Nowadays stable jockey to Venetia Williams in Kings Caple, Herefordshire, Charlie Deutsch rode his first winner under rules, Fitandproperjob, trained by Anthony Middleton, in an amateur riders’ handicap at Folkestone on December 4, 2012. He subsequently joined Charlie Longsdon in in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.and rode his first winner as a professional, Long Lunch, in a National Hunt flat race at Market Rasen on September 28, 2013.
After three years with Longsdon, Deutsch joined Williams and eventually rode out his claim on Luckime, owned the late Trevor Hemmings, in a novices’ hurdle at Catterick on February 12, 2018. Indeed, five days later, he rode Yala Enki to victory in the Grand National Trial at Haydock Park, which was, at the time, the biggest win of this career.
However, in the early hours of March 30, 2018, Deutsch was stopped the police for speeding on his way home from a night out in Cheltenham. He panicked and drove off at high speed, only to be arrested for dangerous driving while over the drink drive limit and escaping from police custody. He subsequently plead guilty at Gloucester Crown Court and was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment, of which he served two-and-a-half.
More recently Deutsch has reached a career-best 48 winners in a season twice, in 2021/22 and 2023/24. He has four Grade 1 victories to his name, two courtesy of L’Homme Presse and the other two courtesy of Royal Pagaille. The former won the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park and the Broadway Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, while the latter won back-to-back renewals of the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park in 2023 and 2024.
