Berkshire. He’d opened his British account when winning a Kempton novices’ hurdle on February 25, 1949, (left) on a horse named Casmedi,  doubling his score at Towcester over Easter on another Laurence-trained runner called Baltimore II.He rode one winner on the Flat during 1949, landing the George Lambton Memorial Cup at Hurst Park on Urgay, also trained by Laurence, on Saturday, May 21. But the undoubted highlight of his year came two weeks later when getting the ride on the Sam Hanley-trained outsider Le Troubadour in the Derby. Francois had twice finished second on Le Troubadour in maidens at Newmarket in April and Kempton in May. He was a genuine 100-1 shot and, not surprisingly, finished towards the rear of the 32-runner field, but it was still a memorable experience for Francois, the thrill of riding in one of the world’s greatest races.

Eleven days after Quartier Maitre III had won at Fontwell to the delight of Daily Express columnist The Scout’s followers, Francois was back in the winner’s enclosure, this time at Plumpton, after winning a novices’ hurdle on Tcheska. That turned out to be his last winner in Britain for a while. He had just nine mounts on the Flat during 1950, relinquished his licence the following year and did not resume until 1955.

He returned to the scene of his last British triumph, Plumpton, winning on novice chaser Gay Rambler on March 14, 1955. That proved to be his last success over jumps. He rode two winners from 16 mounts on the Flat in 1955, both of them trained by Ryan Price at Findon. The first of these was a two-year-old filly named Andrea, who made all to beat her sole rival in a canter

by 12 lengths at Yarmouth on September 14. Francois had to work far harder at Chepstow (left) three days later, Saturday, September 17, scraping home by a short head on Coquelin to record what would be his final winner in Britain.Sixty years on, his is a long-forgotten name in the annals of racing, except perhaps for any veteran followers of The Scout’s tips, some of whom may still recall the day when the Daily Express racing correspondent napped a 20-1 winner, and had Francois Emanuelli to thank for it.