Prestbury's Racing Links
Prestbury had a long association with the Racecourse with many of the local stables sited nearby and trainers and jockeys connected with the Village. Although the once familiar sight of stable lads setting off each morning to exercise horses on Cleeve Hill is rarely seen nowadays, Prestbury could boast of several successful partnerships which between them produced a dozen Grand National winners.
Tom Oliver, George Stevens, William Holman and William Archer all lived in Prestbury. Tom Oliver won the Grand National on Gay Lad in 1842, Vanguard in 1843, and on Peter Simple ten seasons later. He not only trained horses, but jockeys and prize fighters too. Tom Pickernell rode in 17 Grand Nationals and like his friend, Adam Lindsay Gordon, he rode Tom Oliver's horses.
George Stevens won the Grand National five times, on Freetrader in 1856, Emblem in 1863, Emblematic in 1864, and The Colonel in 1869 and 1870. Bonfires blazed on Cleeve Hill to celebrate his victories.
William Archer was only 17 when he became jockey and stud manager to the Tsar of Russia at £100 per year but he returned to England and won the Grand National on Little Charley in 1858. His marriage to Emma Hayward, eldest daughter of the landlord of The King's Arms with Tom Oliver as best man, was described as “a marriage blessed in heaven for racing folk”, and brought him to Prestbury. His three sons, Fred, William and Charles, all made names for themselves, Fred being as famous in his day as Lester Piggot.
Numerous tales are told in Prestbury about Gold Cup winners but there is always a special glow of pride about those trained in the village and many people recall the tremendous excitement when John Roberts' horse, Four Ten, ridden by Tommy Cusack, won the Gold Cup in March 1954.
Although the racing stables in the village are now long gone, local villagers fondly remember the times when they were so much part of their lives.
Grateful acknowledgement for source material to –
Florence E Jackson – A Potrait of Prestbury
Jo Grimster, Carole Powell, Kate Bishop and all who contributed to Twentieth Century Memories of Prestbury.