Kellett, Tommy

Article by Chris Pitt

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Tommy Kellett was a journeyman northern jump jockey who held a licence from 1956/57 to 1967/68. Born at Butterknowle, near Bishop Auckland, on 10 March 1930, as a schoolboy he rode his father’s horses in gymkhanas before becoming apprenticed to Sir Cecil Boyd-Rochfort at Newmarket. He gained further experience with Frank Butters before returning to the north.

He rode his first winner on handicap hurdler Saucy Model (right) at Catterick on 2 November 1957. Saucy Model also provided him with three of his seven winners the following season.

By far the highlight of his career was winning Wetherby’s Boxing Day feature, the Rowland Meyrick Chase on Dondrosa in 1958. He had already won on him twice within four days earlier that season, landing chases at Wetherby on 11 October and Newcastle on 15 October.

He rode mainly for Great Habton trainer Peter Easterby, for whom he was also travelling head lad. He won five races on handicap hurdler Dalrymple, including three in a row in May 1964, while the Easterby-trained Scooter was responsible for half of Kellett’s eight winners in the 1964/65 season.

He rode total of 37 winners during his career, the last two of them in the 1965/66 season aboard Saucy Kit, who would go on to land the 1967 Champion Hurdle for Easterby, when ridden by Roy Edwards.

Kellett’s last ride in public was on Two Springs in a Sedgefield novices’ hurdle on 21 May 1966. Just under four years later, Two Springs would start favourite for the 1970 Grand National, again with Edwards on board, only to fall at the third fence.

In 1972 Kellett took out a trainer’s licence, based at Church House Farm, Middleton One Row, Darlington. He sent out three winners, the last of them being Ulsterman (left) at Sedgefield on 5 April 1974, but surrendered his licence in June of that year.

On 1 September 1974 he was found drowned in a friend’s swimming pool. He was 44. Police stated there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.