'He loved and gave his life to racing' - BHB pioneer Sir Thomas Pilkington dies at 90

Sir Thomas Pilkington, a successful owner/breeder and an administrator who played a key role at the time the British Horseracing Board was taking control of the sport, has died at the age of 90.

He was senior steward of the Jockey Club from 1994 to 1998 and also acted as chair of the BHB for a spell towards the end of that period.

Pilkington chaired a shipping company and was described as "an eminent businessman" by his son Richard, a former chairman of Nottingham racecourse.

"He was a racecourse steward and he was asked to join the Jockey Club in the mid-1970s at a very young age, when they were trying to bring on the next generation," Richard Pilkington said.

"He was on the board and chairman at Newmarket for a long time and then a steward of the Jockey Club and senior steward. Then Lord Wakeham stood down and he had to be BHB chairman at the same time."

Reflecting on the highlights of his father's time in administration, Pilkington said: "He worked with Stoker Hartington as the BHB emerged and he was proud of being involved through that difficult period, steering racing through those choppy waters.

Sir Thomas Pilkington (left) with Lord Wakeham

"He served on the board and Racecourses Holding Trust as they evolved and he was proud that racing today is, despite its knockers, a good and successful sport, the second-largest spectator sport, even though we tend to sell ourselves short."

Pilkington owned horses from the late-1950s and one of his first notable winners was Isle Of Skye who took the 3m handicap chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 1960 — 64 years before his son won the same race with Chianti Classico this March.

Bronzewing and Marsh Daisy were among the smart Flat horses to carry his colours, along with the Bruce Hobbs-trained Cheveley Park Stakes fourth Sunbittern who became his foundation mare and bred High Hawk, one of Sheikh Mohammed's early Group winners.

"He went everywhere," Pilkington said. "If he could go and watch his horse run, he would, no matter where it was.

"He loved racing and he loved betting. He served on Tattersalls Committee for 30 years and loved the cut and thrust and the fun of the betting ring. He loved and gave his life to racing and what he really liked was other people sharing that love, people going racing, having a bet and enjoying themselves."

Jour D'Evasion (left) finishes second at Huntingdon in JanuaryCredit: Edward Whitaker

Pilkington was at Sandown to see his Jour D'Evasion finish second last month and he attended a Jockey Club meeting just last Monday.

His sisters all had racing connections as Sonia Rogers is now joint-owner of Airlie Stud, the late Moira 'Chunky' Hanbury was the wife of former trainer Ben Hanbury and Carole Daly is the mother of trainer Henry Daly.

Henry Daly trained for Pilkington and said: "He was an extraordinary man. He thought about others far more than himself and he was a wonderful sounding board, great to bounce ideas off.

"He had horses with me from when I took over from Captain Tim Forster. Supreme Gift is going well at the moment and Cheerful Aspect was a nice horse he had when I started. We had some reverses but he took those as well as he took the success."

Funeral arrangements have yet to be made.