Fred Dawson

Fred Dawson

Frederick (Fred) Dawson rode 17 winners over jumps in the years immediately following World War Two. He had enjoyed some success as an apprentice on the Flat before the war, having ridden his first winner on 20-1 outsider San Halo in the Brentford High-weight Three-Year-Old Selling Handicap at Kempton Park on April 16, 1938. They followed up in an identical contest at Hurst Park a fortnight later. He ended the year with eight wins to his name.

Further successes followed on the Flat – the last on Fermete in the Motherwell Handicap at Hamilton Park on July 14, 1939 – to the extent that when he rode his first winner under National Hunt rules, it was the 15th in all and resulted in him losing his allowance, 15 being all that was required in those days. Hence, having ridden just one winner over jumps, he then had to take on the top professional jockeys on equal terms.

That first success came on Gold Nugget, trained by former jockey Billy Parvin, in the Juvenile Hurdle at Newton Abbot on September 4, 1946. Gold Nugget was also Fred’s second winner when obliging at Ludlow on October 3, then the following day at Newton Abbot he recorded his third win when Charles The First won the Exe Hurdle by two lengths.

Having had his first three winners in the space of a month, he did not ride another until the following May, and thereafter it was never more than four in a season. He won five races on the useful long-distance hurdler Birthlaw, trained initially by Major Bay Powell and latterly by George Bowden. He finished a close second on Drunken Monk in the 1948 Lancashire Chase at Manchester, beaten just half a length by the highly capable amateur rider John Straker on Bronze Arrow. Fred rode Drunken Monk in the Scottish Grand National next time out but their race ended in a fall.

Although southern-based, Fred’s last two wins were gained at far-flung northern tracks. The first of those was on Cotton Coon at Perth for Upper Lambourn trainer Harry Whiteman; the second – Fred’s final winner – was for Royston-based Willie Stephenson on the even-money (and doubtless well backed) favourite Imperial Eagle in the Leazes Novices’ Chase at Hexham on May 3, 1952.

Those were his only successes of the 19521/52 season, although he twice came close to victory on the Willie Stephenson-trained Lime Ray at Huntingdon, being beaten a short-head in the Brampton Hurdle on Easter Monday and three-quarters of a length in the Ramsey Hurdle on Whit Monday.

It was after his last success that Fred got the chance to ride in the 1953 Champion Hurdle when partnering the 100-1 outsider Assunto. The five-year-old had not finished in the first three in four previous starts when ridden by such leading jockeys such as Bryan Marshall and Tim Molony. As Sir Ken and Molony swept to glory in the second of what would be three consecutive Champion Hurdle triumphs, Fred Dawson and Assunto trailed in last.

He relinquished his licence at the end of that season.

Fred Dawson’s National Hunt winners were, in chronological order:

1. Gold Nugget, Newton Abbot, September 4, 1946

2. Gold Nugget, Ludlow, October 3, 1946

3. Charles the First, Newton Abbot, October 4, 1946

4. Greek Attempt, Wincanton, May 17, 1947

5. Cobh, Newton Abbot, September 12, 1947

6. Fresh Paint, Chepstow, March 27, 1948

7. Drunken Monk, Stratford-on-Avon, April 22, 1948

8. Birthlaw, Southwell, May 10, 1948

9. Imperial Eagle, Ludlow, September 29, 1948

10. Wrong Note, Wye, April 4, 1949

11. Birthlaw Chepstow, April 19, 1949

12. Birthlaw, Newton Abbot, September 30, 1949

13. Birthlaw, Worcester, October 10, 1949

14. Birthlaw, Newton Abbot, December 27, 1949

15. Wydale, Birmingham, November 20, 1950

16. Coon Song, Perth, September 26, 1951

17. Imperial Eagle, Hexham, May 3, 1952