Arthur Birch Jr.

Arthur Birch Jr

1905 - 1993

Article by Alan Trout

Born in 1905, Arthur William Birch was clearly far less successful than his father, also named Arthur (1875-1911) who won the 1904 Grand National on Moifaa and many other good races. However, Arthur Jnr did ride 14 winners between 1923 and 1930. 

Apprenticed to the leading trainer Atty Persse, young Arthur had his first ride at Leicester on April 1, 1915 when unplaced on Grace Cup in the Leicestershire Selling Handicap, a race won by Freddie Fox on Kanran. 

His few rides on the Flat yielded little, and he made slow progress when starting out on his career over jumps. Although granted a licence for the 1920 season, it was not until September 1923 that he won a race, when Jack of Lent was a five-length winner of the Folkestone Selling Hurdle at Wye. Jack of Lent was trained by Harry Escott, who was among the leading National Hunt trainers of the period, and Arthur had the satisfaction of beating George Duller, one of the finest riders over hurdles of all time, who partnered the runner-up Greenchesters. 

It was to be more than three years before Arthur next visited the winner’s enclosure, and it was not until the 1928/29 campaign that he rode more than one winner in a season, by which time he had relocated to the north. He rode five winners in 1928/29, highlighted by a double at Carlisle in December, and four in 1929/30. His last win was on Hornless in the Tay Selling Handicap Hurdle at Perth on September 24, 1930. 

His record round the formidable Aintree fences cannot compare with that of his father. His mount, Royal Orb, fell in the Stanley Chase, and The Gosling was carried out by a loose horse in the 1928 Grand Sefton. He did have one ride in the Grand National, on Gay Dog II in 1929. That was the year of the record field of 66, and although Gay Dog II had had not shown much of a liking for the course by refusing in the Grand Sefton four months earlier, when partnered by Bill Dutton, on this occasion he appears to have got round, albeit without making much of an impact (some sources, however, show him as having failed to finish).

Arthur continued to hold a jockey’s licence until the 1932/33 season. He then held a trainer’s licence from 1936, based at Epsom, mostly as private trainer to owner James Hayes. He relinquished his licence in 1945. He died in 1993. 

Arthur Birch Jnr’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Jack of Lent, Wye, September 17, 1923

2. The Beetle, Gatwick, January 7, 1927

3. Pam Nut, Hurst Park, February 18, 1928

4. The Gosling, Wetherby, October 23, 1928

5. Son of Erin, Carlisle, December 5, 1928

6. Nobody Loves Me, Carlisle, December 5, 1928

7. Nobody Loves Me, Haydock Park, February 9, 1929

8. Hornless, Catterick Bridge, March 14, 1929

9. Hornless, Sedgefield, April 16, 1930

10. Brind Leys, Wetherby, April 22, 1930

11. Brind Leys, Hexham, April 30, 1930

12. Brind Leys, Wetherby, June 9, 1930 

13. Hornless, Southwell, September 1, 1930

14. Hornless, Perth, September 24, 1930