Clark, Tony

He had his first winner in 1979 and his last ride in 1999.

His averaged twenty winners a season, his highest total coming in 1981 when he rode 28 winners.

He had three major successes; Battle Hymn (Wokingham Stakes, 1982), Repetitious (Stewards' Cup, 1980) and Lear Fan (Champagne Stakes, 1983).

He also won the 1989 Juddmonte International on the Guy Harwood-trained Ile De Chypre.

His best season was 1984 with 29 winners.

He rode over 800 winners worldwide and retired aged 42.

Tony said at time  “I was getting plenty of rides but the quality wasn’t there and I’d been spoilt riding so many of Guy’s [Harwood] top horses over 26 years that I got a bit fed up riding rubbish. I retired soon after winning the November Handicap for Toby Balding on Turbo because I thought that was a good high to leave on. A year after I quit I’d wished I hadn’t, but it was too late by then.” 

At one time he shared digs with jumps jockey, Mark Perrett.

Tony gave a touching address at the funeral of his friend, Greville Starkey.