Fred (Sam) Armstrong

Fred (Sam) Armstrong

Frederick Lakin Armstrong (known always as Sam) was born into a racing background on January 24, 1904. 

His father, Robert Ward Armstrong – who died in 1956, aged 94 – had been trainer to the 5th Earl of Lonsdale for half a century, whilst his brother, Gerald, became a champion amateur rider. It was because an uncle (Fred) had a few horses with Bob Ward that the family, to avoid confusion, gave young Fred the soubriquet of Sam, and this lasted throughout his long turf career.

After leaving Rosall School in 1920, Sam served his apprenticeship with his father at Middleham. He rode over jumps around the northern and Scottish tracks, recording his first win on The Cuban in the Autumn Handicap Hurdle at Carlisle on October 20, 1921. The following month he rode The Cuban to victory on consecutive days as Bogside.

He went on to ride 11 more winners under National Hunt rules including a double at Kelso in October 1922. His last win came on Debrett in the Fishburn Selling Hurdle at Sedgefield on October 15, 1924. He narrowly failed to make it a double that afternoon, going down by half a length on Zeus in the Sheraton Juvenile Hurdle, beaten by Billy Hammett on Best Home.

Sam Armstrong’s winners as a jockey were, in chronological order:

1. The Cuban, Carlisle, October 20, 1921

2. The Cuban, Bogside, November 4, 1921

3. The Cuban, Bogside, November 5, 1921

4. Awbeg, Bogside, January 5, 1922

5. Marcopolis, Hexham, June 5, 1922

6. Some Dancer, Sedgefield, October 11,1922

7. Marcopolis, Kelso, October 14, 1922

8. Sun Shaft, Kelso, October 14, 1922

9. The Cuban, Carlisle, October 19, 1922

10. La Gasse, Sedgefield, December 27, 1922

11. Marcopolis, Sedgefield, March 28, 1923

12. Blue Stem, Carlisle, March 31, 1923

13. Jacquot, Carlisle, December 13, 1923

14. Debrett, Sedgefield, October 15, 1924

Then a bad fall ended his riding career, and a trainer’s life beckoned.

He became a pupil of Lambourn trainer Harry Cottrill, spending five years learning the trade, before spending a further year as a private trainer in Ireland for Mr Frank Barbour.

In 1926, he returned to England, setting up as a public trainer at Middleham’s Ashgill stable. He was, at that time, the country's youngest trainer.

Two good winners he sent out from there before the war were Nectar II, successful in the 1937 Northumberland Plate, and Bold Ben, which landed the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot the following year.

During the war, Sam was asked to buy a yearling on behalf of the Maharajah of Baroda. Later it was agreed that Sam would help him acquire a string of horses with a view to eventually setting up a stud.

The Maharajah then bought Warren Place from where Sam trained until persuading his employer to acquire the nearby St Gatien yard to where the entire string was transferred.

In the 1945 September Sales, Sam bought – on behalf of the Maharajah – a yearling (subsequently named Sayajirao) for the then English record of 28,000 guineas. This colt went on to win the 1947 St Leger, giving Sam the first of two classic winners he was to train (the other was My Babu, the 1948 2,000 Guineas winner).

It was shortly after My Babu had won the 1949 Victoria Cup that the Maharajah removed all of his horses from St Gatien. He had decided to buy another training yard at Epsom within easy reach of his home; Sam refused to move a second time and the pair parted company.

Success, however, continued unabated. 

Good horses that passed through his hands included the flying filly Bebe Grande who numbered the 1952 Produce Stakes, Gimcrack Stakes, Champagne Stakes and the Cheveley Park Stakes among her victories. She also finished second and third respectively in the 1953 2,000 Guineas and 1,000 Guineas. 

In 1967, Sam sent out the champion English-trained two-year-old, Petingo.

He had a record second to none in important handicaps: the Lincoln (Riot Act, 1966 and New Chapter, 1970) and the Great Metropolitan (Curry, 1956 and Kaffirboom, 1960). He also won the Cesarewitch, Portland, Ayr Gold Cup, Ebor, Royal Hunt Cup and a host of others.

Sam was one of the first trainers in the post-war period to encourage foreign-based owners and exploit cheaply-bought American horses.

Apprentices under his wing included Willie Snaith, Willie Carson, Paul Tulk, John Lynch, David East, Michael Hayes and Josh Gifford.

Sam retired at the end of 1972, handing over the St Gatien stable to his son, Robert, who had been his assistant for a number of seasons.

His daughter, Susan, married Lester Piggott.

Born in 1904, Sam Armstrong died on December 30, 1982, aged 78.