McNaught, Jeremy

ranks, being in his mid-thirties by the time he turned professional during the 1969/70 season.He rode his first winner on Phone Girl in the Gone Away Open Hunters’ Chase at Folkestone’s United Hunts Meeting on May 2, 1966. His three winners in the 1967/68 season were all gained on the Chris Nesfield-trained Sunbeat, comprising a pair of hunter chase victories at Ascot and Folkestone, plus his first against professional jockeys in a handicap chase at Plumpton in March (below).

He combined riding with managing Chris Nesfield’s stud but when the Jockey Club informed him he would either have to turn professional or stop riding, he wasn’t sure what to do as he’d never considered himself to be of professional potential. Nesfield advised him to take out a professional jockey’s licence, which is what he did.

A phone call from an old school friend, Hugh O’Neill, who trained the 13-year-old chaser Go-Pontinental, presented Jimmy with the opportunity of a ride in 1973 Grand National, the epic race in which Red Rum caught Crisp in the final strides. Go-Pontinental had, has his name suggested, previously been owned by holiday camp king Fred Pontin and trained by John Sutcliffe, for whom Specify had won the 1971 Grand National. Interestingly, had a Jockey Club veto on changing horses’ names not been in force, the horse would have been renamed Specify Pontins.

To watch the race, click here The Grand National of 1973

Go-Pontinental had finished second in the 1967 Topham Trophy over the Aintree fences but, after winning a Folkestone handicap chase in October 1968, had been off the course for over four years and had been unplaced in all four starts since his belated comeback. Even so, he gave Jimmy a good first Grand National ride and completed the course, albeit trailing home last but one in 16th place, having being baulked at the last open ditch and negotiated the fence at the second attempt.

Photo, right, shows Jimmy on Go-Pontinental on the way to the start of the 1973 Grand National

By then Jimmy was riding as stable jockey to Charing-based trainer Robin Blakeney (who died in 2006). That led to Jimmy riding the long-shot hunter chaser Mill Door in the 1974 Grand National. Mill Door was then being trained by Blakeney, having being sold since completing the course in last place in the 1973 Grand National. Jimmy’s aim was again just to get round. Last of the 30 survivors jumping the water, they plugged on until parting company five from home, the fence after Valentine’s.

The week before his Grand National mount on Mill Door, on March 20, 1974, Jimmy had ridden a double at Plumpton on two Blakeney-trained horses, a handicap chase on Mama Roux and a novice chase on a grey mare named Barmer, the latter following up a maiden chase victory at the same course a fortnight earlier. Jimmy won three more races on Barmer the following season and went on to achieve easily his biggest victory when she won the 1976 National Hunt Handicap Chase at Cheltenham’s National Hunt Meeting.

Jimmy’s career came to an abrupt end at Sandown in March 1977, fracturing his pelvis and the base of his spine when a horse named Royal Susanna reared and crashed backwards through the parade ring rails. He endeavoured to make a comeback but was advised that his licence would not be renewed on medical grounds. So, at 41, one of jumping’s senior jockeys was forced to call it a day after having ridden as both amateur and professional for over 20 years.

He rode a total of 49 winners. Those were the ‘ups’. The ‘downs’ included once almost drowning at Plumpton, and being unseated at the first fence in a two-horse race.

Jimmy moved to live in Yorkshire and, as an enthusiastic supporter of the Injured Jockeys Fund, could often be found at the IJF stand at many northern racecourses.

He is also the Club Secretary at Thirsk where, in May 2013, he had a race named after him (won by Towbee) to celebrate his 80th birthday.