David Deeping

Article by Chris Pitt


David Deeping was born on December 2, 1942, and became apprenticed to Malmesbury, Wiltshire trainer ‘Ricky’ Vallance.

He rode his first winner for him on Kadir Cup in a two-mile handicap on the Flat at Sandown on August 13, 1958. He rode his second winner later that year, also for Vallance, on Doctor Tadgh in a Leicester apprentices’ race.

He rode two more the following year but then had to endure a five-year wait for his next, the last of his apprenticeship, on Cave of Dracan, again trained by Vallance, at Warwick in May 1964.

His Flat apprenticeship over with five winners on the board, David took out a jump jockey’s licence. His first winner over hurdles came at the start of the 1965/66 season on the Valance-trained Flaming Legend at Newton Abbot. His second came on Domburg Assault in division one of the Metropolitan Hurdle at Sandown on January 7, 1966, a photo of which appeared on the front page of the next day’s Sporting Life.

He rode three winners in 1966/67, all on the former John Meacock inmate Vakil-ul-Mulk, who had run in the 1963 Derby but was now trained by Vallance, the last of those coming at Sandown on December 17, 1966. That was David’s tenth winner and resulted in his claim being cut from 7lb to 5lb.

Sadly, he rode no more winners although he continued to hold a licence until 1972/73.

David Deeping’s ten winners were in chronological order

1. Kadir Cup, Sandown, August 13, 1958

2. Doctor Tadgh, Leicester, November 10, 1958.

3. Doctor Tadgh, Nottingham, April 13, 1959

4. Gay Cobbler, Warwick, July 3, 1959

5. Cave of Dracan, Warwick, May 16, 1964

6. Flaming Legend, Newton Abbot, August 2, 1965

7. Domburg Assault, Sandown, January 7, 1966

8. Vakil-ul-Mulk, Warwick, October 15, 1966

9. Vakil-ul-Mulk, Warwick, November 5, 1966

10. Vakil-ul-Mulk, Sandown, December 17, 1966