Michael Joseph Batchelor, born in Ireland on September 3, 1932, was an accomplished National Hunt jockey of the fifties whose great rides included Wyndburgh when that horse finished second to Sundew in the 1957 Grand National.
He was fourth on the same horse the next year.
Living at 23, North Street, Wetherby, Michael had a handy 10 st. 5 lb. riding weight and was retained by J. S. Wright.
He served his apprenticeship with C. Prendergast.
His best season, numerically, came in 1957-58 when riding 39 winners.
Michael won the 1960 Scottish Grand National on Fincham and the 1957 Grand Sefton on Wyndburgh. He also won the Eider Handicap Chase twice on Wyndburgh, 1957 & 1958.
His first winner had come on Lees at Carlisle in 1953. He rode 190 in total.
Michael enjoyed archery, boxing & swimming.
He married in December 1963: tragically his wife Angela died a year later aged 35.
Then, on June 26, 1973, in Coventry, he was mugged. He suffered a fractured skull and his left eye was completely knocked out.
Happily recovered, he later ran the Wineborough Grill (a play on the name of his Grand National runner-up Wyndburgh) in Harrogate.
He died in February 1994, aged 61.
Big winners:
1957: Eider Handicap Chase - Wyndburgh
1957: Grand Sefton Chase – Wyndburgh
1957: Eider Handicap Chase – Wyndburgh
1960: Cathcart Challenge Cup Chase – Dove Cote
1960: Scottish Grand National – Fincham
1961: Birdlip Handicap Hurdle (Cheltenham) – Couligarten
Article courtesy Chas Hammond
