Christened at Newmarket's St Mary's Church on December 22, 1795, one-eyed Harry Edwards was one of the most accomplished finishers that ever climbed up on a horse – he was also one of the most crooked. Said to ‘rather nobble for £25 than to get £100 by fair means’, he was engaged for some years as second jockey to the powerful John Scott stable, but was dismissed after he had pulled Epirus in a race at Wolverhampton under the eyes of the equally bent Bill Scott, who himself was riding the favourite but had backed Epirus heavily.
In the 1827 Derby, Edwards was engaged to ride Glenartney, and, charging out of the gate, quickly gained a healthy lead. With just four furlongs to run, Glenartney’s stablemate Mameluke appeared alongside him. Edwards, having backed Mameluke for a significant sum, made no effort to beat him. Lord Jersey, who owned both colts and had also backed Mameluke to win a small fortune, was also suspected of involvement.
Offers of rides quickly dried up after this – he last rode at Beverley in 1852 - and Harry took himself off to Nantes in France where he set up a small stable and continued to train, ride and nobble.
He chose France because pulling horses had been reduced to a fine art by his French counterparts, but even they found Harry too much to stomach. With no means of support, he returned to England and settled down in Carlisle where he began working as a veterinary surgeon before running a boys' school, but never really prospered.
Had he possessed a grain of honesty or principal, Harry Edwards would have been among the greatest jockeys of his day. Instead, he was buried in a pauper’s grave, denounced and disowned by his many surviving relatives.
Harry was the son of James 'Tiny' Edwards and was one of six jockey brothers. The other five were Charles, Edwards, Frederick, George & William. His son, C. J. Edwards, was also a jockey.
Harry was the rider of the 6/4 favourite Riddlesworth, who astonishingly lost the 1831 Derby to 50/1 chance Spaniel, said to be the worst ever Derby winner. So slow was the pace that the jockeys could be seen ‘gossiping’ to each other. Edwards employed exaggerated waiting tactics only to be caught out by a sprint finish. Rumours that he was in the pay of bookmakers were never proved.
The 1831 Derby was worth £3,200. £100 of this was given to the owner of the runner-up. Another £100 was taken for police expenses. It was a very unbalanced – and unfair - system of distributing prize money.
This anomaly was more clearly demonstrated in 1866. Had one lucky owner won all five Classics, he would have received £25,925 after deductions. Had another been the unlucky owner of all five runners-up, he would have received just £175 in total. There was, in fact, only a head – in both the Derby and St Leger - between Lord Lyon and Savernake. Lord Lyon’s owner, Mr Sutton, received £13,175 whilst Savernakes’s owner, Lord Ailesbury, received just £125.
It was clearly all or nothing.
He died at Epsom on November 10, 1871, aged 75
Harry's big race winners included:
1819: 2,000 Guineas (Antar)
1820: The Oaks (Caroline)
1822: The Oaks (Pastille)
1824: Doncaster Cup (Mercutio)