Gordon Davies
Article by Chris Pitt
Article by Chris Pitt
Northern National Hunt jockey Gordon Alexander Davies began his racing career as an apprentice on the Flat and rode his first winner on a three-year-old filly named Polly Perkins at Carlisle on July 30, 1949. He rode two more winners the following year but that was as far as it went in terms of success on the level.
Northern National Hunt jockey Gordon Alexander Davies began his racing career as an apprentice on the Flat and rode his first winner on a three-year-old filly named Polly Perkins at Carlisle on July 30, 1949. He rode two more winners the following year but that was as far as it went in terms of success on the level.
He took out a National Hunt jockey’s for the first time in the 1953/54 season and continued to hold one for the next 12 years, without ever registering more than two winners in a season.
He took out a National Hunt jockey’s for the first time in the 1953/54 season and continued to hold one for the next 12 years, without ever registering more than two winners in a season.
His first victory in the ‘winter game’ was on Who’s Guess for Wetherby trainer Tony Doyle in a Catterick selling hurdle on January 2, 1956, his only winner that season. Who’s Guess was also his sole success the following season, landing an Easter Monday selling hurdle at Wetherby.
His first victory in the ‘winter game’ was on Who’s Guess for Wetherby trainer Tony Doyle in a Catterick selling hurdle on January 2, 1956, his only winner that season. Who’s Guess was also his sole success the following season, landing an Easter Monday selling hurdle at Wetherby.
He rode two winners in the 1957/58 campaign, scoring on consecutive Saturdays in May on veteran handicap chaser Veuillin, trained by Alf Smith, at Market Rasen and Hexham. After that it was back to just one winning ride in each of the next three seasons, the last of which – Bill Watts’ novice hurdler Worthy Bright at Wetherby in October 1960 – was Gordon’s tenth and resulted in his allowance being reduced from 7lb to 5lb.
He rode two winners in the 1957/58 campaign, scoring on consecutive Saturdays in May on veteran handicap chaser Veuillin, trained by Alf Smith, at Market Rasen and Hexham. After that it was back to just one winning ride in each of the next three seasons, the last of which – Bill Watts’ novice hurdler Worthy Bright at Wetherby in October 1960 – was Gordon’s tenth and resulted in his allowance being reduced from 7lb to 5lb.
Having failed to ride a winner in either of the next two seasons, he finally bridged a dormant gap of three and a half years when landing a Hexham novices’ hurdle on Be Prepared for Berwick-on-Tweed trainer Noel Robinson in April 1964.
Having failed to ride a winner in either of the next two seasons, he finally bridged a dormant gap of three and a half years when landing a Hexham novices’ hurdle on Be Prepared for Berwick-on-Tweed trainer Noel Robinson in April 1964.
Robinson was also responsible for both of Gordon’s winners in the 1964/65 season. They were Great Rock, who gave Gordon his biggest success when winning the £522 10s to the winner Punch Bowl Handicap Hurdle at Ayr in October, and novice hurdler Ponda Rock in division two of the Medburn Novices’ Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday, November 14, 1964.
Robinson was also responsible for both of Gordon’s winners in the 1964/65 season. They were Great Rock, who gave Gordon his biggest success when winning the £522 10s to the winner Punch Bowl Handicap Hurdle at Ayr in October, and novice hurdler Ponda Rock in division two of the Medburn Novices’ Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday, November 14, 1964.
Gordon’s career came to a painful end when he took a heavy fall from Noel Robinson’s Johnny Fortune in a novices’ chase at Sedgefield on Saturday, January 29, 1966. He was taken to hospital for an x-ray examination. The precise extent of his injuries is not known but they were sufficient to persuade him to call time on his days as a jockey.
Gordon’s career came to a painful end when he took a heavy fall from Noel Robinson’s Johnny Fortune in a novices’ chase at Sedgefield on Saturday, January 29, 1966. He was taken to hospital for an x-ray examination. The precise extent of his injuries is not known but they were sufficient to persuade him to call time on his days as a jockey.
Gordon Davies’ winners were, in chronological order:
Gordon Davies’ winners were, in chronological order:
1. Polly Perkins, Carlisle, June 30, 1949
1. Polly Perkins, Carlisle, June 30, 1949
2. Sunny View, Newcastle, May 13, 1950
2. Sunny View, Newcastle, May 13, 1950
3. Barkis, York, May 17, 1950
3. Barkis, York, May 17, 1950
4. Who’s Guess, Catterick Bridge, January 2, 1956
4. Who’s Guess, Catterick Bridge, January 2, 1956
5. Who’s Guess, Wetherby, April 22, 1957
5. Who’s Guess, Wetherby, April 22, 1957
6. Veuillin, Market Rasen, May 17, 1958
6. Veuillin, Market Rasen, May 17, 1958
7. Veuillin, Hexham, May 24, 1958
7. Veuillin, Hexham, May 24, 1958
8. Reba, Hexham, May 18, 1959
8. Reba, Hexham, May 18, 1959
9. Wentworth Girl, Catterick Bridge, November 28, 1959
9. Wentworth Girl, Catterick Bridge, November 28, 1959
10. Worthy Bright, Wetherby, October 8, 1960
10. Worthy Bright, Wetherby, October 8, 1960
11. Be Prepared, Hexham, April 25, 1964
11. Be Prepared, Hexham, April 25, 1964
12. Great Rock, Ayr, October 19, 1964
12. Great Rock, Ayr, October 19, 1964
13. Ponda Rock, Newcastle, November 14, 1964
13. Ponda Rock, Newcastle, November 14, 1964