Alex Flannigan

Alex Flannigan

Article by Alan Trout

Alexander Moor Flannigan had five wins over jumps in the first half of the 1990s. It was by 25 lengths that he had his first victory when Leinthall Fox, owned and trained by Ludlow-based John Needham, spread eagled the field in the Mrs Muck N.H. Flat Race at Ludlow on April 8, 1992. 

He had his second winner when the five-year-old Shoehorn comfortably landed the Roy Harwood (Retirement) Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at Uttoxeter on September 17, 1992.

Chris Broad, to whom Alex rode as a conditional, provided his third winner when Bell Staffboy took the lead inside the final furlong to land the Grunwick N.H. Flat Race at Bangor-on-Dee on March 27, 1993, scoring by five lengths. 

Despite a mistake at the last flight, Relic was able to hold on and win the William Hill Action Line Novices’ Selling Handicap Hurdle at Taunton on April 16 to give Alex his third win of the season and his fourth in all. 

He had his final victory on the first day of the 1993/94 season when the six-year-old Little Big led three flights out and came away to score by 15 lengths in the opening race of the campaign, the Fred Archer Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at Bangor-on-Dee. The name of the race commemorated the fact that the great Fred Archer had reputedly ridden his first winner at Bangor when just twelve years old. 

However, whereas Archer went on to become a multiple champion jockey on the Flat before taking his own life, Alex Flannigan, having been leading jockey for half an hour at Bangor that day by winning the first race of the season, rode no more winners, despite having some 40 rides during that 1993/94 campaign.

Alex Flannigan’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Leinthall Fox, Ludlow, April 8, 1992

2. Shoehorn, Uttoxeter, September 17, 1992

3. Bell Staffboy, Bangor-on-Dee, March 27, 1993

4. Relic, Taunton, April 16, 1993

5. Little Big, Bangor-on-Dee, July 30, 1993