Andrew Ernest Bacon was born on June 9, 1965 and was apprenticed to Major Dick Hern for four years. He had his first ride in public on Torrey, who finished eighth of the 20 runners in the Bishopgate Apprentices' Handicap at Ascot on September 22, 1983.
He joined Yorkshire trainer Mel Brittain at the start of the 1985 season and rode his first winner on 14-1 chance Carol’s Music, trained by Brittain, in the Gaddesby Apprentice Stakes at Leicester on September 23, 1985.
His second win was achieved in remarkable circumstances and produced the following headline in the next day’s Sporting Life: ‘Bareback Bacon is the hero on Dublin Lad’.
The occasion was the five-furlong Staffordshire Nursery at Wolverhampton on Tuesday, October 8, 1985. Young Andrew was four lengths clear and had the race sewn up at halfway but the saddle started to slip and the 20-year-old looked almost certain to be dislodged.
At the furlong pole the colt pitched to the left but Andrew managed to stay aboard and carried on bareback. Dublin Lad, whose welter burden of 10st 1lb was reduced by his rider’s 7lb claim, was still clear when he drifted over to the stands rails. Despite all this, Andrew still managed to ride a finish and held off Steve Perks on Dark Promise by a neck.
After passing the post Andrew was devoid of steering but was helped by Walter Swinburn and John Lowe who galloped their mounts upsides, grabbed the reins and brought the winner to a halt.
Andrew walked back beside Dublin Lad and was given a standing ovation, but as the cheers died away and he was receiving congratulations from fellow jockeys, it was announced that Perks had objected “for taking my ground inside the last furlong.” This was met with a hail of booing, albeit good-natured, by the other riders who had witnessed Andrew’s feat.
After viewing the patrol film, the stewards allowed the result to stand and added a sting in the tail for Perks, keeping his deposit and fining him £40 for a frivolous objection.
Lowe and Swinburn were both full of praise for the apprentice’s skill. “I’d given him up twice,” said Swinburn. “He looked sure to fall.” Lowe echoed the view of everyone when he said: “It’s a shame Pat Eddery has ridden the Cambridgeshire and Arc winners because he’ll probably get the jockey of the month award and it should really go to this boy.”
It would be good to say that Andrew’s remarkable riding performance heralded the start of a big career. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. He joined Jack Berry’s successful stable and rode eight winners in 1988 and the same number in 1989, his first season without a claim. However, from thereon he struggled to make an impression.
He last held a licence in 1992.
