Alfred Ansell
Although Alfred Ansell did not ride a winner on the Flat he did have one success under National Hunt rules.
He was apprenticed to James Tidey and had his first ride at Lingfield Park on January 10, 1914, when Crantara finished sixth of seven in the Waterside Selling Handicap, having been slowly away. Equally unsuccessful efforts followed, and it probably did not help that Tidey failed to train a winner during 1914 or 1915.
Alfred did not renew his licence for 1916 but had his big moment six years later when Castle In Spain won the Barford Chase at Stratford on November 6, 1922. He had only two rivals, the winning margin being eight lengths. Castle In Spain was trained by former jockey Arthur Saxby and his Stratford victory was the six-year-old’s seventh win of the year.
Alfred rode the horse next time out when finishing second in the Coventry Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on November 15, but it was the winning jockey that day, Gilbert Wall, who then took over the ride on Castle In Spain and was on board when he won his eighth race of the year at Nottingham in December.
Alfred Ansell renewed his licence for 1923 and did so again in both 1925 and 1926 but rode no more winners.
