James Waugh (13 December 1831 – 23 October 1905), was a Scottish trainer of racehorses. He trained winners of many notable races, in Britain and on the continent.

Early life

Waugh was born in Jedburgh, the son of Richard Waugh, a farmer. Brought up on his father's farm, he became in 1851 private trainer of steeplechasers at Cessford Moor to a banker named Grainger. He frequently rode the horses in races. In 1855 in Jedburgh he trained horses for

Sir David Baird General Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet, of Newbyth, GCB (6 December 1757 – 18 August 1829) was a British Army officer. Military career He was born at Newbyth House in Haddingtonshire, Scotland, the son of an Edinburgh merchant family, and enter ...

and Sir J. Boswell, and four years later succeeded

Mathew Dawson Mathew Dawson (1820–1898) was a British racehorse trainer. In a career which lasted from 1840 until his death in 1898 he trained the winners of twenty-eight British Classic Races, a figure surpassed by only two other men. He was significan ...

in the training establishment at Gullane. He soon afterwards moved to East Ilsley in Berkshire, where he became private trainer to Mr Robinson, an Australian, for whom he won the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot with Gratitude. In 1866, on Robinson's retirement from the turf, Waugh succeeded Mathew Dawson at Russley Park, near Lambourn, where he was a successful private trainer for James Merry. He saddled Marksman, who ran second to Hermit in the

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...

of 1867; Belladrum, second to Pretender in the

2000 Guineas Stakes The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year at ...

in 1869; and Macgregor, who, in 1870, won the 2000 Guineas. At the close of the season of 1870 Waugh left Russley for Kentford, near Newmarket.

Abroad, and return to Newmarket

He soon afterwards moved to Poland to train for Count Henckel, at

Nakło Śląskie Nakło Śląskie is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Świerklaniec, within Tarnowskie Góry County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately west of Świerklaniec, south-east of Tarnowskie Góry ...

and from 1872 for seven years at Karlburg in Hungary; there he trained winners of every big race in Austria-Hungary. In some of the events successes were scored several times. His horses also won many important prizes in Germany. St gatien

Returning to Newmarket in 1880, he settled first at Middleton Cottage and then at Meynell House for the rest of his life. Several continental owners sent horses to be trained by him, among them Prince

Tasziló Festetics Prince Tasziló Festetics de Tolna (5 May 1850 – 4 May 1933) was a member of the Hungarian noble family of Festetics. Early life He was born in Vienna, the son of Count György Festetics de Tolna, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs ...

, for whom he won the Grosser Preis von Baden, the Deutsches Derby, and other important races. From 1885 to 1890 he took charge of Jack Hammond's horses, including

St. Gatien St. Gatien (1881–after 1906) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In 1884 he was involved in the second and final dead heat in the history of The Derby, part of an unbeaten sequence of twelve races. St. Gatien went on to becom ...

, who in 1884 dead-heated with Harvester in the Derby, and won the Cesarewitch Handicap, carrying 8st 10lb; and Florence, winner of the Cambridgeshire Handicap in 1884. For Jack Hammond, Waugh won the Ascot Cup in 1885 with St. Gatien, the

Ascot Stakes The Ascot Stakes is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4,014 metres), and ...

with Eurasian in 1887, and the Cambridgeshire with Laureate in 1889. Other patrons were the Chevalier Scheibler, Count Lehndorff, Count Kinsky, A. B. Carr, Deacon, J. S. Baird-Hay, Sir R. W. Jardine, Dobell, James Russel, D. J. Jardine, and Inglis, and Miss Graham. He trained The Rush to win the Chester Cup in 1896, and the Ascot Gold Vase in 1898; Piety the Manchester Cup in 1897; and Refractor the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot in 1899. Waugh achieved some success as a breeder of racehorses, and when at Newmarket bought and sold thoroughbreds for continental patrons and foreign governments. He died at Newmarket, after some years of failing health, on 23 October 1905, and was buried in the cemetery there. He married in 1854 Isabella (died 1881), daughter of William Scott of Tomshielhaugh, Southdean. Of his large family, six sons became trainers of horses. The racing journalist Edward Moorhouse wrote: "He was an excellent judge of a horse. In all his dealings he was the soul of honour. He was noted for his geniality and hospitality."

References

Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Waugh, James 1831 births 1905 deaths People from Jedburgh British racehorse trainers