Last racehorse-training member of famous Newmarket family dynasty, John Waugh, dies aged 91

John Waugh, the last racehorse-training member of a famous family dynasty, died at his Newmarket home on Sunday.

The 91-year-old was the great grandson of James Waugh, one of the very first professional trainers, who hailed from Jedburgh in Scotland and began training in Newmarket in 1886. His grandfather, Richard, was private trainer for the German Kaiser at Graditz Stables in Hoppegarten, for 27 years and his father, Alec, also trained in Germany prior to the outbreak of the First World War when he and all non-Germans, aged under 50, were interned until the end of hostilities.

After the war, following a spell as assistant to his uncle, Tom Waugh, in Newmarket, Alec returned to Germany where he trained for Alphonse de Rothchild in Cologne.

Born in 1931 in Ipswich, John Waugh was two when the family returned to settle permanently in Newmarket, where his father had been assistant trainer to his cousin Frank Butters.

Educated first at Fairlawns school in Newmarket, John was 10 when, in line with a long- standing family tradition, he continued his education at Framlingham College. But, just a year later, when his mother died suddenly, his life was to change dramatically.

Speaking in 2021 at his home in Paddocks Drive, Mr Waugh said: “My father being too old for the services did war work at the flax factory in Fordham Road, working nights so he would be around in the daytime for us boys. In 1941when Newmarket was bombed he was going to walk down the High Street with my youngest brother, Roger, who was four, but at the last minute he decided on another route otherwise they would most certainly have both been killed.”

After his National Service with the Cheshire Regiment, Mr Waugh returned to Newmarket where he spent seven years as assistant trainer to George Colling, first at Stanley House and then at Hurworth House. While with Mr Colling, and aged just 22, he found himself taking a principal role in one of racing’s biggest stories when he and stable man Archie Woolfe, accompanied Wilwyn to Maryland USA where he won the 1952 Laurel Park International.

“When the plane landed in Washington and we opened the door, there was a brass band playing but we were four feet off the tarmac so Archie and I had to put together a ramp so we could get Wilwyn out of the plane,” said Mr Waugh.

On their return to Newmarket, they, and winning jockey, Manny Mercer, were feted as heroes with their exploits making the front page of the Journal.

Mr Waugh later worked for trainer Reg Day, who had succeeded his grandfather as trainer to the Kaiser.

In 1960, the year he married his wife, Sue, he became private trainer to the McAlpine family at Fitzroy House, then the family’s stud manager, first at Wyck Hall Stud and, in 1974, at Someries Stud, during which time he also looked after Woodland Stud for Lord Derby.

He retired in 1994.

Outside of racing he was church warden at Newmarket’s All Saints’ Church for seven years.

Pre-deceased by his wife, he is survived by their three children, Alec, who runs his own Jedburgh Stud in France, Harry, and Sally and five grandchildren Charlotte, Heloise, Taylor, Arthur and Tom.