David Baxter was born on January 31, 1950. He served a three-year apprenticeship with Doncaster trainer Harry Maw and a further three years with Snowy Wainwright at Malton.
He had his first ride in public on Bridgella when finishing last of 16 in the Clifton Bridge Auction Maiden Stakes for two-year-olds at York on June 17, 1967.
Just over a year passed before he celebrated his first winner, Marton Lady, trained by Wainwright, in the Falcon Nursery Handicap at Thirsk on August 3, 1968.
Marton Lady also provided David with his only other winning ride when justifying 2-1 favouritism in the Cameronian’s Handicap at Hamilton Park on May 9, 1970.
He held a jump jockey’s licence for a couple of seasons but failed to ride a winner under those rules. The best horse he rode was Tortuga, who was also trained by Wainwright. David partnered Tortuga three times over hurdles during the 1971/72 campaign, finishing fourth at Ayr in October, sixth at Wetherby in December, and fifth at Ayr in January.
In the 1973 edition of ‘Directory of the Turf’, David reckoned the best horse he rode when based with Wainwright was March The Eleventh, although he only rode him on the gallops and never in a race. Indeed, this may have been a tongue in cheek remark, as March The Eleventh never won a race and – judged on racecourse ability alone – was nowhere near as good as Tortuga.
Outside of racing, David’s hobby was tinkering with cars.
