The late Gerald Barnard Balding Jr., known as ‘Toby’ since childhood, became the youngest trainer in Britain when, aged 20, he inherited the licence at Fyfield House in Weyhill, Hampshire following the untimely death of his father, Gerald Barnard Balding Sr., on September 16, 1957. Toby Balding was always a ‘dual purpose’ trainer, but is probably best remembered for his exploits in the sphere of National Hunt racing. Indeed, he had the rare distinction winning the Grand National (twice, with Highland Wedding in 1969 and Little Polveir in 1989), the Champion Hurdle (twice, with Beech Road in 1989 and Morley Street in 1991) and the Cheltenham Gold Cup (with Cool Ground in 1992).
Aside the ‘Holy Trinity’ of National Hunt races, Balding also achieved several notable successes on the Flat, stretching back to New World, who landed a gamble for the yard, in the Portland Handicap at Doncaster in 1959. Much later in his career – in fact, the year before he retired from training to care for his wife, Carolyn Anne (née Barclay), who had been diagnosed with cancer – he did, indeed, win the November Handicap at Doncaster.
By that stage of his career, in late 2003, Balding had recently moved to the purpose-built Kimpton Down Stables and, while it would be fair to say that the traditional season finale was not the race it had been in its heyday, the four-year-old Turbo still beat 23 rivals to lift the £29,432 first prize. Ridden by Tony Clark, who also retired the follow February, the Piccolo gelding was sent off at 25/1 at Doncaster but, despite persistently hanging left in the closing stages, stayed on well to win by 1½ lengths. In so doing, he became the first winner sent out from the yard and the last major winner for his versatile trainer.