Cantlie was a modest but tough, sound and honest horse who was well placed to win 29 times on the flat and over hurdles for West Country trainer Les Kennard in the 1970s.
He was a tremendously sound horse and campaigned solidly from his three-year-old summer on the flat in 1969 until the end of the 1978/79 jumps season. He would have a rest during the winter months’ soft going before resuming racing on good or, better still, firm ground.
He ran 159 times, 73 on the flat, 86 over hurdles. He won 16 on the flat, 13 over the sticks. He was successful at 12 different tracks, but Chepstow was his happiest hunting ground. Ten wins there were split evenly between the two codes.
He seemed to be on the downgrade at the beginning of 1978/79, aged 12, until revitalised by a new partnership in the autumn with Lorna Vincent. They won three races in two months. At the end of that season he was retired – or so it seemed, because he came back for five rather unnecessary outings as a 15 year old.
The race named after him at Chepstow didn’t last as long as Cantlie’s career. It began at their big Easter meeting that featured the Welsh Champion Hurdle in April 1979, and its final staging was on 4 April 1988.
Sources:
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/West-country+stalwart+who+also+made+his+mark+in+big+races+further…-a0146139949
29.11.78 Reading Evening Post