Goldstein, Ray

Ray, brought up in Tottenham, got his first chance in racing when a schoolboy pal found him a job in Alex Kilpatrick's Collinbourne Ducis stable. That was in 1967 and he stayed for four years.

'I needed more experience, particularly fast work, so I joined Mick Masson at Lewes.' he said, 'but Masson was concentrating more on Flat racing and I moved to David Morley near Bury St Edmunds.

'I thought there would be more opportunities for me there, but at the same time four other youg riders, including Paddy O'Brien and Scobie Coogan, had the same idea and rides were limited.'

Ray returned to Lewes and started riding winners for Giles Beeson. Just as he was beginning to make a name for himself, he lost his claim after the Jockey Club changed the age ruling for conditional riders.

He then got a retainer with Heathfield trainer Gardie Grissell and rode regularly for Carshalton-based Roger Curtis, John Bolton and John Ffitch-Heyes.

Ray has a few niggles with his sport: 'I'd love to see more prize money at the lower levels and also a safety limit of 20 for novice chasers at Wincanton' he said.

While Roger Rowell and Gary Moore were his best jockey pals in the weighing room, Ray had enormous regard for John Francome.

He recalled 'I had a crashing fall when Mon's Beau slipped up at Plumpton, bring down two or three others, including Francome. He came dashing across and cupped my head in his hands until the ambulance men arrived then took the trouble to phone my wife and tell her that I was alright.'

One of the leading riders at Fontwell, Ray was taken to the local hospital with a broken leg after Poor Son (one of eight casualties) fell in the Shopwyke Selling Chase at the Sussex course. (Monday, 13 January, 1986.)

Ray rode the 100th winner of his career on Miss Mania in the Tattersalls Mares Only Novice Chase Qualifier at Windsor on Monday, 17 November, 1986.

At Plumpton in November, 1987, Ray rode 100/1 shot Stargaze to victory then promptly collected a broken right collarbone in the novices' chase.

'That sums up my career' he said at the time. 'Just when I'm going well and riding winners, along comes another injury.'

Up to that day he'd had nearly 1,000 rides and 115 winners but had endured a frightening list of injuries. A fall from Bluecher in the 1987 Arkle Chase at Cheltenham had left Ray with a double fracture of the right arm, a broken left collar bone and smashed ribs.

The previous season he had broken his left leg in two places. Other injuries included a fractured skull, both wrists broken, squashed vertebrae, broken neck bones, multiple rib injuries, a broken nose twice,and battered fingers including one needing 24 stitches after the knuckle was crushed. 

Aged 36, Ray landed his first ever treble when riding Murhaf, Golden Norman & Solent Lad to victory at Windsor on Monday 3 January, 1989. The treble paid 944-1.

In 1989, Ray had his only ride in the Grand National. Aboard Hettinger, he crashed out at Becher's, was concussed, and was stood down for three weeks.

In October, 1989, Ray was fined £525 by the Carlisle stewards after dropping his hands too soon  on the 11-10 favourite, Indian, and getting caught on the line. Ray said later that he had mistaken the winning post.

Ray's last ride (Saturday, March 2, 1991) came at Market Rasen on Adbury in the Victor Lucas Memorial hurdle race for Roger Curtis. He took a reasonably soft fall, but then another horse came up behind, tripped over Adbury and landed four-square on top of Ray.

As they put him on the stretcher, Ray knew that, aged 38, he'd had his last ride.

After retiring from the saddle, Ray admitted that he hadn't made a penny out of the game but had loved every minute of it.

With the help of the Injured jockeys Fund, Ray and his wife, Sue, bought the riding stables they had rented for the previous ten years and gradually installed seventeen horse boxes.

Following in their father's footsteps, both his sons, Jamie and Marc, took to the saddle and became jockeys.