Yorkshireman Mick Naughton died last week after a life steeped in racing. At 82, he’d lived and breathed it since his teenage years.

Born in April 1944, a boyhood spent in North Yorkshire revolved around riding, pony club and eventing, before the racing bug afforded him an opportunity to make it a career path. He became an apprentice to flat trainer Sam Hall at Middleham, before weight dictated a change of code, and a switch of employer to Sam’s brother, Charlie Hall at Tadcaster, just outside York.

A promising career as a jump jockey began when Breck Road won the third division (!) of a novices hurdle at Catterick in February 1965 for his employer. But sadly, just 15 winners later, that career came to an abrupt halt on Easter Monday 1967 when his mount swerved into the rails in a handicap chase at Market Rasen and Mick’s left leg was fractured in several places, a career as a jockey curtailed barely before he’d got going.

Six years later, the older but perhaps not wiser Naughton launched a career as a trainer with a small string on Lord Zetland’s estate in Richmond, training successfully under both codes for 20 years until he gave up his licence in 1993.

Naughton was a frequent visitor to Ripon, notably winning our feature St Wilfred Handicap in 1987 with Umbelata, a gelding bred and owned by Geoffrey Greenwood, winner of seven of his career starts.

But some of the stable’s most memorable moments were spent in the berth for placed horses. Staying chaser Collingwood was runner-up in the Hennessy (now Ladbrokes Trophy) at Newbury and in the Whitbread (now bet365) at Sandown in the mid-70s, whilst Allten Glazed was a close second to Gala’s Image in the Arkle Trophy at the Festival in 1987. This was a stable never afraid to take on the big guns and finished with over 300 winners.

After his training career, he spent a happy four years in Singaporean racing, then leading the field in South East Asia, but the lure of the county drew him back to a role with William Hill Radio, based in Leeds. The studio-based role brings commentary and content to William Hill customers from racecourses all over Britain. He approached the role with relish, remarking over 20 years ago, “I don’t miss the training, at least not any more. With this job, I have day-to-day racing involvement, without the hassles that go with the training game. I have the best of both worlds.”

Surely a son of Yorkshire with racing DNA coursing through his veins.