Georgian era Racing Jockies
- William Arnull
- rode at New Market, excelled in match races.
- Francis Buckle -1766-1832
- is racing's most famous jockey. The son
of a saddler, he went to the Hon. Richard Vernan's stable at early age.
Rode 5 derby winners, 9 Oaks, and 2 St Legger stakes, besides "most of
the good things at New Market", a total of twenty-seven Classic wins. In
1783 made first appearence at the age of 17 on Mr Vernons bay colt Wolf
at 1 pound short of 4 stone with saddle.
He greatly distinguised himself at Epsom in 1802 by taking long odds
at winning the Derby and the Oaks. With the Duke of Grafton's Tyrant at 7-1
against, Buckle beat Mr Wilsons Young Eclipse by laying back at
3rd waiting for the race with Sir Charles Bunbury's Orlando to wear
both of them out and passed with Tyrant. Thus Tyrant became the weakest horse to
ever win a Derby. Mr Wastell's Scotia won the Oaks with him as jockey.
"Beat three times between Tattenham's corner, and home but he got her
up, and won by a head."
He rode for a number of owners, principally Lord Grosvenor, Sir
Charles Bunbury and Colonel Mellish, but he rode and won a fair amount
for the Grafton stable, including his third Derby win on Tyrant, and his
ninth (1823) Oaks win on Zinc.
- Rode Sancho against Pavillion when Sancho broke down, but later won a
St Leger at Doncester with him. Francis ended up riding for Earl
Grosvenor till the Earl passed. Could ride 7 stone 11 with ease. Rode
till his 65th year in 1828 rode Lord Exeter's horse Green Mantle at the
2nd October, wining despite several tricks by the horse before and at
the start.
- William Clift
- was known for his sharp tongue and his physical
endurance; at the age of seventy he would walk the twenty-eight miles
from Newmarket to Bury St. Edmunds and back for exercise. Clift rode the
Duke of Grafton's first two Oaks winners, Pelisse (1804) and Morel
(1808), and rode Whalebone to his 1810 Derby win.
- Sam Chifney
- An excellent jockey, with much success for the Prince
of Wales, especially in 1791 on Baronet. But his claim to fame/infamy
is that he is the jockey banned for life after the suspect performances
of a horse called Escape, owned by the Prince of Wales, in a race
with Gray Diomed in 1791 at Newmarket
- John Day
- started his career as an unproven young jockey in 1826
for the Duke of Grafton on Dervise (Merlin - Pawn Junior by Waxy) in the
2,000 Guineas, and Problem (Merlin - Pawn by Trumpator) in the 1,000
Guineas, both of which he won, and in doing so, started on the road to
success. After winning the Oaks in 1831 with Oxygen, Grafton said to
Day, "John Day, you're a thief." "My Lord," cried out the astonished
jockey, "what have I done to displease you?" "What have you done,"
answered the Duke, still looking stern, "you stole that race!"** Day was
known as a "good rough jockey," but not in the same class with the best.
He won NewMarket Oaklands, on Pastime.
- William Edwards
- jockey for King and Regent, received part of the
palace and stables at New Market as reward.
- Old Forth
- won Derby in 1829, at 60, with a horse not well thought of before start.
- Thomas Goodison
- rode Duke of Bedford's colt Cub by Fidget at
Houghton meeting in 1794, and in a 1795 match, Pecker against
Bennington. Rode for Duke of York, first, Claret Stakes with Moses, won
Derby with Moses, at Craven in 1823 beat Moriscot Posthuma and 3 others
by extreme judgement and fine riding. Also rode for the Regent.
- J. Mangle
- trained and jockeyed four different St. Leger winners from 1783 to 1792.
- George Nelson
- a Yorkshire jockey brought south by the Regent, the
2nd best jockey at New Market after Robinson. Brought up and trained by
the Earl of Scarbourough, won the St Legger on Tarrare. His great
performances were on Lottery, Fleur de Lis, Minna, have never been
beaten on the first 2 and winning 8 times in one year on the latter.
- John Oakley
- The only man to ride Eclipse well.
- Pratt
- famous rider of Gimcrack. One day he
rode 11 races at NewMarket. With returns trips that is 88 miles in the saddle in
a single day.
- Robinson
- In 1827 he won the Derby on Mameluke, and the St Leger on Matilda. He recieved
a £1,000 from "a Scotch Gentleman" winning bettor as a reward. In 1828 he rode the winners in the Derby, the Oaks,
and was married in a weeks time.
- John Singleton
- one of the jockies for Eclipse. First winner of the Doncaster St. Legger
for Lord Rockingham.
© D.W. 2000
This site last updated August 2000 by
D. Wagoner
