Alec Taylor, Sr.
Alec Taylor, Sr. (1821–1894) was a successful British Thoroughbred horse trainer[1] running Manton stables, "one of the finest training centres".[2][3] He was "considered one of the best trainers of his era."[2]
Career
Taylor first began working as a trainer for Sir Joseph Hawley in 1848 at Fyfield, Hampshire.[citation needed] He began winning in 1851 with Aphrodite in the 1000 Guineas and Teddington in the Derby.[1][4][5] It was the first of what would be eleven wins in the five British Classics.[citation needed]
By 1870, Taylor had seen the construction of Manton Stables near Marlborough in Wiltshire, with the financial backing of Stirling Crawford, a property developer in Glasgow and one of the owners of the horses that Taylor trained.[2][3] Manton Stables were considered one of Britain's "most famous and prestigious training facilities" and were described as:
Those fortunate enough to visit the Manton establishment cannot fail to be impressed by the completeness of every detail. The buildings possess a singularly attractive and quiet beauty. [There are] spacious paddocks, splendid stables, and boxes [stalls] unsurpassed for size and abundance of light and air.[3]
In 1873 Gang Forward won the 2000 Guineas race, the first of his eight classic winners from Manton.[2][3] He won a total of 12 classics, ending in 1887 with Reve d'Or at the Oaks and 1000 Guineas.[1] In a career that lasted approximately fifty years, Alec Taylor trained winners of numerous other important English races.[citation needed]
He had a reputation for punishing his employees. A former employee of Taylor remarked:
A breakfast at Manton had consisted of tea, bread, and cuts from a riding crop, with the only second helpings coming from the crop.[3]
Classic Race wins
Taylor's wins in the British Classic Races include:
- Moslem (1868), Gang Forward (1873)
- Aphrodite (1851), Thebais (1881), Reve d'Or (1887)
- Teddington (1851), Sefton (1878)
- Thebais (1881), Reve d'Or (1887)
- St. Albans (1860), Craig Millar (1875)
Personal life and family
His father, Thomas Taylor, was a trainer to Lord Chesterfield.[1]
Alec Taylor, Sr. died in 1894.[1] Following his death, his sons Tom and Alec, by different mothers, ran Manton Stables from 1895.[1][3] Alec Taylor, Jr. became a successful trainer, and was known as the Wizard of Manton.[1][6][nb 1]
Notes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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