Arthur Pratt

Arthur Pratt

1883-1920

Article by Alan Trout

After riding a couple of winners on the Flat at the end of the 19th century, Arthur Wyndham Pratt had some success over jumps with 22 winners between 1902 and 1907.

Born in Islington, London in 1883, he was the son of trainer Fred Pratt. Apprenticed to James Ryan, who trained at Green Lodge Stables in Newmarket, Arthur had his first success at Yarmouth on September 16, 1897, when Poll Tax won the Mile Selling Handicap by half a length from Straw Bonnet, the mount of future champion jockey Sam Loates. A further two lengths away in third was Seaweed, ridden by former champion jockey Charlie Wood. 

Arthur’s only other triumph on the Flat came at Doncaster in September the following year when Locarno won the Great Yorkshire Handicap by two lengths. 

Although he had the occasional ride on the Flat until 1910, it was under National Hunt rules that he made an impact. He made his jumping debut at Kempton Park on March 7, 1901, when Dona Rana was unplaced in the Strawberry Hill Hurdle. Progress was slow initially and it was not until October 31, 1902 that he enjoyed his first success when Kentmere won the Three-Year-Old Selling Hurdle at Folkestone. They followed up at Plumpton on December 10 in the Lewes Hurdle. 

Arthur had four wins in 1903, then recorded a career-best score of ten the following year. He won four races on the hurdler Sudden Rise and had a total of five wins in 1905, but only one thereafter. That came at Wolverhampton on January 14, 1907, when a horse named ’45 narrowly landed the Thorneycroft Hurdle, beating Ivor Anthony’s mount Alderman by a head. He had his final ride later that year when Bellagio was unplaced in the Kingston Handicap Hurdle at Sandown Park. 

Serving in the Navy during the First World War, Arthur’s ship was torpedoed and he spent a long time in the water. He was invalided out after suffering from cerebra-spinal fever due to his immersion and died from his illness in Berkshire on 8 September, 1920. His younger brother, Ernest, had been killed in action in 1917.  

Arthur Pratt’s winners were, in chronological order.

1. Poll Tax, Yarmouth, September 16, 1897

2. Locarno, Doncaster, September 6, 1898

3. Kentmere, Folkestone, October 31, 1902

4. Kentmere, Plumpton, December 10, 1902

5. Trentonita, Bridgnorth, April 21, 1903

6. Capricorn, Woore, April 23, 1903

7. Worcester Sauce, Ross-on-Wye, May 5, 1903

8. Worcester Sauce, Colwall Park, May 11, 1903

9. Tom-tit, Cheltenham, April 13, 1904

10. Simple Simon II, Bridgwater, May 13, 1904

11. Tom-tit, Cardiff, May 23, 1904

12. Curioso, Devon & Exeter, August 24, 1904

13. Hoggenheimer, Colwall Park, September 5, 1904

14. Edie Violet, Cheltenham, October 20, 1904

15. Reservist, Hawthorn Hill, November 8, 1904

16. La Parisienne, Newport, November 10, 1904

17. Sudden Rise, Warwick, November 21, 1904

18. Sudden Rise, Maiden Erlegh, November 23, 1904

19. Sudden Rise, Gatwick, February 2, 1905

20. Sudden Rise, Kempton Park, February 4, 1905

21. Jason, Warwick, February 22, 1905 

22. Jason, Warwick, February 23, 1905

23. Jason, Birmingham March 21, 1905

24. ’45, Wolverhampton, January 14, 1907

Thanks to Derek Gay for information concerning Arthur’s wartime record.