Harry East

Harry East

1893 -1964

Henry John East, always known as Harry East, was a successful jockey with 58 wins on the Flat between 1907 and 1914, and then 41 over jumps between 1920 and 1932.

He was apprenticed to his father James East, who trained at Ilsley, and had his first ride when finishing third on Acceber in the Apprentices Maiden Selling Plate at Warwick on April 8, 1907. The winning jockey in that race, Freddie Fox, was riding his first winner, going on to become one of the leading riders of the first half of the 20th century.

Harry’s own first win did not come until November 5, 1907, when Phyllis, owned and trained by his father, won the Selling Nursery Handicap at Lincoln by four lengths. Horse and rider teamed up again 13 days later to win the Stratford Selling Plate at Warwick. This time the winning margin was three lengths.

For the next few years Harry kept up a steady stream of winners. He enjoyed his most important success on King’s Courtship in the 1908 Chesterfield Cup at Goodwood. He was deprived of one winner that year when, having finished first on Too Late in the Wilts Selling Plate at Newbury on April 4, the horse was disqualified due to his owner being on the Forfeit List.

Harry achieved a best score of 28 in 1909 and finished third in that year’s Royal Hunt Cup on Christmas Daisy. Only in 1911 did he fail to ride a winner.

His final success on the Flat was on Bedtime in the Clifton Three-Year-Old Handicap at Thirsk on May 1, 1914. He ended his Flat race career a few weeks later when finishing unplaced on Langley in the Walmer Plate at Folkestone on June 26.

Harry then took out a National Hunt jockey’s licence but made an inauspicious start when his first mount, Flywheel, broke down in the Berkshire Selling Handicap Hurdle at Newbury on March 17, 1915. The disruption to racing caused by World War One meant that over five years would pass before he rode his first winner, courtesy of 100-6 chance Double Bed in a three-year-old maiden hurdle at Newbury on December 2, 1920.

Harry enjoyed his most successful years over jumps in 1921 and 1924 with eight winners in each.

The best horse he rode was Feng, on whom he won Newbury’s Berkshire Hurdle on January 26, 1928 and finished second in that year’s Liverpool Hurdle, beaten three-quarters of a length by George Duller on Stuff Gown.

Following that defeat, Feng spent more than two years on the sidelines. He didn’t run in either in 1929 or 1930 but returned towards the end of 1931 to win handicap hurdles at Hurst Park and Wolverhampton in December, both times with Harry on board.

Feng was also Harry’s last winning ride when landing the Weyhill Handicap Hurdle at Newbury on January 30, 1932. He rode only sporadically thereafter before having his final mount on Nightcap III, who fell in the Malvern Handicap Hurdle at Worcester on February 8, 1941.

Harry East died in November 1964, aged 71. His son, also christened Henry John but always known as Johnny (1924-2004), was stable jockey for Neville Crump and rode around 350 winners including the inaugural running of the Whitbread Gold Cup in 1957 on Much Obliged.

Information on Harry East’s Flat career supplied by Alan Trout.