Delaney, Brian

Brian Delaney

Article by Chris Pitt

Brian Delaney, was born on November 14, 1938, the youngest of four jockey brothers, sons of Jack Delaney who rode winners in Ireland.

Together with his year older brother Peter, Brian served his apprenticeship with Jeremy Tree at Beckhampton. When he came out of his time he joined Arthur Thomas, who was then training at Guy’s Cliffe in Warwickshire, and held a NH jockey’s licence for the 1956/57 and 57/58 seasons but did not ride a winner.

He then did two years’ National Service in the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, based at London’s St John’s Wood. He was in one of the gun-teams giving shows all round the country.

After finishing his National Service he went to Hector Smith, who trained at Snowshill in the Cotswolds. On just his fourth ride for Smith he brought home his first winner, 20-1 shot Archie, who had been a decent hurdler in his time, in the Shakespeare handicap Hurdle at Birmingham on February 20, 1961.

Ron Harrison on Autumn Flight (right) leads the blinkered Royal Abundance (Brian Delaney) on the way to winning the Sutton Handicap Hurdle at Birmingham on November 14, 1961.

Seven days later he rode his second winner, again for Hector Smith, on novice hurdler Royal Abundance at Wolverhampton.

Brian had over 50 rides for Smith over the course of the next three years but only one more winner, his old friend Archie in the St Wulstan Hurdle at Worcester on November 3, 1962.

When Hector Smith gave up training, Brian relinquished his licence and went home to Stoneleigh to assist his father. Then in the spring of 1964 he read that Fred Winter was about to retire from the saddle and take up training, so Brian wrote to him asking to join him. Brian worked his way up the ladder to become Fred’s highly valued head lad and became one of the most respected and best-known figures in the Lambourn area.

In the 1989 Horsewriters' Association Flat awards, Brian won the d'Avigdor-Goldsmid award for stable staff.

Brian's first win - Archie: Feb 20, 1961, Birmingham