Article by Chris Pitt
Seamus Kilkenny held a jump jockey’s licence for from 1950/51 to 53/54 and again from 1959/60 to 67/68. During the latter period he rode for Malpas trainer Doug Francis, brother of former champion jockey and subsequently best-selling author Dick Francis.
Seamus had to wait a long time for his first winner, for it was not until Whit Monday, June 3, 1963 that Principal Girl gave him that elusive victory in a Hereford novices’ hurdle.
The following season he rode one winner from 49 rides, this being on Doug Francis-trained Popoff in the Checkley Selling Handicap Hurdle at Uttoxeter on Easter Monday, March 30, 1964.
Uttoxeter was also the venue for his next winner, which came via a dead-heat on Shrimp’s Last, trained by Jim Mason at Little Budworth, Tarporley, on September 3, 1964. Gay Stuart, trained by Doug Francis, doubled Seamus’ score for the 1964/65 campaign by winning a Ludlow selling hurdle on April 29, 1965.
Gay Stuart provided Seamus with both his wins in 1965/66, the first coming in 28-runner hurdle for professional novice riders at Cheltenham no less, at odds of 33/1, on January 5, 1966. Gay Stuart and Seamus teamed up in more humbler surroundings at the end of the season to land a Cartmel selling hurdle on Whit Monday, May 30, 1966.
The 1966/67 season brought just one winner from 44 rides, aboard Border Coin in a novices’ hurdle at Uttoxeter on December 17, 1966.
That was the last of a total of seven winners ridden by Seamus Kilkenny. His career came to an end the following season when unseated from the Tommy Shone-trained Bailey Bill at the first flight in division one of the Coronation Hurdle at Liverpool on March 29, 1968.