Mr. William Day Obituary

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31 August 1908

After a long illness, Mr. William Day, the ex-trainer and jockey, died at Southampton on Saturday at the age of 85. He had not been prominently connected with racing fro some years past, and his career is little known to most of those taking an interest in current affairs; but he played a big part in them in his time, and was chiefly famous for the remarkable success he gained as a trainer, many winners of important handicaps and other races having been prepared by him.

As a jockey, so long ago as 1838, he rode Grey Momus to victory in the Ascot Cup for Lord George Bentinck. Day’s name will always be associated with the stable at Woodgates, Salisbury. Among his employers were Mr, J Hayter, Mr. H. Robinson, Mr. James Merry, Mr. Swindell, Sir F. Johnstone, and the American sportsman, Mr. J.R. Keene. For Sir F. Johnstone he won the Oaks with Brigantine in 1869, and other “classic” successes were achieved with Lord of the Isles in the Two Thousand guineas in 1855 and with Promised Land in 1859, the last-named horse also winning the Goodwood Cup in that year. Among the principal handicaps Day’s record was a notable one, for he trained the winners of three Chester Cups – Joe Miller in 1852, One Act in 1856, and Our Mary Ann in 1870 – as well as Dulcibella, who won the Cesarewitch in 1860, Sultan and Weatherbound, winners of the Campbridgeshire in 1855 and 1860 respectively. In his later years his most notable achievement was the preparation of Foxhall for the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire when that won the double event  for Mr. J.R. Keene in 1881, and he was also under his charge when he won the Ascot Cup the following year.