Mick Prendergast

Born on May 8, 1914, Michael Christopher Prendergast was a prominent Irish National jockey before the last war and rode in Britain for a few seasons immediately after hostilities had ended.

‘Red Mick’ Prendergast was a brother of the famous Flat trainer Paddy Prendergast. While he rode mainly in Ireland, he also amassed 38 wins in Britain. Having finished unplaced on his British debut aboard Santiago in the Maiden Hurdle at Gatwick on February 7, 1934, he achieved his first success on English soil aboard Prince Khan, trained in Ireland, in the Pittville Selling Hurdle at Cheltenham on November 19, 1936. That was to be his sole pre-war success in Britain.

Earlier that year he had won the Irish Grand National on the six-year-old mare Alice Maythorn, scoring easily by six lengths from That’s Him, with Flying Rose four lengths further away in third.

He got married on the morning of Easter Monday, April 18, 1938, Irish Grand National day. He still found time to ride in the race and seemed loth to be separated for any longer than necessary from his bride of so few hours, setting a furious pace from flagfall on 20/1 outsider Stickit. Stickit stuck it as far as the second last fence, where he stuck ‘The Red’ into the ground. Their ignominious exit left the way clear for the 4/1 favourite Clare County to win by three lengths.

Mick crossed the Irish Sea in 1946 and rode for Charlie Hall’s Tadcaster stable. He quickly made an impression, riding a winner on both days of Catterick’s February meeting, landing the Camp Novices’ Chase on Magnetic Fin and division two of the Kiplin Novices’ Hurdle on Springway. He won the last three races on the card at Wetherby on Whit Monday, June 10, 1946: the Godfrey Long Handicap Chase on Red Pride, the Whitsun Novices’ Hurdle on Colton, and the Final Handicap Chase on Culworth, all three trained by Charlie Hall.

Mick was twice placed on Culworth in Cheltenham’s Grand Annual Chase, finishing second in 1947 and third in 1948.

He enjoyed his most successful British season in 1946/47 with 17 winners. They included a treble at Nottingham on October 29 aboard Acthon Major in the Gotham Maiden Hurdle, Culworth in the Ruddington Handicap Chase, and Cassian in the Juvenile (3yo) Maiden Hurdle. On November 15 he rode another treble, this time at Catterick, winning the Brough Handicap Chase on Good Gracious, the Bridge Handicap Hurdle on School For Botany, and the Juvenile (3yo) Hurdle on My Flag.

He twice rode Hall’s chaser Bricett to victory at Wetherby during that 1946/47 season, including the valuable Wetherby Handicap Chase on Easter Monday when they beat future Grand National winner Freebooter by a length. Mick and Bricett went off as 22/1 joint-third favourites for that year’s Grand National, only to be unluckily brought down at the Canal Turn on the second circuit.

The following season saw Mick win two races on Charlie Hall’s Brighter Sandy, first at Haydock in November and then the 3m 4f Nottingham Handicap Chase on February 3, 1948, where they beat a host of Grand National contenders including Wot No Sun and Some Chicken. The ground at Nottingham that day was described as “very holding”, making the race a genuine test of stamina.

The next day’s Sporting Chronicle reported that Mick had ridden “a splendidly judged waiting race on Brighter Sandy” at Nottingham. “After a mile Brighter Sandy was last, but when the second mile had been covered he made up ground steadily and joined the leaders on the bend into the straight. Brighter Sandy and Wot No Sun jumped the last three fences side by side with Brighter Sandy going slightly the more easily, and on the flat he quickly settled the issue to win cleverly by three-quarters of a length.”

Brighter Sandy, who had won that same Nottingham chase two years earlier, carried 11st 9lb and was owned by Yorkshire farmer Mr T.M. Barker. He had completed the course in the 1947 Grand National when partnered by Captain John Eustace-Smith. However, after the Nottingham race, Charlie Hall said it had not been decided whether it would run in the 1948 National. In the end he did not run, so Mick rode 50/1 outsider Halcyon Days in that year’s race, refusing at the fence after Becher’s second time, now known as the Foinavon fence.

Mick rode his last British winner on Coolmuckee, trained by Charlie Hall, in the Swinton Novices’ Chase at Manchester on March 27, 1948. He rode in England for the final time when last of four finishers on Cupboard Love in the Scorton Novices’ Chase at Catterick on March 18, 1950.

Mick Prendergast died in 1976.