Frank Elnor

Frank Elnor

Article by Alan Trout

Born in 1897, Frank Seaton Elnor rode two winners on the Flat, then came back a decade later to add four more over jumps. 

Apprenticed to Sam Pickering who trained at Kentford House, Newmarket, he had his first ride on Brendan’s Beauty, who finished unplaced in the Village Handicap at Lingfield Park on May 31, 1912. It was at Epsom on April 23, 1913 that Frank first tasted success, winning the Apprentices’ Plate over the full Derby distance of a mile and a half, on Greenland Falcon, who had been ridden on his previous unplaced effort by the great American jockey Danny Maher. 

Almost two years passed before Frank’s second and final victory on the Flat, when an unnamed two-year-old filly by Littleton out of Estelle (later named My Dame) took the Juvenile Plate at Haydock Park on May 15, 1915. Although he had nearly two dozen rides that year, he then disappeared from the racing scene for more than a decade. 

Having taken out a National Hunt jockey’s licence for the 1926/27 season, he first made an impact at Market Rasen on Easter Monday, April 1, 1929, finishing second in the opening race on the card on Manver, then later in the afternoon winning the Try Again Hurdle aboard Iron Man, a horse he had finished second on at Southwell two days earlier. 

A year elapsed before Frank rode another winner. Again, it was on Iron Man at Market Rasen on Easter Monday, this time in the Risby Handicap Hurdle, winning by a head from Rafnam, ridden by the very good amateur jockey ‘Rip’ Bissill. Iron also ensured that, for once, Frank would have more than one win in a season by taking the Rudyard Handicap Hurdle at Uttoxeter by half a length on May 27, despite the rider putting up 6lb overweight. 

It was back at Market Rasen on Easter Monday, April 6, 1931, that Frank had his final win when Cameronia won the Selling Handicap Hurdle by three-quarters of a length from Hyde Park, the mount of another leading amateur rider, Alec Marsh. He did not hold a licence after the 1932/33 season. 

Frank Elnor’s wins were, in chronological order:

1. Greenland Falcon, Epsom, April 23, 1913

2. Unnamed filly out of Estelle, Haydock Park, May 15, 1915

3. Iron Man, Market Rasen, April 1, 1929

4. Iron Man, Market Rasen, April 21, 1930

5. Iron Man, Uttoxeter, May 27, 1930

6. Cameronia, Market Rasen, April 6, 1931