Newmarket’s racing community has been mourning one of its most familiar faces following the sudden and unexpected death of John ‘Welshy’ Williams at West Suffolk Hospital last week. He was 78.
Welshy, who hailed originally from Brynsiencyn on the island of Anglesey in north-west Wales, had been introduced to racing in 1960 by his brother, Gareth, who had come to Newmarket to be a jockey.
Welshy followed him and served a five-year apprenticeship with Sir Noel Murless at Warren Place, before moving across the heath to Machell Place, in Old Station Road, where he spent six years with trainer Jack Watts.
John ‘Welshy’ Williams died on Tuesday, January 20 at the age of 78
He stayed at the yard for a further three years when Watts retired, working for Dickie Westbrook, who took over.
The next 12 years he spent at the Hamilton Road yard of trainer Neville Callaghan, before moving across town to Bury Road, where he spent a decade working for John Gosden and the final years of his working life, before he retired with Jeremy Noseda.
The best horse he looked after during his long career was sprinter Bertolini, trained by Mr Gosden, who won the Group 3 July Stakes as a juvenile and the European Free Handicap the following year, but was also placed five times at Group 1 level.
Other good horses he was associated with included Cassis, which he took out to California to run in the Del Mar Oaks, Two Steps, Hill Hopper and Pembroke.
“Welshy was a popular and very amusing person,” said Mr Gosden. “A pleasure to work with and a good judge. Like Lester [Piggott], after a gallop he would always keep a little information exclusively for himself.”
At 64, Welshy’s service to the racing industry was celebrated through Racing Welfare’s Lifetime in Racing scheme, when he had a race run in his honour at Yarmouth. At that time he was still riding out three lots a day and said he loved what he was doing, and would have done it all again given the chance.
He attributed his longevity in racing to his wife Maureen, who he said had taken good care of him over the years.
The couple had been married for 48 years and together for 55.
Maureen said she had been overwhelmed by the messages both she and their son Casey had received.
“There have been around 200 on my phone and I haven’t had the chance to read all of them, but I would like to thank everyone for their support,” she said. “It means a lot.”
Welshy also leaves a much-loved granddaughter, Tyler.
In accordance with his wishes, his funeral service will be private.