Harry Beasley Jr

(1899 - 1959)

Henry Herbert Edward Beasley, born in Ireland in 1899, was the son of Harry Beasley, who won the Grand National on Come Away, and the brother of Rufus Beasley. His own son Bobby won the 1961 Grand National on Nicholas Silver. 

Harry came to England soon after World War One. As with many Irish jockeys of the time, he rode both on the Flat and over jumps. Although much better known as a Flat jockey, he did win four races in a 27-day period, all of them on Savernake, trained by Gilbert Bennett. 

The pair teamed up for the first time when winning the Surrey Hurdle at Hurst Park on 15 December 1923 by four lengths. That was followed with victory by a similar margin in the Berkshire Hurdle at Newbury on New Year’s Eve. The hat-trick was achieved back at Hurst Park on January 5, 1924 in the Mole Hurdle, but this time the win was a much closer one, with only a head separating Savernake from Redmer, the mount of Major ‘Paddy’ Doyle. Then it was back to another easy victory at Lingfield Park on January 11 with a 15-length success in the Blindley Heath Four-Year-Old Hurdle. 

From thereon Harry focused solely on the Flat. He enjoyed his best season in 1930 with 56 winners. He continued to ride in Ireland up to 1942 before training at Cherryfield near The Curragh.

Harry Beasley Jnr died in September 1959.

Classic winners:

Two Thousand Guineas: Mr Jinks (1929)

Irish Derby: King John (1918), Zionist (1925)

Other big wins:

1923: Coronation Cup - Condover

1925: Cesarewitch - Forsetti

1925: Dewhurst Stakes - Review Order

1927: July Cup - Highburn ll

1928: Coronation Cup - Apelle

1930: Dewhurst Stakes - Sangre

1930: Middle Park Stakes - Portlaw

1931: Nunthorpe Stakes - Portlaw

1933: Brocklesby Stakes - Petronilla