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Toby Balding: master trainer who landed jump racing’s ultimate treble Toby Balding: master trainer who landed jump racing’s ultimate treble
(35 minutes later)
Toby Balding, who has died at the age of 78, will be remembered for many achievements on the track over the course of a 48-year training career, and for his ability to inspire others to achieve great things too. Tony McCoy, the most successful jump jockey in history, and Adrian Maguire, one of the outstanding riders of the 1990s, both gained a vital foothold in British racing at Balding’s yard.Toby Balding, who has died at the age of 78, will be remembered for many achievements on the track over the course of a 48-year training career, and for his ability to inspire others to achieve great things too. Tony McCoy, the most successful jump jockey in history, and Adrian Maguire, one of the outstanding riders of the 1990s, both gained a vital foothold in British racing at Balding’s yard.
But he will be most fondly and enduringly remembered not so much for what he did as for the way that he did it. Balding was the youngest trainer in the country when he took a licence as a teenager in 1956, a time when many stables were run along almost feudal lines. But it was not in his nature to rule a yard by fear. “Toby could warm up an Eskimo hut,” Jimmy Frost, who rode Balding’s Little Polveir to win the Grand National, said on Friday. “He made everyone feel welcome.”But he will be most fondly and enduringly remembered not so much for what he did as for the way that he did it. Balding was the youngest trainer in the country when he took a licence as a teenager in 1956, a time when many stables were run along almost feudal lines. But it was not in his nature to rule a yard by fear. “Toby could warm up an Eskimo hut,” Jimmy Frost, who rode Balding’s Little Polveir to win the Grand National, said on Friday. “He made everyone feel welcome.”
Balding had a natural, instinctive warmth and intelligence that was as easily perceived in a five-minute phone conversation as it was by those who worked with him for decades. He loved horses, racing and the life of a trainer, but took as much pleasure from helping others to find the same fulfilment. Unlike many high achievers, he used his gifts and experience to help others to achieve too. Balding had a natural, instinctive warmth and an intelligence that was as easily perceived in a five-minute phone conversation as it was by those who worked with him for decades. He loved horses, racing and the life of a trainer but took as much pleasure from helping others to find the same fulfilment. Unlike many high achievers, he used his gifts and experience to help others to achieve, too.
Balding saddled many winners on the Flat, including big-race successes in both the Ayr Gold Cup and Stewards’ Cup, but National Hunt racing was his overriding passion and provided his greatest triumphs. Above all, he completed jumping’s ultimate treble with wins in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Champion Hurdle and the Grand National, adding a second success in the latter two contests for good measure. Despite his dominance in National Hunt racing in the 1980s and 1990s, Martin Pipe did not complete the set, while Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Willie Mullins, the most powerful trainers in the game today, all have only two out of three.Balding saddled many winners on the Flat, including big-race successes in both the Ayr Gold Cup and Stewards’ Cup, but National Hunt racing was his overriding passion and provided his greatest triumphs. Above all, he completed jumping’s ultimate treble with wins in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Champion Hurdle and the Grand National, adding a second success in the latter two contests for good measure. Despite his dominance in National Hunt racing in the 1980s and 1990s, Martin Pipe did not complete the set, while Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Willie Mullins, the most powerful trainers in the game today, all have only two out of three.
Beech Road’s victory in the 1989 Champion Hurdle perhaps sums up Balding’s talents best of all. The screens were up around the gelding after a serious fall at the end of a brief, unsuccessful novice chasing career, but just a few months later he took the feature event on the first day of the Festival at 50-1.Beech Road’s victory in the 1989 Champion Hurdle perhaps sums up Balding’s talents best of all. The screens were up around the gelding after a serious fall at the end of a brief, unsuccessful novice chasing career, but just a few months later he took the feature event on the first day of the Festival at 50-1.
Balding had kept faith in his horse even if the punters and bookies had written him off. Nor did they learn their lesson. Beech Road went to the Aintree Hurdle at Liverpool a few weeks later and was overlooked in the market again before recording a comfortable success. Balding, a man who knew his way around a betting ring and kickstarted his career with a significant gamble, must have been highly amused.Balding had kept faith in his horse even if the punters and bookies had written him off. Nor did they learn their lesson. Beech Road went to the Aintree Hurdle at Liverpool a few weeks later and was overlooked in the market again before recording a comfortable success. Balding, a man who knew his way around a betting ring and kickstarted his career with a significant gamble, must have been highly amused.
Beech Road’s win in the Aintree Hurdle was followed by four in a row for Balding’s Morley Street, who also took a Champion Hurdle along the way.Beech Road’s win in the Aintree Hurdle was followed by four in a row for Balding’s Morley Street, who also took a Champion Hurdle along the way.
“Morley Street was an incredibly bad bleeder so it took all of Toby’s skills to help him fulfil his undoubted potential,” Frost, who was in the saddle for his first two wins at Aintree, said on Friday, before recalling his first involvement with the stable.“Morley Street was an incredibly bad bleeder so it took all of Toby’s skills to help him fulfil his undoubted potential,” Frost, who was in the saddle for his first two wins at Aintree, said on Friday, before recalling his first involvement with the stable.
“There was one Easter Monday when a friend of mine told me to ring Toby for the ride on a horse and I said, ‘Don’t be stupid, Toby Balding won’t give me a ride’. But I rang him anyway and we talked on the phone as if I had known him all my life. That horse didn’t run, but Toby told me to ring him again and it started from there.” “There was one Easter Monday when a friend of mine told me to ring Toby for the ride on a horse and I said: ‘Don’t be stupid, Toby Balding won’t give me a ride.’ But I rang him anyway and we talked on the phone as if I had known him all my life. That horse didn’t run but Toby told me to ring him again and it started from there.”
Like Beech Road, Cool Ground was an outsider for the Gold Cup when he scraped home by a short-head at 25-1 with Maguire in the saddle. “He was a real gentleman and was a father figure to me and my wife,” Maguire said on Friday. “I was only 20 when I won the Gold Cup. I’d just ridden out my claim and was still eligible to ride in conditionals’ races. He didn’t have to give me the ride, but he did. Like Beech Road, Cool Ground was an outsider for the Gold Cup when he scraped home by a short head at 25-1 with Maguire in the saddle. “He was a real gentleman and was a father figure to me and my wife,” Maguire said on Friday. “I was only 20 when I won the Gold Cup. I’d just ridden out my claim and was still eligible to ride in conditionals’ races. He didn’t have to give me the ride but he did.
“He was a great man and was great with people. Everyone loved him and people didn’t just want a horse with Toby Balding because he was a great trainer, they wanted a horse with him just to be involved with him.”“He was a great man and was great with people. Everyone loved him and people didn’t just want a horse with Toby Balding because he was a great trainer, they wanted a horse with him just to be involved with him.”
Balding was a tireless worker for the National Trainers’ Federation both during and after his training career, and was awarded an OBE for his services to horse racing.Balding was a tireless worker for the National Trainers’ Federation both during and after his training career, and was awarded an OBE for his services to horse racing.
“With his beguiling mix of wisdom and humour,” the NTF said on Friday, “he was always persuasive and immensely popular.” Balding’s contribution and commitment continued even after a stroke in 2011 left him semi-blind.“With his beguiling mix of wisdom and humour,” the NTF said on Friday, “he was always persuasive and immensely popular.” Balding’s contribution and commitment continued even after a stroke in 2011 left him semi-blind.
“You could talk all day about his achievements,” Maguire said on Friday, “but, most importantly, he’ll be remembered as a kind, generous man.”“You could talk all day about his achievements,” Maguire said on Friday, “but, most importantly, he’ll be remembered as a kind, generous man.”