Bernard Colaluca

Bernard Colaluca

Little is known about National Hunt jockey Bernard Francis Colaluca except that he held a National Hunt jockey’s licence for four seasons in the mid-1950s and rode just one winner from limited opportunities.

Prior to arriving in England, he had had half a dozen rides on Warrior Gay in chases and handicap hurdles in Ireland during 1950, achieving their best placings when a fast-finishing third in a Thurles novice chase in March and fourth in a similar contest at Limerick in April. The following season, the combination was unplaced over hurdles at Killarney in July and Limerick Junction in October, before pulling up on their last outing together in a Thurles novice chase in November.   

Having failed to open his account in his first three seasons of riding in England, Bernard, then aged 25, finally had his moment in the sun when guiding 100-7 chance Christella to victory in the Chelsham Selling Handicap Chase at Lingfield Park on Thursday, March 21, 1957. 

It was one of only three rides he had all that season and was something of a lucky break. The race was scheduled to have been held the previous day, but Wednesday’s Lingfield card had fallen victim to a waterlogged course. However, as was customary at the time, Wednesday’s card was carried over to Thursday and Thursday’s card was abandoned. It may seem an odd way of doing things but that was invariably the case when the first day of a two-day meeting was lost. The first day was simply carried over and replaced the one for the second day irrespective of the quality of the races. 

That Lingfield success on Christella appears to have been the last ride of Bernard Colaluca’s career. If so, at least he can claim that he retired on a winner.