Son of Epsom Derby-winning trainer embarks on his own quest for fame Down Under
By Chris Roots
Englishman Tom Charlton was destined to become a thoroughbred trainer, but he never dreamed it would be at Randwick.
Charlton joined John O’Shea in Sydney’s newest training partnership at the beginning of July. The union has already yielded a couple of winners, the first of which was Bartolf on debut in a Scone maiden. The two-year-old will look to add a Randwick win on Saturday.
Bartolf was John O’Shea and Tom Charlton’s first winner together as a training partnership at Scone. Credit: Bradleys
“He will always be my first winner,” Charlton said. “He is a nice horse with a future and in an ideal world we would have waited another week, but this race came up at 1400m, which he is looking for.”
Randwick is a long way from Charlton’s childhood on gallops around Wiltshire, where his father, Roger trained Quest For Fame to win the Epsom Derby, and Sanglamore to the Prix Du Jockey Club, which is the French Derby. Charlton had racing dreams from a young age.
“I wanted to be a jockey, but I soon realised I was too big,” the 29-year-old said. “I rode in the pony races and won a race at Ascot.
Tom Charlton.
“I grew up on the gallops and always wanted to be involved in some way, riding out and helping around the yard. I didn’t think it would lead me to Australia.”
Charlton found his way Down Under when his father brought Withhold for a Melbourne Cup campaign in 2018 and within a couple of months he was back in Australia looking for opportunity.
Charlton approached O’Shea, who was starting his own stable up again after a stint training for Godolphin, and landed a job as an assistant.
“He gave me a chance and it was a good time to start as he was building up again,” Charlton said.
“It’s great for John to give me this opportunity to be in partnership, but he is still the boss and I’m still learning.”
It has been a big month for Charlton. He got married in Italy before having his name next to his first winner at Scone on July 2 after the partnership started at the beginning of the financial year.
“It was a bit weird to be in Europe for my first runner as a trainer, and for it to win was great,” Charlton said. “I watched it but didn’t know what to feel.”
Charlton believes Bartolf will get better as the trips extend, and Saturday’s 1400m Randwick two-year-old handicap is the next step up.
“He is a son of So You Think, and we think he is going to be a good miler, so the trip will not be a problem,” Charlton said.
“Hopefully, he gets the job done with me on track this time. It will be good to there for a winner.”
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