Which were Steve Cauthen’s first and last winners on British soil?

Born in Covington, Kentucky on May 1, 1960, Steve Cauthen was a superstar in his native country long before his arrival in Britain. In 1977, his first full season as a jockey, he rode 487 winners in the United States and won over $6 million in prize money, making him the first of his profession to do so. As a result, he won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was named Sportsman of the Year by ‘Sports Illustrated’ magazine. In 1978, Cauthen became the youngest jockey to win the coveted Triple Crown, on Affirmed, after a series of legendary duels with Alydar, who finished second in all three races.

In 1979, Cauthen accepted an invitation from leading owner Robert Sangster to join his private trainer, Barry Hills, as stable jockey at Manton House, near Marlborough, in Wiltshire. ‘The Kentucky Kid’ rode his first winner in Britain, Marquee Universal, at the first time of asking at Salisbury on April 7, 1979. Remarkably, a month later, Cauthen rode the first of his ten British Classic winners, Tap On Wood, trained by Hills, in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Cauthen became stable jockey to Henry (later Sir Henry) Cecil in 1985 and, in his first season at Warren Place, famously won the Derby on Slip Anchor and the Fillies’ Triple Crown – that is, the 1,000 Guineas, Oaks and St. Leger – on Oh So Sharp. He won the Derby again on Reference Point, also trained by Cecil, in 1987. Having become Champion Jockey in 1984, 1985 and 1987, Cauthen rode his last winner in Britain, Shaiba, trained by Michael (later Sir Michael) Stoute on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket on October 30, 1992. He returned to Kentucky shortly afterwards.