John Driscoll

John Driscoll

Article by Alan Trout

John Paul Driscoll had 11 wins over jumps in the first half of the 1990s.

He began as a conditional jockey with Newmarket trainer Dr Jon Scargill and had his first victory at Huntingdon on April 4, 1990, when Orsett led two out and held on to take victory in the Waresley Conditional Jockeys’ Selling Handicap Hurdle by a length and a half, despite having hit the last flight and wandered on the run-in. It was John’s first ride on the four-year-old and they came second on their next outing, albeit beaten 10 lengths. 

There was a gap of almost 18 months before he scored again, and by that time he was riding for Bill Clay, who trained his next four winners, although he did have one more victory for Dr Scargill.

His last two winners were both trained by Mick Easterby, the second of which was Aljadeer in the Cruckley Animal Farm Novices’ Hurdle at Wetherby on April 18, 1995, taking the lead between the last two flights and drawing right away to score by 15 lengths. 

John Driscoll’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Orsett, Huntingdon, April 4, 1990

2. Fine Warrior, Bangor-on-Dee, September 14, 1991

3. Northen Nation, Nottingham, November 19, 1991

4. Hill Beagle, Southwell, January 20, 1992

5. Northern Nation, Southwell, January 22, 1992

6. Harry The Cab, Lingfield park, February 9, 1993

7. Golden Savannah, Wetherby, November 16, 1993

8. Master Boston, Newcastle, November 30, 1993

9. Fly To The End, Catterick Bridge, January 21, 1995

10. Flat Top, Hexham, March 16, 1995

11. Aljadeer, Wetherby, April 18, 1995