Marzani, Danny

Danny Marzani

By John Turley

Additional material from Derek Gay

photo courtesy Chris Pitt

Danny Marzani was born in Peckville, Pennsylvannia, in 1925 to Bruno and Emma Marzani. 

He received a private education and, when aged 18 and being small in stature, he became apprenticed to J H Whitney's stable. His racing career was put on hold when, after rii=ding 24 winners, he enlisted (1943) in the US Navy. He spent his nineteenth birthday at the D Day invasion. He stated that he had no regrets about joining up but wished he could have won the apprentice crown. Having spent three years in the Navy, he resumed his riding career in 1946.

He then won the American champion steeplechase jockey before coming over to Britain in 1950 with his recent bride Madeline for their honeymoon. 

On docking at Southampton, the Marzani’s headed for the Park Farm stables of Harry Whiteman. The remote location near Lambourn was ideal honeymoon territory but Danny was also hoping to take part in a few races and to ultimately fulfil a lifetime’s ambition with a ride in the Grand National. He had already won the American equivalent in the two previous years and his arrival here on 17th January caused quite a stir at the time.  To help acclimatize, the twenty-four-year-old secured a couple of rides on a horse of Whiteman’s called Button Boy. He finished fourth and third respectively and this picture shows him leading on the horse in the Combermere 4yo Hurdle at Windsor (3rd February 1950); the jockey on the next horse is F B O’Connor, while Bryan Marshall can be seen in the background in Dorothy Paget’s colours. Marzani then secured a National ride on lively outsider Fog Light, trained by William Bissell, but the horse was withdrawn within a few days through injury. Luckily the American was swiftly engaged by trainer John Beary to ride another outsider, Battling Pedulas.

Things went wrong though when Marzani suffered a crashing fall at the last flight in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham when in contention. A badly bruised arm meant he was unable to ride between Cheltenham and the National. Although he got back in time to partner Battling Pedulas at Aintree the pair fell at Bechers’ first time round.

It was a great shame that Marzani’s venture over here did not bear fruit, in racing terms at least, although it is to be hoped that he and Madeline still enjoyed their honeymoon!

Danny suffered a number of injuries in his riding career and he retired from riding aged just 26. For the next thirty years he sent out horses from his stables in Virginia.

In later life, he sadly lost his wife. He also battled successfully against cancer.

His final years were spent in a nursing home and he died on the 22nd June 2018 aged 93 and is buried in Abington Hills Cemetery, Pennsylvania.