William Stewart

William Stewart

William Reid Stewart had two wins over jumps, having started his career at Nottingham on February 6, 1967, when Granchia was unplaced in the Annesley Hurdle (Division 2).

He missed the following season but then returned and had his first victory on Worthy Friend in the Huntingtowerfield Handicap Hurdle at Perth on May 21, 1969, beating the notorious Hill House – the controversial 1967 Schweppes Gold Trophy winner that was found to manufacture his own ‘dope’, the steroid cortisol, within his own body – although the 31lb Hill House was conceding to Worthy Friend may have aided the latter’s cause.

The winner was trained by Peter Poston, with whose stable William was associated. It was not unusual for Poston to run his horses as far north as Perth. Indeed, although based in the south, he had most of his runners at northern and Scottish tracks, making the most of the generous travelling allowance the Levy Board used to pay in those days. A Smithfield meat wholesaler by trade, at one time he had 35 horses in his yard, all of which he owned himself. Based first at Exning, then at Ingatestone, in Essex – from where he sent out Worthy Friend to win at Perth – before moving to Raylands Stables in Newmarket, Poston relied on the Levy Board subsidy as an essential part of his training operation. 

The front-running Homefield was his best horse and gave him his biggest victory when winning the Tennent Trophy at Ayr in 1973, one of five handicaps the horse won from 18 starts that season. Poston was not one to keep his horses wrapped in cotton wool; they saw plenty of the racecourse. Sound Advice ran 65 times before his one and only victory at Lanark. High Water, Grand Avenue, Mill Green, Dire Straits and Fat Jack between them had 313 races for a collective score of 17 wins.  

As for Worthy Friend, he never won again. Along with fellow Poston inmates Grave Doubts and Absolute, Worthy Friend ran a combined total of 110 races on the Flat between them without winning. Peggy’s Pet was still a maiden after 62 attempts spread over three seasons, although he once finished strongly to snatch second place with a 5lb claimer named Willie Carson on board.  

Another Newmarket trainer, ‘Fiddler’ Goodwill, trained William’s only other winner, when Sentimental Reason took the lead at the second flight and stayed on resolutely to hold off the strong finishing Parish Councillor, ridden by Colin Parker, to claim victory in the Skellfield Selling Handicap Hurdle at Catterick Bridge by a short head on November 15, 1969. 

Hopes of another win when the partnership was reunited at Wolverhampton twelve days later were soon dashed when they were brought down at the first flight. 

William had few other opportunities, his final ride being at Fakenham on February 27, 1970, when he was unseated from Sentimental Reason at the third flight in the Fincham Selling Handicap Hurdle.