Alec Taylor, Jr.
| Alec Taylor, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Occupation | Trainer |
| Born | 1862 United Kingdom |
| Died | 1943 |
| Major racing wins | |
|
British Classic Race wins as trainer: 2000 Guineas (4) 1000 Guineas (1) Epsom Derby (3) Epsom Oaks (8) St Leger (5) |
|
| Racing awards | |
| British flat racing Champion Trainer (1907, 1909, 1910, 1914, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1925) | |
| Significant horses | |
| Bayardo, Lemberg, Gainsborough, Gay Crusader, Saucy Sue | |
Alec Taylor, Jr. (1862–1943), known as the Wizard of Manton, was a British Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who followed in the footsteps of his highly successful father, Alec Taylor, Sr..
His father Alec Taylor, Sr. was a successful horse trainer, running Manton stables, "one of the finest training centres". He began winning in 1851 with the Aphrodite in the One Thousand Guineas and Teddington in the Derby. He won a total of 12 classics, which ended in 1887 with Reve d'Or at Oaks and One Thousand Guineas. Alec Taylor, Sr. died in 1894. Thomas Taylor, his grandfather, had also been a trainer to Lord Chesterfield.
Taylor remained a bachelor his entire life.
When Taylor's father died he shared responsibility for running Manton stables with Tom, his half-brother, from 1895. Tom managed the business and Alex was a horse trainer. During their shared management of Manton stables, a 15-year-old boy who worked at the stables was hospitalised and died of tubercular meningitis. Severe bruises found on his legs led to an investigation, supported by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which resulted in the discovery of more individuals who were reportedly beaten by two foremen and Tom Taylor. The foremen was found guilty of assault and Tom Taylor was acquitted due to the Master and Servant Act that allowed for corporal discipline and insufficient evidence. The judge admonished the men for unreasonable excuses for punishment and treatment of the boys as if they were slaves. Tom's reputation was ruined; Alec was "not implicated in the beatings".
In 1902, Alec took full control of the stables, which were built by his father and were located in Wiltshire near Marlborough. Under Alec, Jr.'s control, there were no reportings of inappropriate punishment. The stables reputation began to improve when Taylor trained Sceptre, "one of the greatest fillies in the history of racing." Sceptre's performance had faltered under poor management by the previous owner, and bounced back under Taylor's leadership. Manton Stables were considered one of Britain's "most famous and prestigious training facilities" and were described as:
...
Wikipedia