Jack Delaney

Irishman John Delaney, always known as Jack, was a successful National Hunt jockey in his homeland, riding mainly for the McCalmont family, based in Co. Kilkenny. He had ridden enough winners to have lost the right to claim an allowance when crossing the Irish Sea to England in 1926.

He had his first ride in Britain on the opening day of the 1926/27 National Hunt season, August 2, at Newton Abbot, finishing third on Kilgobbin in the Ugbrooke Handicap Chase. Two months later, Kilgobbin provided Jack with his first British winner when landing the Avon Handicap Chase at Stratford on October 2, 1926.

He won two races in 1930 on selling hurdler Transmit, at Monmouth in April and Pershore in May. Monmouth staged its final meeting just three years later, while Pershore failed to reappear after World War II, despite assurances that it would resume in 1949 or 1950. It never happened. Lord Coventry, who owned the land, sold it and the racecourse eventually became the site of a trading estate.

By 1931 Jack was employed as the licensed trainer for Mrs Nancy Moon’s stable at Shipton Moyne, Tetbury, in Gloucestershire, as women were not then allowed to hold a trainer’s licence. He trained and rode a double at Monmouth on April 7, 1932, winning the Chepstow Handicap Hurdle on Green Fairy and the Ros Maiden Hurdle on Tog Hill. Also that year, he completed the course in fourth place, albeit last of the four to get round, on Green Midge in the Becher Chase over the Grand National fences.

Jack enjoyed his most successful season in 1932/33 with seven wins. He made a quick start when winning on Liar at Newton Abbot on the second day of the campaign. His six other wins all came courtesy of the aptly-named juvenile hurdler Result, who won five times from six starts between September 21 and November 7, then won again at Hawthorn Hill in March.

Jack Delaney’s seven winners during the 1932/33 season were, in chronological order:

1. Liar, Moderate Hurdle, Newton Abbot, August 2, 1932

2. Result, Quantock (3yo) Hurdle, Taunton, September 21, 1932

3. Result, Salop Juvenile (3yo) Hurdle, Ludlow, October 6, 1932

4. Result, Stalbridge Juvenile (3yo) Hurdle, Wincanton, October 15, 1932

5. Result, Toto (3yo) Hurdle, Manchester, October 29, 1932

6. Result, Juvenile (3yo) Hurdle, Wolverhampton, November 7, 1932

7. Result, Bray Handicap Hurdle (4yo & 5yo), Hawthorn Hill, March 20, 1933

In addition to his successes in Ireland, Jack rode a total of 32 winners in Britain, the last of which was gained on Patrimony in the Barton Cup Handicap Hurdle at Torquay on March 25, 1940. Patrimony was also his final British mount when finishing seventh in the Portman Handicap Hurdle at Taunton on Boxing Day, December 26, 1940.

He went home to Ireland and trained there, returning to Britain in 1950 and becoming the licensed trainer for Mrs Edna Forwood’s 12-horse string and Lamport, Northamptonshire. He returned to Ireland and resumed training in the mid-1950s.

His four sons, John (44 wins), Tom (11 wins), Peter (5 wins) and Brian (3 wins), all rode under National Hunt rules in Britain.