Grassroots: Charles Clark

A first training treble for Yorkshire’s Charles Clark on Monday at Witton Castle left the trainer delighted and in the lead of the small trainers championship table alongside last year’s winner East Anglia’s Jennifer Owen.

With only five horses in training it is an achievement to have three running on one day, let alone all three winning.

Based at the family farm in Wistow near Selby in North Yorkshire, Clark has had a phenomenal season with both Tag Man and Sam Magee both being multiple winners.

The first of Clark’s Monday winners was twelve-year-old Emir Sacre winning the level two eight-year-old an over Conditions race and Clarke says: “He had been disappointing this season and I was going to finish with him but my wife, May, rides him every day and wouldn’t let me! Then, Felix Foster got wind I wasn’t going to run and he rang and talked me into it so we agreed we would put him on and claim the 5lbs. It worked out well, I couldn’t believe he won!”

Both nine-year-old Sam Magee and ten-year-old Tag Man were sent off favourite for the Mens and Ladies Open races and under Joe Wright and Lucy Brown were easy winners. Tag Man has been enjoying a super season and looks a consistent sort  whilst Sam Magee has shown his versatility in winning the four mile Grimthorpe Gold Cup earlier this season under regular rider Joe Wright and at only nine has a bright future ahead of him.

An Association to national-hunt owner Roger Brookhouse has led Clark to the ownership of many of his talented string and Clark explains: “Years ago I met him at the sales and we bought Close House from him, we kept in touch and from that day we have bought several from him. They are the sort of horses that suit us, decent handicappers who have lost their way and love life being trained around the farm.”

Clark and his family are the perfect example of ‘team work making the dream work’. Mum Emma, has trained 22 winners in her own name, and is an instrumental part of the success with Clark telling me: “Mum is nearly 80! She is amazing, she’s on the yard at 5.30 each morning to feed, earlier on a racing day.” He explains to me how it all works: “I am a farmer first, we have an arable farm, potatoes, oil-seed rape, wheat, barley. It is a big family farm and the horses have to fit in with it. Mum takes care of the horses, treats all their ailments and looks after their well-being. She leaves no stone unturned. We have a part-time girl who comes and helps May and I ride them out and I do the 10 pm skip and feed each night.” He adds laughing: “Mum insists it gets done so I wouldn’t dare not! For all of us it is brilliant, neither Mum, May or myself could do it without each-other so as a family it is just wonderful.”

Clarke’s love for Point-to-Pointing was ignited as a child when he used to attend meetings with his Grand-Father and he tells me: “We never missed a Yorkshire meeting. Pointing in Yorkshire is fabulous, a really friendly family feel with lots of wonderful people.”

On that note I ask Clark if he intends on running again now that he is in a winning position in the small trainers championship and he says: “Well I rarely run out of Yorkshire so we will have to see! Hexham is in a couple of weeks and obviously we need to see how they all are. You can go to the well too often and our horse’s well-being comes before any championships. We always give them most of the week following a run off and go from there. This week they have been in the field and we will then get them going again.”

Clark rode two winners and explained to me how his participation in point-to-points came about: “I had been friends with Harriet Bethell and Jacqueline Coward and they were both good jockeys and I just thought I fancy a go at this! I loved it and am proud to have ridden my two winners! Jac rode for Mum a lot and we had lots of fun.”

Clark has been involved in the organising of the running of Dalton Park meetings and has recently taken over Clerk Of Course duties.

Clark and his wife May are due their second child in a month’s time and he explains her background: “Her Dad is Lawrence Kirkby, he is a steward at Garthorpe and was master of the Brocklesby hunt. May commutes to London two days a week, she works in marketing for Market Halls, they have bases in Paddington, Canary Wharf, Oxford Street and Victoria. When she is here I make sure she gets her share of fresh air and farm life!”

Clark appreciates his affiliation with some very good horses has helped to make this ‘hobby’ of hard work worthwhile: “We are very lucky to have had some good horses, we have lovely, older, educated horses who fit into our life. They type that know their job, I wouldn’t have the time for a maiden. For example, If I am manic on the farm and can’t ride them, Mum can lunge them. For an older horse this routine works, they can be ridden somewhere different each day and it sweetens them up well.” Let’s remind ourselves that the 2018 Supreme Novice Hurdle winner, the quirky Summerville Boy has won three of his eight starts in point-to-points during his time in Clark’s care.

He continues: “We take them to the gallops at Malton once a week and the rest of the time I work them on the farm. Malton are so accommodating to us point-to-point people, the facilities are superb.” A pause is followed by: “This time of year the horses always seem to run well, I think maybe as I get busier on the farm and the horses probably get less work because of that they are fresher!”

Clark concludes: “I love pointing, now more than ever. I used to hunt a lot but pointing is something we can all enjoy as a family. We all set off, May’s family, brothers, children in tow and have a great day win, lose or draw. I have followed the Cowards and the Easterby’s around for years so it is very special to be in the position we are now.” And adds: “I like to encourage young jockeys, how do they get going without us? You have to invest in them. Also when you have horses at a similar level by running them in Novice riders races it keeps them apart.”

This, for me, is yet another example of the joy our sport can bring. A proper amateur, family outfit working hard with attention to detail at the fore and having a lot of fun along the way.