Frank Joseph Patrick Bullock, the son of a champion rough-rider Constable Bullock of St Kilda, was born on June 25, 1885, in Melbourne, Australia. Having enjoyed great success in both Australia and Europe, he came to England in 1903 where, two years later, he rode his first big winner – Xeny – in the Stewards’ Cup. He also, that year, won the Manchester Cup on Airship. On holiday back in Australia, he was offered the ride on Blue Spec on whom he promptly won both the Perth and Melbourne Cups, witnessed by his proud father.
From 1908 to 1913 he rode as first jockey to the Royal Graditz stud in Germany, winning the Jockey Championship. Frank then returned to England.
He rode for the American trainer Andrew Joyner. Numerous big wins here included the 1915 Cesarewitch on Sir Abe Bailey’s wonderful stayer Son-In-Law, trained to perfection by Reg Day at Newmarket.
Before the war, Frank had ridden a horse named Cyklon for the German Emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm. The Kaiser sent Cyklon to England to race, but with the outbreak of hostilities, the British Government took possession of the horse. After the war, Frank arranged for Cyklon to be sent to Australia where it had a successful racing career. Later, at stud, it sired the 1927 Melbourne Cup winner, Trivalve.
With the war over, Frank soon picked up on winning ways. In Australia, he won two Caulfield Cups (1918 and 1919), the VCR Oaks (1918), the Adelaide Cup (1918) and the Western Australian Derby (1919). In 1920 he won the first-ever Arc de Triomphe aboard Comrade and won the race again in 1922 riding Ksar.
Back in England, he won three Eclipse Stakes, the 1925 One Thousand Guineas and Oaks on Saucy Sue and the Ascot Gold Cup.
At the end of 1925, having ridden 589 winners in Britain and taken five heavy falls in recent years, he admitted that his nerve had been shaken and he retired from the saddle. Frank was also having serious problems with his increasing weight. He turned to training and had runners in England, India and France, where he enjoyed his greatest training successes.
He died on Monday, August 26th 1946 at Banstead, Surrey at the home of his son-in-law, the jockey Walter Sibbrett. He was 61.
His friend, the famous owner and punter Eric Connolly, said of him: “He had remarkable balance and his judgment of pace was riding perfection. It is doubtful if England will ever see a more accomplished Australian than Frank Bullock.”
Frank Bullock’s classic wins:
One Thousand Guineas: Saucy Sue (1925)
The Oaks: Saucy Sue (1925)
Big wins:
1904: Dewhurst Stakes - Rouge Croix
1905: Stewards' Cup - Xeny
1914: Goodwood Cup - Son-in-Law
1915: Cesarewitch - Son-in-Law
1915: Dewhurst Stakes - Atheling
1916: Middle Park Stakes - North Star
1916: Champion Stakes - Clarissimus
1920: Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe - Comrade
1920: Middle Park Stakes - Monarch
1920: Eclipse Stakes - Buchan
1920: Sussex Stakes - Braishfield
1921: Dewhurst Stakes - Lembach
1921: Eclipse Stakes - Craig An Eran
1921: Ascot Gold Cup - Priosteum
1922: Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe - Ksar
1924: Gimcrack Stakes - Game Shot
1924: Middle Park Stakes -Picaroon
1925: Coronation Cup - St Germans
1925: Champion Stakes - Picaroon
Frank was a heavy smoker and scared of flying. He was also honest, modest and unassuming. His son, Francis Lewis (1907-1991) was also a jockey.
