Charles Victor Peck rode six winners under National Hunt rules in the 1970s.
He finished second on his first ride when Ibn El Harrem was beaten a length and a half by American jockey Tommy Skiffington on Everlasting at the end of the Egmanton Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2, Part 2) at Southwell on March 11, 1974, having held every chance at the last flight. Next time out the partnership went one better when landing the Fakenham Novices’ Hurdle at that Norfolk venue on Easter Monday, April 15. Charlie and the five-year-old, trained at Newmarket by Gavin Pritchard-Gordon, repeated their success at Huntingdon five days later when taking the Halcyon Novices’ Hurdle.
His third success came the following season at Folkestone on November 12, when Royal Refuge was a comfortable winner of the Burwash Hurdle (Division 2), beating Friston Miss buy six lengths. However, that was to be Charlie’s last visit to the winner’s enclosure for more than two years.
The drought finally ended when Buffalo Bill was a very easy winner of the Braunston Opportunity Selling Handicap Chase at Nottingham on May 9, 1977, scoring by 20 lengths. Charlie had ridden the eight-year-old on his three previous starts, showing very little, hence the starting price of 20/1. However, proving their win was no fluke, the pair then travelled south to Newton Abbot nine days later and followed up in the Ingsdon Selling Handicap Chase, beating Paul Barton on the 14-year-old veteran State Visitor by a length and a half.
Buffalo Bill was trained by Paul Dryden at Soberton, in Hampshire but it was Charlie’s old boss Gavin Pritchard-Gordon who provided him with his final winner when Golden Vow, despite pulling hard, led from the early stages and had enough in reserve to take the Thames Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2) at Windsor on March 6, 1978 by 30 lengths. Charlie kept the ride for the horse’s next outing, the valuable Greenham Group Handicap Hurdle at Newbury on April 8. Having led from the start to two flights out, Golden Vow was in sixth place and weakening when falling at the last.
He had no more opportunities on Golden Vow and had what proved to be his final ride on his old partner Buffalo Bill when finishing a distant sixth and last in the Yarsop Opportunity Selling Handicap Chase at Hereford on September 19, 1978.
Charlie Peck’s winners were, in chronological order:
1. Ibn El Harrem, Fakenham, April 15, 1974
2. Ibn El Harrem, Huntingdon, April 20, 1974
3. Royal Refuge, Folkestone, November 12, 1974
4. Buffalo Bill, Nottingham, May 9, 1977
5. Buffalo Bill, Newton Abbot, May 18, 1977
6. Golden Vow, Windsor, March 6, 1978
Charlie's first winner: Ibn El Harrem, Fakenham, April 15, 1974