase on Vice Regent at Carlisle’s Easter meeting.
Roborough provided Charlie with his penultimate winner under National Hunt rules, his last over fences, when winning the Arthur Challenge Cup Handicap Chase at Ayr on March 8, 1969. His last win came on Humbleton Manor at Perth in the Aberfeldy Novices Chase on May 21 1969, in which he beat Bret Maverick, the mount of Ron Barry, by 10 lengths.
Roborough provided Charlie with his penultimate winner under National Hunt rules, his last over fences, when winning the Arthur Challenge Cup Handicap Chase at Ayr on March 8, 1969. His last win came on Humbleton Manor at Perth in the Aberfeldy Novices Chase on May 21 1969, in which he beat Bret Maverick, the mount of Ron Barry, by 10 lengths.
Other good wins included...
Other good wins included...
Breathlessly Smart - Newcastle, November 15, 1958
Breathlessly Smart - Newcastle, November 15, 1958
Uncle Isaac - Catterick, February 18, 1961.
Uncle Isaac - Catterick, February 18, 1961.
Uncle Isaac - Newcastle, December 9, 1961
Uncle Isaac - Newcastle, December 9, 1961
Charlie Scott died in April 2022, aged 91.
Charlie Scott died in April 2022, aged 91.