Harold Dunk

Article by Alan Trout

Harold Dunk had his first ride on the Flat in 1923 and held a National Hunt jockey’s licence until 1949, yet managed only five wins during that time. Apprenticed to Murgatroyd Rhodes, he began his career by finishing unplaced on Standard in the Hermitage Apprentice Handicap at Sandown Park on August 6, 1923.

There were no wins on the Flat and although he took out a jump jockey’s licence for the 1927/28 season, it was not until Easter Monday, April 15, 1933 that he had his first victory, when Hapithus, on whom he had twice finished second earlier in the season, took the Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at Plumpton by a length from Amulet, ridden by Matt Hogan.

Back at Plumpton eleven months later, Harold had his second success when Admiral Tom won the Hopeful Hurdle, beating five rivals. The name of the race may well have applied to the jockeys as well as the horses, for it was restricted to those who had not ridden three winners.

The gap before his next winner was even longer, almost three years, with Plumpton again being the venue. On January 2, 1937 Stainless Stephen comfortably won the Challey Maiden Hurdle by five lengths. The pair had finished second on the five-year-old’s only previous outing that season at Gatwick in December.

Seven days after that third Plumpton success, Harold had a less happy experience on Stainless Stephen at Gatwick, falling in the Maiden (at closing) Hurdle, a race won by Jack Moloney on Lobau, with Gerry Wilson second on Manteau Royal. After the race, Harold accused Moloney and Wilson of foul riding. Moloney was one of the most experienced jockeys in the weighing room, with wins in the Irish and Welsh Grand Nationals to his name, while Wilson had already been champion jockey four times and won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National on Golden Miller.

The National Hunt stewards spent two days mulling over the enquiry and found that the accident had occurred through the horses of the three jockeys colliding at the final hurdle, but there was so much contradictory evidence that they were unable to apportion blame to anyone.

Harold never rode Stainless Stephen again, but he did notch a fourth winner before the end of the season, when River Fox easily won the Hulcote Selling Handicap Hurdle on the Saturday of Towcester’s two-day Easter meeting. River Fox won a similar race over the same course on Easter Monday but this time Frenchie Nicholson was in the saddle.

Ten years passed before Harold rode his fifth and last winner, although he did not hold a licence for part of that time and National Hunt racing was suspended during the latter years of the Second World War. It was at Wye on April 14, 1947 that he had his final success when Fairy Time, trained by ‘Towser’ Gosden, won the Chilham Selling Handicap Hurdle by a head from Succulent. Sadly, Harold was unable to follow up on Fairy Time, as the horse was exported to India shortly afterwards.

He continued to hold a licence until the 1948/49 season but rode no more winners.

Harold Dunk’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Hapithus, Plumpton, April 15, 1933

2. Admiral Tom, Plumpton, March 15, 1934

3. Stainless Stephen, Plumpton, January 2, 1937

4. River Fox, Towcester, March 27, 1937

5. Fairy Time Wye, April 14, 1947