Jockey

Born on February 28, 1943, Co. Limerick native Ron Barry rode his first winner, Lluvia, on the Flat at Gowran Park in May 1961. However, it was not until three years later, when he joined Wilfred Crawford at Haddington, East Lothian as a conditional jockey, that he began his climb to the top of the National Hunt tree.

In an outstanding career, Barry was Champion National Hunt Jockey twice, in 1972/73 and 1973/74, on the first occasion with a then-record 125 winners. At the time of his retirement, aged 40, in October 1983, he had clocked up 823 winners, the majority of which came for Grand National-winning trainer Gordon W. Richards, with whom spent two spells as stable jockey.

Barry enjoyed the highest-profile of his career in the 1973 Cheltenham Gold Cup, when he rode The Dikler, trained by Fulke Walwyn, to a short-head success over Pendil. He might also have won the 1978 Grand National, but for declining the winning ride on Lucius, trained by Richards, because of previous commitments. Nevertheless, Barry garnered plenty of success elsewhere and, notably, remains the most successful jockey in the history of the Bet365 Gold Cup, previously the Whitbread Gold Cup, which he won three times, on Titus Oates (1971), Charlie Potheen (1973) and The Dikler (1974).

As a jockey, John Joseph ‘Jonjo’ O’Neill Snr. will always be best remembered for his association with the highest-rated jumping mare in the history of Timeform, Dawn Run, on whom he completed an unprecedented double in the Champion Hurdle, in 1984, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in 1986. Of course, O’Neill was by no means a one-trick pony and, in fact, is generally considered one of the greatest National Hunt jockeys in history.

Born in Castletownroche, Co. Cork on April 13, 1952, O’Neill rode his first winner, Lada, on the Flat at the Curragh in 1970, but it was over obstacles in Britain that he would make his name. He won the National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship twice, in 1977/78 and 1979/80, on the first occasion with a record 149 winners. His achievment was all the more remarkable for the fact that he was based with the late Gordon W. Richards, at Castle Stables, in Greystoke, Cumbria in the North of England.

By the time of his retirement, later in 1986, O’Neill had ridden a total of 901 winners. Aside from Dawn Run, his career highlights also included winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Alverton in 1979 and the Champion Hurdle on Sea Pigeon in 1980.

Known for his determined riding style, Graham Thorner was Champion National Hunt Jockey just once, in 1970/71, when he interrupted the winning sequence of Bob Davies, who won the title jointly, with Terry Biddlecombe, in 1968/69 and on his own in 1969/70 and 1971/72. Thorner spent the whole of his riding career with Tim Forster, having joined the ‘Captain’ straight from school, as a 15-year-old, in 1964.

He rode his first winner, Longway, at Newton Abbott in 1966, turned professional the following season and at the time of his retirement, in 1979, had amassed a total of 650 career winners. Thorner and Forster enjoyed a fruitful association at Old Manor House Stables in Letcombe Bassett, near Wantage, Oxfordshire, with numerous high-profile winners, including Mocharabuice in the Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup in 1972, Denys Adventure in the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 1973 and, away from the Cheltenham Festival, Royal Marshall II in the Hennessy Gold Cup in 1974.

Their highest-profile winner of all, though, was Well To Do in the 1972 Grand National. Saddled with just 10st 1lb in the world famous steeplechase and therefore in receipt of 27lb from the favourite, L’Escargot, Well To Do was the subject of a gamble, from 33/1 to 14/1, the day before. He duly obliged, coming with a well-timed run to beat the 1970 winner Gay Trip by two lengths.

Not to be confused with his countryman, and contemporary, Robert Arthur Davies, who also commonly known as ‘Bob’, Robert Bertram Davies has the distinction of being the last Welshman to win the National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship. In fact, Davies first achieved that feat, at least jointly, in 1968/69, when he shared the title with Terry Biddlecombe. He defended his title, winning outright in 1969/70 and did so again in 1971/72 for his third championship in total.

Born on May 14, 1946, Davies rode his first winner, Ellen’s Pleasure, at Newton Abbott in 1966, while still an amateur and in a long, illustrious career added another 911 to his career total. Probably the most famous of them all, though, was Lucius, trained by Gordon W. Richards, whom Davies rode to victory in an eventful renewal of the Grand National in 1978. That victory was all the more remarkable for the fact that, with stable jockey David Goulding sidelined with injury and Ron Barry declining the ride because of previous commitments, Davies effectively picked up a ‘spare’ ride on his way to Aintree immortality. Not that Lucius, a 14/1 chance, was unfancied for the National, but Davies had to be at his strongest to hold off his nearest pursuers, Sebastian V and Drumroan, by half a length and a neck.