It seems that September is a time for retirements on the racing front. Hot on the heels of the news regarding superstar chaser Allaho and legendary trainer Sir Michael Stoute, this week saw Franny Norton announce that he would soon don his silks for the final time.
Following a near-36-year career in the saddle, the 54-year-old stated, “After an incredible journey spanning over 35 years, the time has come for me to hang up my boots and call it a day in horse racing,”.
Norton will have one last dance at his favourite track on Saturday, 21st of September, with Chester’s final flat fixture of the season representing the final day in the saddle for this hugely popular member of the weighing room. Here, we look back at the career of the Liverpudlian, who arrived on the scene with no racing experience and departs with almost 2,000 winners and close to £20m in career prize money.
Parade Ring or Boxing Ring?
Making his debut as a rider in 1988, Norton initially struggled to gain a foothold in the sport – his first three seasons yielded only eight British wins. However, things began to pick up in 1991 as trainers increasingly utilised an up-and-coming rider who was clearly good value for his weight allowance. That same year saw Norton register 40 victories, including a breakout success aboard the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Deposki in the Ebor Handicap.
In common with many jockeys, Franny struggled to maintain those highs upon losing his claim. Failing to better 35 wins in each season between 1992 and 1997, Noron briefly considered a switch to his second sport of boxing. No slouch in the ring, the pugilistic horseman was selected to represent England at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur but stuck to a life on horseback.
Johnston and Norton – A Winning Partnership
Franny’s decision soon began to reap its rewards. Equalling his career-best tally of 40 wins in 1998, he broke through the 50-win barrier for the first time in 2000 and has hit that half-century benchmark in all but four years since – headlined by an impressive 112 victories in 2018.
All riders need the support of the nation’s trainers and Norton’s greatest supply has come from the Middleham operation of Mark and Charlie Johnston. Together with Joe Fanning, Norton has acted as an essential cog in the Johnston winning machine – riding 493 winners for the father and son duo.
— Johnston Racing (@Johnston_Racing) September 13, 2024
A Dozen Group Race Triumphs
Norton has earned a reputation as an excellent judge of pace and tactics, whether at a run-of-the-mill midweek meeting or the season’s flagship contests. Particularly effective on the all-weather, over 600 of his wins were gained at the sandy venues of Newcastle, Kempton, Wolverhampton, Chelmsford, Southwell, and Lingfield.
The bulk of Norton’s wins have come in lower-grade contests but a steady stream of highlights has coursed through his career. Whilst a Group 1 triumph has proven elusive, he has picked up an impressive 39 Listed victories and has partnered the following to Group 2 and 3 success.
- Princess Iris – 2006 Firth of Clyde Stakes (Group 3)
- Banknote – 2007 Badener Meile (Group 3)
- Kilmah – 2016 Prestige Stakes (Group 3)
- Permian – 2017 Dante Stakes (Group 2)
- West End Girl – 2019 Sweet Solera Stakes (Group 3)
- Sir Ron Priestley – 2019 March Stakes (Group 3), 2021 Jockey Club Stakes (Group 2), 2021 Princess Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 2)
- Rose Of Kildare – 2020 Musidora Stakes (Group 3)
- Thunderous – 2020 Dante Stakes (Group 2)
- Dark Vision – 2020 Oettingen-Rennen (Group 2)
- Best Of Lips – 2020 Preis des Winterfavoriten (Group 3)
That’s not a bad tally for a man with no background in racing. Norton will no doubt look back at each of those Group wins with fondness, but it is his victory aboard The Gold Cheongsam in a 2012 sales race at Doncaster which he picks out as the highlight of his career. Coming days after fans were cleared of any wrongdoing in the Hillsborough disaster, the die-hard Liverpool supporter dedicated his victory to the 97 who lost their lives due to the 1989 disaster.
The King Of Chester
The fact that Norton has chosen Chester as the stage for his final rides is surely no coincidence. Not all riders are fans of the circular track atthe Roodee course but Franny has become a master at navigating the distinctive layout.
Winning the Chester Cup aboard Making Miracles in 2019 and the Cheshire Oaks with Good Morning Star (2012) and Dubai Fountain (2021), he has bagged 154 wins at the course, which lies only a stone’s throw from his Liverpool home. That’s more than any other rider and Franny will have the support of the racing public as he bids to top up that tally with a winner or two on Saturday afternoon.
Chester Racecard – Saturday 21st Sept 2024
| Time | Race |
|---|---|
| 1:55 | Protos Networks Novice Stakes |
| 2:30 | Halliwell Jones Nursery Handicap |
| 3:05 | EBF “Confined” Fillies’ Novice Stakes |
| 3:40 | Boodles Handicap |
| 4:15 | Protos Networks & Cisco Handicap |
| 4:45 | Camden Hells Handicap |
| 5:20 | Farewell To Franny Norton Handicap |
