Although the Guineas weekend at the beginning of May belonged to Godolphin, another team had a grand day out in Newmarket without winning any races. Members of the Chaloner family came from far and wide to honour Ellen Chaloner, the first woman trainer in Britain, whose name was added to the first race to recognise her place in the history of British racing.
The story of Ellen Chaloner, who took over the training reins at Osborne House in 1886 following the death of her husband Tom has been widely told on my podcast The Paddock and The Pavilion. Tom was a ten-time classic winning jockey who also trained the winner of the 1884 2000 Guineas. Ellen, steeped in racing, was born on 27 December 1845. She was the daughter of trainer Johnny Osborne senior while her brother Johnny Osborne junior rode the winner of the 1869 Derby.
During Ellen’s six-year training career at Osborne House, named after her family name and now the overflow yard of Sir Mark Prescott, she enjoyed success at Ascot in 1887 when she won a version of the Triennial Stakes (later to be called the Jersey Stakes) with Jersey Lilly.
I had the pleasure of joining the Chaloner clan for brunch at the National Horseracing Museum’s Tack Room restaurant. We sat outside in the King’s Yard, an area familiar to Tom Chaloner, who rode Macaroni, the 1863 Derby winner who was trained by Jed Godding at Palace House stables.
While enjoying my breakfast I heard several family tales. One of those stories involved Mark Aikens a Norfolk based farrier and a great, great grandson of the famous trainer. Mark fondly recalled his times working as a young man for Donald Swan, at his farm and racing stable in county Tipperary. Donald is the father of the legendary Irish jockey Charlie Swan, who is also a great great grandson of Ellen.
It wasn’t long before we discussed Donald’s ride on Zimulator in the 1975 Grand National. Donald led the race until he fell at Becher’s first time. Check out YouTube to see Donald’s ride. It was brief, but spectacular!
Before we headed off to the Rowley Mile, we moved into the National Horseracing Museum galleries to view the tribute to ‘The Trailblazing Trainer’.
“Seeing the photograph and caption in the Museum demonstrates that she had a significant role in the history of horseracing.
“When seeing the photographic portrait of Ellen at the NHRM, this gave me great satisfaction and pride that Ellen Chaloner had finally been honoured and recognised by the Racing World, as the First Lady of The Turf” said Ellen’s great granddaughter Marietta Krikhaar.
On arrival at the racecourse the family were greeted by the Jockey Club’s Senior Communications Executive – East, Dara McKenna who led close family members into the parade ring ahead of the Ellen Chaloner Stakes. Ellen was known to have been a regular visitor to the racecourse into old age. She died aged 98 in March 1944.
The third running of the listed 6 furlong race was won by the Henry Candy, trained Tiger Bay. It was a lucky race for Philip Chaloner, a great great grandson of the famous trainer.
“The day was good for racing and weather, and by chance the older of my two daughters made a significant win with Tiger Bay, chosen purely because it was the previous name for the area now known as Cardiff Bay in South Wales,” said Philip.
Richard Chaloner, another great great grandson who now lives in Littlehampton, attended the day with his wife Pauline, and added his thoughts.
“An interesting and thoroughly enjoyable day for my first visit to a day of flat racing. The Jockey Club were brilliant in honouring the memory of my great grandmother, by including family members in the parade ring for the Ellen Chaloner Stakes.
The final words from the family must come from Marietta, who led the campaign in 2020 to get a headstone erected for Ellen at Newmarket cemetery across the road from the Rowley Mile racecourse. Ellen who died aged 98 in March 1944, lay in an unmarked grave with her husband Tom and other close family members, until the Jockey Club kindly supported Marietta’s campaign and funded the new headstone. The headstone was unveiled at a close family ceremony in October 2024.
“Having missed the first two races named after my great grandmother Ellen Chaloner, I was determined to attend this year’s race.
Equally thrilling for me when in the parade ring was surprisingly, seeing her name lit up by red lights announcing her race. To me it seemed like a dream had come true. I looked at the red lights in disbelief. It then struck me that my campaign for Ellen Chaloner’s recognition, backed by many others had succeeded beyond my imagination.”
What has been comforting since Marietta’s campaign began, is how members of the wider family have found each other. “Ellen has brought some of the family together which is remarkable”, said Philip Chaloner.
The value of family should always be treasured and in a small way the legacy of Ellen, the Trailblazing trainer who died during the Second World War, has brought family members together from different corners of the UK. I could feel how proud they are of Ellen as they all walked in her footsteps at the home of racing, which she called home at the end of the 19th and for the first four decades of the 20th century.
I sincerely hope over a period of time, Ellen will get more recognition in the history of horseracing.
The 2025 Guineas weekend will be long remembered by Godolphin, but for a smaller group, the Chaloner family, it was a grand day out.
Stephen Wallis
The Paddock and The Pavilion
