 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1884-05-15)15 May 1884 |
| Died | 9 June 1953(1953-06-09) (aged 69) |
| Occupation | Trainer |
| Horse racing career | |
| Sport | Horse racing |
| Major racing wins | |
| British Classic Race wins as trainer: 2000 Guineas (5) 1000 Guineas (2) Epsom Derby (7) Epsom Oaks (2) St Leger (3)[1] | |
| Racing awards | |
| British flat racing Champion Trainer (1926, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1947) | |
| Honours | |
| Fred Darling Stakes atNewbury Racecourse | |
| Significant horses | |
| Hurry On,Captain Cuttle,Manna,Coronach,Cameronian,Bois Roussel,Pont l'Eveque,Owen Tudor,Big Game,Sun Chariot,Tudor Minstrel | |
Frederick Darling (1884–1953) was a BritishThoroughbredracehorsetrainer who trained a record-equalling sevenEnglish Derby winners.
Darling's father,Sam Darling senior, was a trainer atBeckhampton, nearAvebury in Wiltshire, who trained two Derby winners himself. Fred initially started trainingNational Hunt racehorses forLady de Bathe at Kentford nearNewmarket, and then went to train in Germany. He returned to Britain in 1913 to take over the Beckhampton stables when his father retired, and continued to train there until his own retirement in 1947. In 1928 he boughtBilly Higgs' stud atBlackland or Blacklands, a few miles west of Beckhampton.[2] Darling was succeeded as trainer at Beckhampton byNoel Murless.
Amongst his most successful horses wereHurry On, the unbeatenSt. Leger winner of 1916;Sun Chariot who won threeBritish Classic Races in 1942; andTudor Minstrel, the2,000 Guineas winner of 1947. From 1932 until his retirement Darling's stable jockey wasGordon Richards.
He is commemorated by theFred Darling Stakes, run atNewbury Racecourse.
Fred Darling wasChampion Trainer six times: in 1926, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1942 and 1947. As well as a trainer, he was a breeder of thoroughbreds and bredPinza, who won the Derby in 1953.
He trained the winners of 19 English Classic Races, as follows;
2,000 Guineas (5)
1,000 Guineas (2)
Epsom Derby (7)
Epsom Oaks (2)
St. Leger Stakes (3)