Peter Easterby – a giant of the Yorkshire racing scene

In a training career spanning 46 years, Easterby won major races at all the premier meetings under both codes – Cheltenham, Aintree, Royal Ascot, York and Doncaster.
When he handed the reins to his son, Tim, in 1996, the only real change was the name on the licence as it was basically business as usual.
It was a move typical of him that with a younger man at the helm, it would give Habton Grange stables in North Yorkshire the impetus, if any was needed, as the millennium approached.
The transition was not only seamless, but barely noticeable with the winners being churned out as they always had been.
Easterby, christened Miles Henry, had the rare achievement of sending out more than 1,000 winners under both codes, having taken up training in 1950 following the completion of his National Service.
His career ran parallel for decades with his brother Mick, two years his junior. The pair have been giants of the racing scene in Yorkshire – and reputed to own a lot of it between them.
Peter Easterby was champion jumps trainer for three consecutive seasons from 1978 to 1981 and had a total of 13 Cheltenham Festival winners in just 10 years.
Five Champion Hurdles and two Cheltenham Gold Cups were his best achievements over jumps, while handicaps were his territory on the Flat with the Lincoln, Chester Cup, Ebor and Ayr Gold Cup among the many he farmed.
Born on August 5, 1929, he learnt his trade assisting his uncle Walter and honed his skills during a three-year stint with Irishman Frank Hartigan at Weyhill in Hampshire.
He first held a licence in 1950 and showed his intent when in 1951 he cycled five miles to get a lift in a horse box to the Newmarket sales. He got back home via a furniture van, bus and bike. He spent £380 on three yearlings and had sold them all within 24 hours.
His first winner came over jumps in 1953 and his first on the level in 1955.
His breakthrough year was 1965 when he won the Lincoln at Doncaster with Old Tom and the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot with Goldhill.
Two years later, he won the Champion Hurdle for the first time with Saucy Kit, a horse he bought at the sales for 700 guineas as a three-year-old.
Easterby paid 1,100 guineas for Night Nurse, who was his favourite horse, winning the Champion Hurdle in 1976 and 1977.
He was not afraid to have a good bet and admitted backing Night Nurse three times before the 1977 renewal after his price drifted as it was felt he would not handle the heavy ground. Easterby knew different.
Sea Pigeon, who joined his team during the winter of 1976-77 from Gordon Richards, took the crown in 1980 and 1981 after finishing second in the two previous years.
He was also a classy Flat performer, winning the Chester Cup in 1977 and 1978 plus three Vaux Gold Tankards and the Ebor under top weight of 10st in 1979, albeit after a heart-stopping photo finish.
Easterby had a permanent reminder of his two superstars as they were buried side by side less than 50 yards from his office window.
Night Nurse went close to completing the Champion/Gold Cup double when runner-up to stablemate Little Owl in 1981. Alverton had won chasing's blue riband prize for Easterby in 1979.
Other famous names in an enormous list of his big-race winners and popular performers included Bronze Hill, Sonnen Gold, Clayside and Ryeman.
His legacy lives on with the highly-successful Tim, grandson William and the rest of the Easterby dynasty that will continue to grace Yorkshire and the racing world beyond.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Mirror

an hour ago

• Daily Mirror

Royal Ascot jockey's comments about Aidan O'Brien say it all about Irish trainer

Aidan O'Brien is widely regarded as one of the greatest flat trainers of all time, with a record to match, and jockey Sean Levey has opened up about working under and riding for the Irishman Royal Ascot rider Sean Levey has lifted the lid on what it's really like working with legendary Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien. The 37-year-old admitted that the handler is every bit as thoughtful and hardworking behind the scenes as people might imagine. O'Brien, who made a name for himself by dominating the National Hunt scene, was handpicked by the Irish business tycoon John Magnier to take over at Ballydoyle. The revered 55-year-old has since won nearly everything in flat racing and cemented his status as a formidable force in the sport. ‌ His record at the prestigious Royal meeting is outstanding, with his stable consistently sending a strong contingent to Berkshire each year with eyes firmly set on Group 1 success. While Ryan Moore is typically seen steering O'Brien's thoroughbreds, the scale of the operation means other jockeys, including Levey, also get their chances. ‌ Levey's ties with O'Brien go back to his own formative years, cutting his teeth in horse racing while riding out for the Ballydoyle maestro in his early days. He later honed his craft under Richard Hannon in England after an apprenticeship with O'Brien. At 37, Levey's connection with O'Brien has yielded notable successes, with one standout triumph being aboard Galileo colt Jan Brueghel in the 2024 St. Leger. Speaking about his experience, the jockey shared insights into O'Brien's impactful influence and amicable character with the Irish Mirror. "I was an apprentice there [at Ballydoyle] for a few years before I moved here [to England]. It had a massive impact," divulged Ladbrokes ambassador Levey. "Because I obviously served an apprenticeship under him for a good few years. So it was... My initial standpoint was under Aidan, so you'd imagine he had a massive influence on a lot of the things I do now. He's a very, very kind man. The kind of man who does right by everyone. FREE £2 William Hill Shop Bets every day of Royal Ascot inside your Mirror We've teamed up with racing experts William Hill to offer your a £2 FREE shop bet every day of the iconic Royal Ascot festival. Pick up your Mirror from Tuesday June 17 -> Saturday June 21, 2025 to get your hands on this great offer. With 12 pages of incredible pullouts every day, PLUS a £2 shop bet, the Mirror is ready to bring you all the runners, riders, and winners of Ascot 2025. ‌ "He's also very meticulous. I think his love for the sport kind of shines through in how he presented himself and how he's navigated training a multitude of very, very good horses. I mean, his record kind of speaks for itself, and there's not much I can really add to his CV!" Throughout his career, Levey has had the honour of riding not only for the Ballydoyle dynasty but also for the Royal blue of the Maktoum family's stable, Godolphin. Founded in 1992, the international stable employs a select group of British trainers, notably Charlie Appleby and Saeed bin Suroor, to lead their operation from HQ. ‌ Levey has donned the iconic silks on occasion and believes that both Ballydoyle and Godolphin's experience and thoroughness have enabled them to maintain their top positions for such a long time. "I think I've only ever picked up rides for Saeed [bin Suroor]. Been placed in a couple of listed races, and I've won a couple of listed races. I also rode a listed winner for Richard [Hannon] with a two-year-old that he had trained for Godolphin, so I've had the privilege of wearing the blue colours, and having winners in them," Levey added. "They're a firm that have their team. I've just been lucky on occasion that the opportunity sort of presented itself, and I was put forward. They're a very good team with very good soldiers to boot. Their record kind of speaks for itself. "Godolphin are... I think they've both been in the game a long, long time. They've been breeding very good horses for a long time, and they don't leave any stone unturned, the same as Aidan doesn't leave any stone unturned, and as a result, they're extremely competitive at the top level."

Scottish Sun

2 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Royal Ascot is an absolute beast and keeps getting bigger – but Charlie Appleby can't buy a winner there

TURF TALK Royal Ascot is an absolute beast and keeps getting bigger – but Charlie Appleby can't buy a winner there THE beast that is Royal Ascot just keeps on getting, erm, beastier. I don't think that's a word, but oh well. Across the board, attendances have been dipping at our biggest tracks after a post-Covid surge. But this meeting continues to buck the trend. 1 Field Of Gold has been the start of the Ascot show this week Credit: PA Crowds have been up on each of the first four days this week — no doubt thanks also to the sweltering weather. Ascot has thoroughly deserved to have its days in the sun, though. As much as I've become a dinosaur and roll my eyes at things considered 'Instagrammable', that's exactly what this meeting is . . . and people can't get enough. From the moment the gates opened punters were streaming in and queuing for 20 or 30 minutes at four designated selfie spots. The action has been good off the track, but even better on it. It's one of the great weeks of the year and people like to be a part of it. Long may that continue. The game's wealthiest owners spend millions to have runners here and the result, as ever, has been a top-class four days of racing with one day still to come. And, Jesus wept, it's been hot. So hot, in fact, the icing on the cakes in the press room was close to melting. You don't realise how tough we have it sometimes. Thanks in advance for your sympathy. There is no doubt in my mind who the star performer of the week was, and that's Field Of Gold. He won the St James's Palace by three and a half lengths and it could have been even more comprehensive had Colin Keane delayed his challenge a little longer. Those with a greater grasp of the formbook than me reckon he is the best miler since his old man Kingman 11 years ago — it's hard to argue on what he's done the last twice at the Curragh and Ascot. The galloping grey got the Johnny G show rolling, and what a difference a year makes. In 2024, Gosden was scrabbling around looking for a half decent horse, and all of a sudden he's got a stable full of them. In contrast, what a complete nightmare it's been for Godolphin's main man Charlie Appleby. His last winner at Royal Ascot was in 2022, when Naval Crown struck at 33-1, and he has now had 35 straight runners without a winner at the Royal meeting. He had lots of beaten fancies last year and this week it's been a similar tale of woe, with Notable Speech (4-1), Ruling Court (4-1), Cinderella's Dream (5-4f) and Shadow Of Light (6-4f) among those turned over at short odds. It certainly does not bode well for his two fancied runners Treanmor and Rebel's Romance today. It's three years in a row now that Appleby has got off to a fast start in the spring before spluttering to a halt in early summer. What on earth is happening? Are the horses peaking early and unable to back up? Appleby must be sick of the sight of all those top hats and tails by now. And it must hurt even more that Godolphin have had three winners this week, two trained by Gosden and one by Saeed bin Suroor. I bet Saeed is secretly over the moon — he has been starved of ammunition over the last decade having falling down the pecking order with Sheikh Mo, but he has shown repeatedly he can still get the job done on the big days. If it's the most important week of the year for trainers, it's probably more significant for the men and women in the weighing room. A couple of jocks who were in the wilderness coming here were Richard Kingscote and Kieran Shoemark, but both went home with winners under their belts. You could see the weight of the world melt off Shoemark's shoulders in particular after he guided 22-1 shot Never Let Go home in the Sandringham yesterday. Whatever you think about his ability in the saddle, the bloke has clearly suffered since losing the Gosden gig and you'd have to have a heart of stone to not wish him well going forwards. Mind you, one jockey who hardly did his reputation on these shores any good was the mercurial Frenchman Mickael Barzalona. Zarigana travelled like stink in the Coronation but he couldn't lift the hot favourite home, just a couple of weeks after losing another tight one at Epsom on popular punters' pick Calandagan. He was only appointed as the No1 jock to the Aga Khan at the start of the year but, after this latest dud, he'll surely be feeling the heat . . . and that makes two of us. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

Scottish Sun

2 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Horse racing tips: This final day Royal Ascot trixie can leave the bookies crying into their top hats

FIVER FLUTTER Horse racing tips: This final day Royal Ascot trixie can leave the bookies crying into their top hats SUN Racing tackles Saturday's racing confident of smashing in some winners. Back a horse by clicking their odds below. LONGSHOT COMPLETELY RANDOM (5.00 Royal Ascot) Is improving and ran better than the bare form suggests in a slowly run race at Newbury last time out. EACH-WAY THIEF HAVE an each-way trixie at Royal Ascot starting with STORM BOY (3.40) who has plenty of classy Australian form. Leg two is SARACEN (4.20) who went well for a long way in a Newbury Group 3 last time. SALLAAL (5.35) has shown lots of promise and can improve on his first run in handicap company. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.