Article by Chris Pitt
National Hunt jockey Gordon Hodgetts, nicknamed ‘Mops’, was born on September 8, 1933.
He served his apprenticeship with the astute Syd Mercer, who trained at Knowle, near Birmingham, and rode his first winner on 100-7 chance Silverling in a Haydock apprentices’ race on Friday, June 29, 1951.
He rode three more the following year, all gained at Pontefract on Mercer’s five furlong sprinter Young Vigorous, on April 23, June 19 and August 7.
Increasing weight caused ‘Mops’ to take out a National Hunt jockey’s licence at the start of the 1955/56 campaign. He left Mercer and joined nearby trainer Arthur Thomas, whose stables were at Guy’s Cliffe, near Warwick, and rode over jumps for the next five seasons, accumulating a total of 25 winners in that sphere.
He had his first ride over hurdles on Thomas’s Right Royal at Uttoxeter on September 17, 1955. Eleven days later that same horse gave ‘Mops’ his winner over jumps when landing a four-year-old hurdle at Ludlow. The following month he scored back to back wins on novice hurdler Amelia Tor, then Right Royal obliged again in November and December.
‘Mops’ also won a Nottingham maiden hurdle on the Thomas-trained chestnut gelding Royal Vengeance, who then went on to dead-heat with future Champion Hurdle hero Bandalore at Birmingham in January 1956.
Three-quarters of his eight wins in the 1956/57 season were provided by one horse, Sailor’s Return, who was campaigned brilliantly by Arthur Thomas to go unbeaten in six starts. Kicking off with victories in a pair of Uttoxeter novices’ hurdle in September and October, he was then stepped up to handicap company, winning at Newbury, Nottingham and Wolverhampton (benefiting from his rider’s 5lb claim) before landing a conditions hurdle at Haydock.
Another winner ‘Mops’ rode that season was a decent hurdler named Flame Royal, who was also trained by Thomas. He concluded the season with a Whit Monday victory on chaser Cameron’s Kid – his first winning ride over fences – for owner-trainer Hector Smith.
Smith also provided ‘Mops’ with his first winner of the 1957/58 season, novice hurdler Tintamarre at Birmingham. He won a pair of handicap hurdles on Dandy Titch for Walter Charles, who trained at Brackley, Northamptonshire, but it was an otherwise quiet campaign, yielding just five winners.
It was Boxing Day before ‘Mops’ got off the mark for 1957/58, winning the St Ivo Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon on Yardley for another Northamptonshire trainer, Cliff Beechener.
Only one more winner came his way all that season, on a three-mile hurdler named Miss Jingle at Towcester.
There were signs of a revival in fortunes at the start of the 1959/60 season with three wins on the board in October, two courtesy of hurdler Eastern Hope for his old boss Syd Mercer, the
other on novice chaser Mon Rickardo at Worcester on October 21, 1959. But they would be his final winners as a jockey.
‘Mops’ had his last ride on an aged handicap hurdler named Grandad at Stratford on April 7, 1960. He hung up his saddle at the end of that season at the comparatively young age of 26.
He then went out of racing for a while but eventually returned. In 2001 he became travelling head lad for Julian Czerpak before joining his Michael Appleby.
His service to racing was recognised at Wolverhampton on October 18, 2004 with the running of the Gordon Hodgetts Lifetime in Racing Median Auction Maiden Stakes.
He continued to work for Syd Mercer and later acted as travelling head groom for Julian Czerpak. He was also a valued member of Mick Appleby's team.
Gordon ‘Mops’ Hodgetts died in January 2012. His funeral took place at Oakley Wood Crematorium, near Warwick.
His winners over jumps, in chronological order, were:
1. Right Royal, Ludlow, September 28, 1955
2. Amelia Tor, Cheltenham, October 12, 1955
3. Amelia Tor, Worcester, October 28, 1955
4. Right Royal, Stratford-on-Avon, November 17, 1955
5. Royal Vengeance, Nottingham, December 5, 1955
6. Right Royal, Stratford-on-Avon, December 8, 1955
7. Royal Vengeance, Birmingham, January 17, 1956 (Dead-heat)
8. Sailor’s Return, Uttoxeter, September 22, 1956
9. Sailor’s Return, Uttoxeter, October 6, 1956
10. Sailor’s Return, Newbury, October 25, 1956
11. Sailor’s Return, Nottingham, October 29, 1956
12. Flame Royal, Birmingham, November 19, 1956
13. Sailor’s Return, Wolverhampton, November 27, 1956
14. Sailor’s Return, Haydock, February 6, 1957
15. Cameron’s Kid, Huntingdon, June 10, 1957
16. Tintamarre, Birmingham, November 4, 1957
17. Dandy Titch, Warwick, November 30, 1957
18. Dandy Titch, Ludlow, March 6, 1958
19. Chammie, Ludlow, April 24, 1958
20. The Pylons, Stratford-on-Avon, May 31, 1958
21. Yardley, Huntingdon, December 26, 1958
22. Miss Jingle, Towcester, April 25, 1959
23. Eastern Hope, Uttoxeter, October 3, 1959
24. Eastern Hope, Worcester, October 17, 1959
25. Mon Rickardo, Worcester, October 21, 1959