George Donegan

George Donegan

Article by Alan Trout

National Hunt jockey George Donegan’s career started well, with five wins in the 1929/30 season, but he managed only one in each of the next three. He was also involved in one of the more bizarre racecourse incidents of the inter-war period.

Although granted a licence for the 1927/28 campaign, he had to wait until October 12, 1929 for his first success, when Spontoon won the won the Charlton Musgrove Selling Hurdle at Wincanton by five lengths. It was the six-year-old’s first run over jumps and, although George was later twice placed second him, Spontoon did not win again that season.

He had his second victory at Haydock Park on January 3, 1930, when Fog Horn won the Gerard Handicap Chase. The following day, George lined up in a match race for the White Lodge Chase, his sole opponent being the 3-1 on favourite Sardonyx, ridden by Arthur Waudby. George partnered The Beezer, owned by the former useful amateur rider George Sanday. Sardonyx finished alone, The Beezer having fallen at the last fence. With George injured and unable to get back on to complete the course for second prize-money, The Beezer was remounted by Miss Jean Sanday, daughter of the owner, who rode him past the winning post and drew the correct weight at the weigh-in.

Instances of someone deputising for an injured jockey during the course of a race were not unknown in those days, and were permissible, even if the person did not hold a jockey’s licence, providing the replacement rider was able to draw the correct weight. However, this case was slightly different in that the replacement rider was a woman. There being nothing in the rule book to specify that the rider had to be a man, the local stewards placed the matter in the ‘too difficult’ tray and referred it to the stewards of the National Hunt Committee to decide whether the connections of The Beezer were entitled to the second-place money. It will come as no surprise to learn that the National Hunt Committee stewards ruled that they were not entitled, the reason being that women were not then permitted to ride in races, other than in point-to-points.

George rode The Beezer once more that season but the horse fell again, as he did in his two other races following the Haydock Park drama. There were clearly safer conveyances around than The Beezer.

Nothing daunted, George rode the third winner of his career when Buggy, owned by the aforementioned-mentioned Miss Jean Sanday, won the Worksop Selling Handicap Chase at Leicester in February. It was the first time George had ridden the gelding, and he was placed twice on him before the end of the season. Fog Horn won two more races for George in May: the Border Handicap Chase at Oswestry & Llanymynech, and the Open Handicap Chase at Woore.

Following that five-race haul, things became more difficult. A win on Secret Paper in the Intwood Handicap Chase at Hethersett in May 1931 was his only win the following season, although he did have the satisfaction of beating the great Fred ‘Dick’ Rees on Eastward Bound by four lengths. It was then a wait of almost exactly a year before Royal Daylight won the Fiskerton Handicap Chase at Southwell.

His final win was also gained on Royal Delight at Southwell, this time in a dead-heat with Cornfulla, ridden by Tommy Isaac, at the end of the Averham Selling Handicap Chase on April 15, 1933. George had ridden Royal Delight in all but the first of his twelve races during that campaign.

He held a licence until the 1935/36 season but rode no more winners.

George Donegan’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Spontoon, Wincanton, October 12, 1929

2. Fog Horn, Haydock Park, January 3, 1930

3. Buggy, Leicester, February 25, 1930

4. Fog Horn, Oswestry & Llanymynech, May 10, 1930

5. Fog Horn, Woore, May 22, 1930

6. Secret Paper, Hethersett, May 16, 1931

7. Royal Daylight, Southwell, May 14, 1932

8. Royal Daylight, Southwell, April 15, 1933 (dead-heat)