Charles Wenham

Charles Wenham

1890 - 1974

Article by Alan Trout

After a promising start with ten wins in his first two full seasons, Charles Francis Wenham only managed to add another seven. He did, though, have a ride in a Grand National and finished second in another race over the Liverpool fences.

Born in 1890, he began his career on the Flat with an unplaced ride on Sporting Parson in the Town Selling Plate at Brighton on September 8, 1917. By then he was too old to claim an apprentice allowance and so had to compete on equal terms with experienced professionals. Although he had the occasional mount on the Flat until the 1930s, he had no success until switching to the jumps.

His first ride under National Hunt rules was The Silver Tassie, a faller in the Bookham Maiden Chase at Sandown Park on December 8, 1928. Almost a year passed before he opened his account when six-year-old Zahrat beat eleven rivals to take the Beginners’ Hurdle at Plumpton on December 10, 1929, beating Elcho by six lengths.  

He added two more wins before the end of March, the second of which had a dramatic postscript. After Tootenhill had narrowly won the Palace Handicap Chase at Hurst Park on March 14, he threw his jockey. Charles was injured in the fall and the stewards were obliged to pass him without weighing in. 

Nonetheless, he had recovered in time to partner Tootenhill in the Grand National 14 days later. Sent off a 33-1 chance, the eight-year-old was prominent in the early stages but later refused. 

Charles had seven winners during the 1930/31 season and finished second, beaten eight lengths, on Slieve Green in Liverpool’s Molyneux Chase on November 7, 1930, victory going to Bob Lyall’s mount Colliery Band.

After that, however, the winners dwindled, although he recorded four on the selling chaser Hippolytus. He had two rides in the Scottish Grand National: Slieve Green pulled up in 1930, and Hippolytus fell in 1933. 

His final victory was at Lingfield Park on November 22, 1935, when Dryburgh just won the Southern Handicap Chase, beating Captain Perry Harding, later to win a Champion Hurdle, by a short head on Norman Glory. His last ride was at Lingfield Park on February 11, 1939, when Fedor was unplaced in the Godstone Hurdle. 

Charles Wenham died in 1974.