William John Bullock (who was always known as Billy) was the nephew of Ralph Bullock, who rode the 1861 Derby winner, Kettledrum.
Born in Morpeth on November 29, 1884, he became apprenticed to Tom Bruckshaw in Middleham, Yorkshire, and is remembered for his exploits at Epsom in June 1908. Riding the totally unconsidered 100/1 outsider Signorinetta, Billy Bullock sauntered to an easy victory.
So unexpected was the filly’s victory that a member of a well-known London political club, having drawn the horse in the annual sweepstake and not fancying its chances, presented the ticket to the hall-porter before leaving in his motor for Epsom.
Italian Chevalier Ginistrelli, the owner, was offered £20,000 but was too fond of Signorinetta to sell her. The horse used to follow him about for the lumps of sugar he carried.
Ginistrelli was an odd character. Having a complete disregard for fashion, he turned up on Derby Day in a large Panama hat of a shape that went out of fashion several years before and sporting a blue-grey tweed suit that he wore about his Newmarket home. Other owners stuck to conventional black morning jackets.
Billy Bullock’s luck continued in the Oaks two days later. The One Thousand Guineas winner Rhodora, who had then comprehensively beaten Signorinetta, was made favourite to do so again but, four furlongs from the start, was brought down by French Partridge. This left the way clear for Bullock to claim a second classic in the space of 48 hours.
The Oaks was then worth 5,000 Guineas, not that Billy Bullock saw any of it – Ginistrelli, the winning owner, did not believe in giving presents to jockeys. Instead, to go with his riding fee, he handed Bullock a cigar and a glass of wine.
After World War One, Bullock went to Denmark and became the leading rider there between 1924-1927. He also won the Swedish Derby in 1926. He returned to England in 1928 and rode for Captain Elsey for whom he won the Northumberland Plate on Leonard in1933.
On Friday, June 2, 1939 - exactly 31 years to the day since his Derby triumph - Billy Bullock climbed aboard 9/2 shot Ridley for the Northern Stakes at Manchester. In a desperate finish, the 54-year-old Bullock held on for a head win over Michael Beary on Defiant.
Always wearing a green, fur-collared coat, he continued to ride work for Captain Elsey until 1959. The coat had been gifted to him by a grateful owner for whom the jockey had ridden a winner in Berlin.
He died at his home in Malton, Yorkshire, on March 28, 1963. He was 78.
On hearing of Billy’s death, Captain Elsey said: “he was a delightful horseman. Horses that did not go for others went very well for him. We feel we have lost a very good friend.”
His brother, Bertram Bullock, was also a jockey.
Billy Bullock’s classic wins:
The Derby: Signorinetta (1908)
The Oaks: Signorinetta (1908)
Between 1912 & 1913, Billy rode in Germany. It was a fruitful time for the Jockey.
His mounts included:
May 1912, the Wiesbadener Fruhjahrs Handicap, run at Wiesbaden. Cheops, owned by E & G Buggenhagen
May 1912, the Grober Preis von Magdeburg, run at Magdeburg. Heimdal, 2nd, owned by E & G Buggenhagen
June 1912, the Chamant-Rennen, run at Hoppegarten. Cheops, 3rd, owned by E & G Buggenhagen.
June 1912. at Asseburg-Memorial, Berlin-Grunewald. Industrie, WON, owned by Frank Charles Arnull
September 1912, the Leipzig Stiftungspreis, run at Leipzig. Turmfalke (who went on to win the 1913 German Derby) WON owned by Richard Haniel.
October 1912, the Festa Rennen, run at Berlin-Grunewald. Industrie, owned by Frank Charles Arnull
July 1913, the Furst Hohenlohe-Rennen, run at Breslau. Blumensegen, owned by Richard Alexander Waugh.
In addition to his successes on the Flat, Billy Bullock rode nine winners over jumps between 1910 and 1921. They were, in chronological order:
1. Waveland, Warwick, February 17, 1910
2. First Whip, Haydock Park, December 10, 1910
3. Pin II, Catterick Bridge, December 27, 1910
4. Scotch Lamb, Shincliffe, March 16, 1911
5. Belvoir, Leicester, December 9, 1911
6. Parapluie, Leicester, February 8, 1921
7. Feudalism, Southwell, March 26, 1921
8. The Last, Wenlock Hunt, May 6, 1921
9. Sesostria, Haydock Park, December 10, 1921
