Arthur Boughton

Arthur Boughton

c1893-1968

Article by Alan Trout

Arthur Thomas Boughton rode on the Flat for over a decade and won 22 races during that time.

Born in about 1893, he was apprenticed to Charles Ray and had his first ride at Newbury on October 4, 1911. A promising start it was, too, with his mount Dara, owned by the South African industrialist and politician Sir Abe Bailey, finishing second, beaten three lengths, in the Donnington Castle Maiden Two-Year-Old Plate. The winner, Aiglon, was ridden by the King’s jockey Herbert Jones. Dara won again next time out at Folkestone but Steve Donoghue was the man on board that day. 

It was not until June 9, 1913 that Arthur had his first, and only, pre-war winner, when Cissy Brown won the Croft Selling Plate at Birmingham by three-quarters of a length, beating Lallemantia, ridden by Edwin Piper, who had won a sensational Derby on Aboyeur just five days earlier.

It was to be six long years, most of them wartime ones, before Arthur rode another winner. Having ridden in 1914 and 1915, his name did not appear alongside a horse’s name again until 1919. 

For many jockeys, losing their apprentice allowance marks the beginning of the end of their careers in the saddle. However, equipped with a full licence for the first time, Arthur Boughton’s career began to flourish. 

It was at Ayr on July 19, 1919 that the revival began with a two-length success in the Stewards Selling Handicap on the four-year-old filly Ella. Back at Ayr on September 18 he recorded the only double of his career. He initiated it by winning the Alloway Two-Year-Old Selling Plate on an unnamed gelding by St Amant, beating top jockeys Bernard ‘Brownie’ Carslake and Henri Jelliss into second and third places; then later that afternoon won the Kyle Handicap on the three-year-old Valley. There were three further wins that season.

He made a good start to 1920. In the Lincoln Plate on March 24, the race before the Lincolnshire Handicap itself, he finished second on the two-year-old Contractor. Arthur lodged an objection to the winner, Bumble Bee, ridden by William Balding, on the grounds of ‘bumping’. The Stewards, after hearing the evidence of the first three jockeys and the Judge, disqualified Bumble Bee and awarded the race to Contractor. 

Arthur won again on Contractor at Nottingham five days later but rode only two more winners all year. He drew a blank in 1921, but then had a career-best six wins in 1922.

Thereafter, Arthur managed at least one winner in each season until 1926. His final victory was at Stockton on April 23 of that year when, in a tight finish, he rode an unnamed two-year-old filly by Golden Sun out of Madeira (later named Rare Wine) to win the South Durham Plate by a short-head, with Mashed Potato, ridden by Robert James, in second, and Corn Sheaf, partnered by future Classic-winning jockey Arthur Balding, a neck further away in third.

Arthur’s career ended at Lincoln on November 7, 1927 when Tinanza finished unplaced in the Yarborough Selling Handicap Plate, won by Archie Burns on High Spray. Although he was granted a licence for 1933, he does not appear to have had any rides and relinquished his licence before the end of the season.

Arthur Boughton died in 1968.

Arthur Boughton’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Cissy Brown, Birmingham, June 9, 1913

2. Ella, Ayr, July 19, 1919

3. b g. by St Amant out of Bal Masque, Ayr, September 18, 1919

4. Valley, Ayr, September 18, 1919

5. The Speaker, Sandown Patk, October 23, 1919

6. Valley, Windsor, November 8, 1919

7. Giant Killer, Warwick, November 17, 1919

8. Contractor, Lincoln, March 24, 1920

9. Contractor, Nottingham, March 29, 1920

10. Sunstroke, Salisbury, May 21, 1920

11. Valley, Sandown Park, August 2, 1920

12. Betty S, Stockton, April 21, 1922

13. Betty S, Ayr, April 29, 1922

14. Portsoy, Manchester, June 9, 1922

15. Parth, Ayr, August 12, 1922

16. Farlam, Ayr, September 20, 1922

17. Cronan, Lanark, September 25, 1922

18. Miss Junior, Folkestone, September 26, 1923

19. Market Basket, Lewes, May 13, 1924

20. Mardi Gras, Salisbury, May 29, 1924

21. Aggravation, Worcester, October 29, 1925

22. b. f. by Golden Sun out of Madeira, Stockton, April 23, 1926