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1934-1984
Known throughout the industry as 'Sparrow' (because of his diminutive stature)
Philip was born in Birkenhead on May 13, 1934, and lived at 5, Cotswold Hill, Wetherby, Yorks.Artistically, inclined, he was an excellent cartoonist and painter. He also enjoyed a game of football (he was a massive Tranmere Rovers fan). Philip came from Higher Tranmere, Birkenhead, and was the son of a composing room overseer on the Birkenhead Advertiser.
Standing at exactly five foot, he served his apprenticeship with Percy Vasey at Micklewaite House, Wetherby, from 1949 to 1954.
His first mount was set to carry 8 st. 12 lb: so small was Philip that Vasey had to carry the weighted saddle for him.
Philip's first winner was Lujiji at Lanark on July 19. 1951. He went on to become the champion apprentice in 1953 and a leading lightweight in the North for several seasons.
Photo (right) shows Sparrow on the lower step with John Donkin in 1949.
In 1955, he rode for a full season in Malaya, where he had 45 winners and finished third in the jockeys' table.
Philip rode as a freelance, and nominated the filly Water Wings as the best horse ridden. Trained by Charles Elsey for Jim Joel, Philip won the Ebor Trial Handicap on her by twelve lengths in August, 1959.
The partnership then finished second in the actual Ebor 12 days later (and might well have won had the filly not been badly crossed at the start (no stalls in those days). She lost many lengths, but - patiently ridden by Philip - made steady progress to finish second to the Piggott-ridden Primera, beaten by just a length and a half.
His best season came in 1953 when he rode 30 winners.
Philip enjoyed one of his biggest ever wins when scoring on Faint Hope in the 1960 Nottingham Stewards' Cup (left).
When the minimum weights rose, the demand for Philip's services declined. He scored the last of his 134 wins in Britain on Spanish Set at Ripon on August 22, 1964.
Philip's mentor in the weighing room was Joe Sime.
On November 18, 1959, he married Norma Seymour. She gave him a son, Philip Mark.
After retiring, he worked as a van driver.
He did an article in a Sunday newspaper in which he described how he walked out of the weighing room with his whip in a certain hand to notify his dad whether his mount was off or not!
Philip died in Birkenhead in November, 1984, aged 50.
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