Barclay, Sandy

In the late 1960s, no one's potential matched that of Alexander Macfarlane Barclay's, who had future champion jockey written all over him.Born on June 13, 1948, in Ayr, Scotland, he was on the backs of ponies at the age of three and, by eight, he was out riding to the hounds. His meteoric rise to fame began in the Cree Lodge racing stables of Harry Whiteman, Ayr. 

He first rode in public April 3,1965 at Ayr (Indian Style); a month later he kicked home his first winner - Saronis, at Hamilton. In July that year he rode his first double, the owner of one of the horses, Secretive, being Charles Carlow, brother-in-law to Noel Murless.

Carlow immediately recognised Barclay's natural, outstanding talent, and recommended him to Murless. Barclay joined forces with Murless in 1966, his first ride for the stable coming at Goodwood in that July. He was champion apprentice that year with 71 winners, including the Manchester November Handicap on Polish Warrior; two years later he booted home 116 winners, his best ever total. This was also the season he rode his first classic winner - Caergwrle in the One Thousand Guineas.

1968 was another good year. Barclay, now riding as Murless's number one jockey, won the Eclipse, the Coronation Cup, the Prince of Wales' Stakes and the King 

George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Royal Palace.

Then, for no apparent reason, everything changed.

At the end of the 1970 season, he was replaced by Geoff Lewis. This resulted in him going to France where, for the next couple of seasons, he rode  for the Francis Boutin stable. The family lived at Apartment 4, Du Parc, Chaffour, 60, Chantilly, Oise.

He returned to Britain in 1973, riding for Sam Hall in the North. In 1976 he came first jockey to Denys Smith. The very next year he broke his knee  in two which put him out of racing for six months.

Having recovered, he tried his luck in India, riding for John Ciechanowski who