Milton Bradley, the respected racehorse trainer, who saddled more than 1,000 winners, has died aged 88.
Mr Bradley’s career started with point-to-pointers. He took out his trainer’s licence in 1969, based at Meads Farm in Sedbury, Gloucestershire, near Chepstow. The next year he sent out his first winner under Rules, Cwrt Bleddyn, at Taunton.
Over the next 50 years he saddled 1,037 winners, 288 over jumps and 749 on the Flat. He became known for buying moderately priced horses and using his skills to transform them.
He recorded a number of Group wins, and his best-known horse was The Tatling, who took the Group Three 2003 King George Stakes, the 2004 and 2005 World Trophy, and the Group Two 2004 King’s Stand Stakes. The horse was also runner-up in four Group One races. Mr Bradley’s other notable horses included Offa’s Mead, Sooty Tern, Yangtse-Kiang and Nineacres.
During the peak of his career Mr Bradley had about 90 horses in training. This number reduced in his later years, and he sent out his final winner, Lesha, at Kempton in December 2020. In January 2021 he announced his retirement.
In 2019 he was honoured with the lifetime achievement award for his services to racing at the Welsh Horseracing Awards, to a standing ovation.
Retired four-time champion jockey Richard Johnson said Mr Bradley was someone who “gave him a chance” at the start of his career.
“He and his wife Ruth were both stars of the racing world. He was a top trainer and a gentleman. My thoughts are with his family,” he said.
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