Sir Gordon Richards was conferred a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in the Coronation Honours List in 1953 in recognition of his services to horse racing. A few days later, he won the so-called ‘Coronation Derby’ on Pinza, trained by Norman Bertie and, in so doing, beat Aureole, owned by Her Majesty, four lengths into second place. That victory was Richards’ first in the Epsom Classic, after 27 previous defeats and, at the time of his retirement in 1954, he told Pathé News that it was the greatest moment of his career.
Of course, Richards was no stranger to Classic success. In his illustrious, 34-year riding career he also won the St. Leger five times, on Singapore (1930), Chulmleigh (1937), Turkhan (1940), Sun Chariot (1942) and Tehran (1944), the 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas three times apiece, on Sun Chariot (1942), Queenpot (1948) and Belle of All (1951) and Pasch (1938), Big Game (1942) and Tudor Minstrel (1947), respectively, and the Oaks twice, on Rose of England (1930) and Sun Chariot(1942).
Richards was forced into retirement, after breaking his pelvis in a paddock accident at Sandown Park, but rode 4,870 winners during his career and was Champion Jockey 26 times, making him arguably the most successful jockey in racing history. Born in Donnington Wood, Telford, Shropshire on May 5, 1904, Richards rode his first winner, Gay Lord, at Leicester on March 31, 1921. After completing his apprenticeship with Martin Hartigan, he subsequently enjoyed hugely successful spells as stable jockey to Captain Thomas Hogg, Fred Darling and Noel Murless.
In 1947, Richards rode Tudor Minstrel – who, decades later, remains the joint-third highest-rated Flat horse in the history of Timeform – to an eight-length victory in the 2,000 Guineas and eventually became Champion Jockey for the twentieth time, with 269 winners. In so doing, he set a record for the number of winners in a season that would stand until fellow knight of the realm, Sir Anthony McCoy, edged past his total on Valfonic in a handicap hurdle at Worcester on May 22, 2002.
