Fred Espin

Fred Espin

Article by Alan Trout

Frederick Charles Espin, known as Fred, rode four winners over jumps during the 1920s, beginning with a three-length victory on Simon’s Glory in the Weir Selling Handicap Hurdle at Hurst Park on February 16, 1923. Sadly, Fred did not keep the ride on the seven-year-old who went on to win four more races that year partnered by Fred Brookes and Stan Tidey. 

Success in the Huntingdon Open Handicap Hurdle at that course on Easter Monday was Fred’s second win, when Rosy Sun beat two rivals. 

It was not until December 21 that he registered his third win of the year when Scapin, trained by former jockey Walter Earl, won the Winter Handicap Hurdle at Lingfield Park. Eleven days earlier, Fred and Scapin had passed the post first in a dramatic finish to the Bostel Handicap Hurdle at Plumpton. For most of the race Playful, ridden by champion jockey Dick Rees, led the way, but halfway up the straight Scapin ranged alongside. According to the report in The Sportsman, the two horses almost rolled into each other, and Fred, with his whip in his left hand, accidentally hit both Rees and Playful. Scapin was disqualified but Fred was exonerated from all blame. The pair gained a measure of compensation with that success at Lingfield eleven days later.

There was a long gap before Fred recorded his fourth and final victory, when Rising Falcon won the Guest Hall Four-Year-Old Selling Hurdle at Lingfield Park on February 13, 1926 by eight lengths. Fred had already ridden the four-year-old unsuccessfully three times that year. He kept the ride thereafter but had only two second-place finishes to show it by the end of May.

Fred retained his licence for just one more season. He trained briefly at the end of the 1920s. 

Fred Espin’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Simon’s Glory, Hurst Park, February 16, 1923

2. Rosy Sun, Huntingdon, April 2, 1923

3. Scapin, Lingfield Park, December 21, 1923

4. Rising Falcon, Lingfield Park, February 11, 1926