Trainer Roger Charlton, who currently holds a joint licence with his son Harry, will give full control of the licence to his son, Charlton announced on Sunday. Harry was added to the elder Charlton's licence last year.
He told Racing TV's Luck On Sunday, “We had a joint-licence and I discussed with Harry whether that was the right approach and we thought it was, you have a sort of seamless transition and the owners get to know him better. I think it's right now, as he's extremely experienced, very able and bright person, I think it's right for him to hold the licence.
“I think it's right for Beckhampton's image to have a slightly younger image going forward, so we thought at the end of this season it [coming off the licence] was a sensible thing to do. It was just a case of when it was going to be announced and I have managed to ring all the owners already.”
Roger Charlton will continue working at Beckhampton, but not in a formal training role. Charlton was previously Jeremy Tree's assistant beginning in 1978. He began training in his own name in 1990, the same year he saddled Quest For Fame (GB) and Sanglamore to win the G1 Epsom Derby and G1 French Derby, respectively. Other top runners that bloomed under Charlton's care include Tamarisk (Ire), Group 1-winning sprinter Avonbridge (GB), Thistle Bird (GB), Al Kazeem (GB), Decorated Knight (GB) and Quest For More (Ire) among many others.
“I'm not going anywhere,” he added. “I've been there 45 years really doing the same thing I've been training for 33 years and I'm not suddenly not going to get up in the morning. I like doing it. I like horses and I love going round evening stables every day and I love going out on the downs and mowing the grass on the tractor and doing everything to keep Beckhampton going.”
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