Gary Fletcher

Gary Fletcher

Ther son of Newmarket trainer Geoff Fletcher, Gary Fletcher rode six winners during a career over jumps that begun when News Lane, owned and trained by his father, finished fourth of 12 starters in the Barsham Novices’ Hurdle at Fakenham on Whit Monday, May 28, 1979. 

News Lane was making his debut under National Hunt rules despite being seven years old. After five more outings together, which included one second place, the pair eventually passed the post in front when defeating 18 rivals in the Tower Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2) at Wolverhampton on November 7, 1979. News Lane went on to win two more races that season, partnered on both occasions by Jeff Pearce. 

Gary gained his second victory when Anitas Choice, also owned and trained by his father, recorded a comfortable victory in the Egmanton Maiden Hurdle (Division 1) at Southwell on March 10, 1980, beating the favourite Gorsky by a distance. 

He made a good start to the 1980/81 campaign, winning on the first day of the season when Albany Victor, once again owned and trained by his father, had six lengths to spare at the end of the Gainsborough Maiden Hurdle (Division 1) at Market Rasen. 

That was the four-year-old’s only run of the season, and it was not until April 8, 1982 that Gary next visited the winner’s enclosure, the draught being ended when the four-year-old Carry On Again finished strongly to beat Goldyke by four lengths to land the Client Novices’ Hurdle (Division 1) at Worcester. 

Carry On Again was not seen again that season, and it was left to another four-year-old, Chaney, to provide Gary with his fifth success when drawing clear on the run-in and landing the Radway Selling Handicap Hurdle at Stratford on May 7, 1982.   

Having finished second on another of his father’s string, Talkabout, at Doncaster on February 28, 1983, they went one place better at Southwell two weeks later and won the Egmanton Novices’ Hurdle (Division 1) at Southwell, beating Graham McCourt’s mount Flying Mistress by half a length. That proved to be Gary’s last success. 

Talkabout was also his final ride when being unseated at the fourth flight in the Yelling Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2) at Huntingdon on April 16, 1983. It may have been that the fall was sufficient to bring his riding career to a premature end, for next time out Talkabout won the valuable Haig Whisky Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final at Newcastle with Jonjo O’Neill in the saddle, giving Geoff Fletcher his biggest training success under National Hunt rules. 

All six of Gary’s six winners were trained by his father, who was based at Cadland Sables with a mixed string of some 30 horses, Flat and jumps, when the operation was at its height. However, in 1983 Geoff left Newmarket and moved to Clipsham Hall, near Oakham, but the arrangement was but brief, for 1984 marked his last entry in the Horses in Training annual. 

Gary Fletcher’s wins were, in chronological order:

1. News Lane, Wolverhampton, November 7, 1979

2. Anitas Choice, Southwell, March 10, 1980

3. Albany Victor, Market Rasen, August 2, 1980

4. Carry On Again, Worcester, April 8, 1982

5. Chaney, Stratford-on-Avon, May 7, 1982

6. Talkabout, Southwell, March 14, 1983

Thanks to Alan Trout for providing the main part of this article.