David Minton, known to all as “Minty”, is well-known on the jump racing scene as one of the most successful bloodstock agents of the past 50 years, having bought and sold numerous winners of the biggest races in the game, including five Grand National heroes. He has also been involved in pointing almost all his life, having commentated on his first race at the age of 12 (!) and – nowadays – a key part of Phil Rowley’s Shropshire yard as they buy youngsters with the aim of being successful between the flags then sold on to race under rules. Jake Exelby talked to Minty before the start of the new season to find out about his life in racing.
by Jake Exelby, South Midlands Area PRO
Tell me about your point-to-point background
I was born in 1950, I’m Shropshire born and bred and come from a farming background. My father was a corn merchant and my grandfather, a dairy farmer at Wellington, was my influence in racing. He always had two or three point-to-pointers – the best was Guinea Feather, who won a couple of points but always seemed to be the bridesmaid, coming second to the great mare Happy Morn.
Dad judged at Mucklestone and started commentating at Eyton-on-Severn, Wilbrighton and Brampton Bryan in the late 1950s. I used to hold the racecard for him but he would still mispronounce the horses – the Hutsbys had a good one called Gin And Sherry, that he used to call Gin And It, because that was his favourite drink!
He let me commentate on the Hunt Members race on Easter Monday 1963. (Former champion jockey, in points and under rules) Bob Davies rode in it – we were at school together. I still remember it well – I thought I did OK, people congratulated me, it gave me confidence and I got the bug. Apart from playing cricket and rugby – I was an opening batsman and left arm spinner– I was useless at school and realised racing was my only chance in life. My headmaster said that, if there was a university for racing, I could go!
Bob Davies - schoolmate
I remember going to Wilbrighton and having four shillings on Green Turban, ridden by Bob Davies, at 42/1 on the Tote, the biggest price of the season! He was upsides coming to the last, and I’ve never seen two horses go to it so fast. The other one hit the fence so hard that the jockey didn’t stop rolling until the finishing line! That started me gambling.
Green Turban (third right) before winning at Wilbrighton
How did you get into bloodstock sales?
I left school as soon as I could, struggling to get five O-levels, and wrote to 27 people in racing. Of five replies, three said I was absolutely bonkers but one of the other two was John Richardson from Sandown Sales and I went to work for him in 1968, writing three and four generation pedigrees by hand – they use to take a day each! After nine months there, I started working at Stetchworth Park Stud in Newmarket for Douglas Gray, then a year with Ryan Jarvis and would go pointing at places like Cottenham and Moulton, tremendous courses with wonderful fences.
Aged 17, I took a horse owned and bred by my grandfather to Ascot Sales, by Pendragon out of Diliska. We sold it to Tim Molony for 1,500 guineas, which was a good price for a moderate pedigree – and he named it Pendil. When the owner went bust, he went back to the sales and Fred Winter bought him.
Pendil
After that, I started working for Cecil Bromley – Anthony’s grandfather – at Wood Farm Stud in Shropshire. He was my mentor in racing and breeding, a wonderful hunting man and a great character. I met Anthony at a party when he was 12, he said he wanted to come and work for me and the rest is history… Nowadays, I’m semi-retired and Anthony runs the business – I just work at the three main jumps sales.
A year later, I was going round Tom Corrie’s stables and saw a big horse that I thought was four or five, but I was told he was a two-year-old – it was (dual champion hurdler) Comedy Of Errors. Tom won a flat Maiden with it and owner Tony Jarvis said I should be able to sell it for £15,000. I’d started at the Curragh Bloodstock Agency by then and Fred Rimell phoned up asking us to ship a horse to Ireland for the Sweeps Hurdle. He wanted the horse so he and his wife Mercy came to Shropshire and bought him for £12,000.
Comedy Of Errors
My first trip to the Cheltenham Festival was in 1973. On the Tuesday, King Pele – who I’d bought for £2,500 – won the Gloucestershire Hurdle for Gavin Pritchard-Gordon and David Nicholson then Comedy Of Errors won the Champion Hurdle on the Wednesday and Pendil was hot favourite for the Gold Cup on Thursday but was beaten a short head by The Dikler. That’s what got me going.
How did your involvement in pointing grow?
I was asked to be assistant judge at Cottenham to the legendary Marcus Marsh, which I did for two years. I then judged myself and stewarded for a while. When I started working at Cottenham, the Mens Open could split into three divisions, you’d have fields of over 20 runners and the open ditch was in the straight. A dear friend, Hunter Rowe was a big influence on me and inspired me to commentate. I’d stand in for him if his daughters were riding, because he got nervous, then – when he died in 1997 – I took over at the East Anglian meetings for ten years.
I moved back to Shropshire in 1997 and married Juliet in 1998. Phil and Mel Rowley, who lived nearby, came round one day and asked if we could do business together, riding, breaking and pre-training horses for me. Phil gives me a free hand to buy five or six three-year-olds every year – never spending more than £30,000 on a horse – and set up local syndicates. I keep shares in them and have a bit of fun, going to the yard two or three times a week and doing a lot of their race planning. While Mel has a rules licence, the plan is still to sell the good ones from the yard – our most recent success would be Lilith, who won at Punchestown in April for Anthony Honeyball.
Phil and Mel Rowley - business partners
Who have been your favourite horses?
Of those I owned, Rhusted, who I bought from Tony Shead for £2,000 and was trained by Gill Duffield. Jeremy Hindley and Harry Thomson Jones were among my co-owners and James Fanshawe rode him. He won four races hard held before breaking down at Garthorpe and having a year off. When he came back, he broke James’ neck in a fall at Cottenham. After retirement, he became lead horse at Shadwell Stud.
Among the others, Fort Hall – trained by Lucy Wadham and ridden by Tanya Bracegirdle – was a seriously good horse. I commentated on him many times and he meant a lot to me. More recently, Sybarite was so talented but the biggest enigma. He was owned by Raymond Mould and won the Lady Dudley Cup for Phil.
Which jockeys have you most admired?
David Turner was an extraordinary jockey who died far too young. He rode long, was very strong and held the record for a long time as did his sister Josie, who rode in a similar style. The Turners had good horses and Joe Turner was the master – they controlled pointing in East Anglia.
David Turner - extraordinary
Robert Chugg was another good one, My memory of the 1960s and 1970s is better but, more recently, Alan Hill was a remarkable jockey for his size and Simon Andrews has been the best I’ve seen in East Anglia – he breeds jockeys too!
What have been your favourite courses?
Eyton-on-Severn is like home. There used to be three or four meetings there and you would only jump each fence once. It’s a beautiful course, but not the easiest place to commentate because they go a mile away – you need good binoculars! In East Anglia, Hethersett in Norfolk and Marks Tey, which was owned by my friend Nat Sherwood – the father of Oliver and Simon.
Racing at Eyton-on-Severn
What do you love most about pointing?
I was brought up with the sport from a young age and have never lost my passion. It’s all about the camaraderie and seeing people like Bob Davies and many other young jockeys come through.
What’s been the highlight of your time in the sport?
Billyvoddan winning the AGA Ladies Final at Cheltenham gave me the biggest thrill. He was given to Juliet by Trevor Hemmings, for whom I bought three Grand National winners, trained by Phil – his first good horse – and we looked after him at home.
What have been your personal funniest moments in the sport?
One was in 1975. I’d bought a horse called Quick Review from Arthur Stephenson, Pam Sly was riding him in a Ladies Open at Cottenham and I asked Gavin Pritchard-Gordon to saddle him. Pam careered through the field and won but 50 yards after the line, the weight cloth came off. Macer Gifford, another good friend, was stewarding and stood on it – Pam hacked back, put it back on and weighed in. Nat Sherwood, who was senior steward, announced, “Result stands,” but Gavin and I got a lot of stick. (Minty had £2 each way on the Tote, which apparently paid 422-1!)
Another was after Newnham won the Aintree Foxhunters. At the celebration lunch with his owner Michael Johnson, Newnham was brought in and stood in the dining room while we ate!
Do you have any regrets?
I’ve been very fortunate so no, other than not buying Nicky Henderson a Grand National winner.
What changes have you seen during your time?
The farmers with one or two horses have gone and it’s become a business with professional yards like Phil’s, Fran and Charlie Poste and Tom and Gina Ellis. The fun element seemed to be better in the past and prize money never came into it.
With horse numbers at their lowest ever level, what are your concerns about the future?
I’m delighted that they’re removing prize money up to eighth places in professional racing. People used to take horses under rules for the ‘petrol money’ and I think some of them will come back to pointing.
The decline of hunting is a major worry and I suspect we’ll have club racing rather than hunt meetings but we need the support of hunting people to put on the fixtures.
What would you do to encourage more horses to the sport?
I’d reduce the summer jumps racing programme. That might also help horses come back to pointing.
What are your plans for next season?
I’ll be involved with five or six with Phil. Look out for a four-year-old by Shirocco called It Has To Be Shaw, named after Brenda Shaw, who had horses with Phil. I bought him in Ireland and am very sweet on him. He may run before Christmas.
What are your non-horsey hobbies?
Watching cricket and playing golf – I beat Willie Jenks last week and am trying to get my handicap up (rather than down) to be more competitive!
I don’t play cricket any more but, in a charity match in the 1980s, I got test players Ian Botham and Derek Pringle out in the same over.
Who are your favourite authors and bands?
I’m mad about 1960s music like the Kinks and the Hollies. More recently, ELO and the Travelling Wilburys. I have all John Grisham’s books.
What’s your favourite TV programme?
Line of Duty. And I’ve been told to watch Maverick: Top Gun and that it will become my favourite film!
Who would be your ideal dinner party guests?
Sir Mark Prescott – the best raconteur I’ve met in my life – Willie Haggas and the late Henry Ponsonby. You’d struggle to get a word in with that lot.
Sir Mark Prescott - raconteur