Readers of a certain age, by which I mean those who remember the days when the BBC still held at least some of the terrestrial TV rights to horse racing, may remember Jimmy Lindley as a paddock commentator. Indeed, he succeeded Clive Graham shortly after his retirement from the saddle, on medical advice, in 1974, and continued in the role for the better part of three decades.
However, it should not be forgotten that, despite fighting a battle with the scales for most of his career, Lindley was, in fact, one of the best jockeys of his generation. Weight problems meant that he never received the recognition he deserved, finishing a best-ever ninth in the Flat Jockeys’ Championship, with 71 winners, in 1963. Nevertheless, he rode a total of 907 winners in Britain, including 25 under National Hunt rules during two seasons with his future father-in-law, Matthew Feakes, at Rhonehurst Stables in Upper Lambourn, Berkshire, in 1956/57 and 1957/58.
Born in Wembley, North London on May 16, 1935, Lindley rode his first winner, Sweet Phoenix, in an apprentices’ handicap at Brighton, on June 11, 1952 and his last, Rouser, in a handicap at Newbury on September 20, 1974. In between times, he recorded numerous high-profile victories at home and abroad. He won the 2,000 Guineas twice, on Only For Life, trained by Jeremy Tree, in 1963 and Kashmir, trained by Mick Bartholomew, in 1966, and the St. Leger on Indiana, trained by Jack Watts, in 1964.
Lindley never won the Derby, but may have done, on Royal Palace in 1967, if he had chosen to succeed Lester Piggott as stable jockey to Noel Murless, rather than remaining with Jeremy Tree. As it was, the closest he came to winning the Epsom Classic was on Indiana, who finished second, beaten just a length, behind Santa Clause in 1964.
