Article by Chris Pitt
Chris Cordrey was a successful apprentice in Britain in the 1960s who went on to achieve far greater success in Scandinavia.
Son of Great Train Robber Roger Cordrey, Christopher Lawrence Cordrey was born in 1944 and was
apprenticed to Arthur Budgett at Whatcombe. He rode his first winner on Budgett’s eight-year-old Jules, (right) who made all to win the Kenilworth Castle Handicap over a mile at Birmingham on Monday, June 6, 1960. He won again on Jules at Lingfield in August and also landed an apprentices’ race at Birmingham in September.
His tally of winners increased by one over the next two seasons, four in 1961, five in ’62, but then fell to just two in ’63. After failing to score at all in 1964 he joined George Beeby at Compton
who supplied him with the remainder of his British winners, the last two of which were gained on Radiant at Bath (right) and Leicester in August 1966. Having completed his apprenticeship at the end of that year, Chris rode as a freelance from 1967 but relinquished his licence in June 1968.
However, that was far from the end of Chris Cordrey’s career in the saddle. Indeed, it was just the beginning, for he left to ride in Scandinavia where he became champion jockey and won most of the major races there during the 1970s and 1980s, including the Swedish Derby twice, on Sourido in 1978 for trainer Franz Nulz and on Flying Jazz in 1984 for Lennart Reuterskiold, and no less than seven winners of the Swedish Oaks, including five in the space of six years. As well as Sweden he was also successful in Norway and Denmark, his many victories including the 1974 Danish 1,000 Guineas on Fabella.
He met his wife Pam, who went on to become the official handicapper for Scandinavia. Their son Nicholas was also a successful jockey there and won the 2000 Swedish Derby on Double Net. After retiring from the saddle Nicholas became the general manager at Klampenborg (Denmark) racecourse.
Chris Cordrey’s British winners were, in chronological order:
1. Jules, Birmingham, June 6, 1960
2. Jules, Lingfield Park, August 20, 1960
3. Coffee Sugar, Birmingham, September 26, 1960
4. Useful, Bath, June 10, 1961
5. Useful, Worcester, June 24, 1961
6. Potentilla, Nottingham, July 3, 1961
7. Markless, Bath, August 3, 1961
8. Combwell Beeches, Bath, June 15, 1962
9. Bocca, Bath, July 7, 1962
10. Unonimity, Chepstow, August 6, 1962
11. Tent Peg, Lincoln, September 20, 1962
12. Gay Frolic, Lingfield Park, November 2, 1962
13. Djebway, Warwick, June 21, 1963
14. Tent Peg, Haydock Park, September 21, 1963
15. Apex, Bath, May 19, 1965
16. Nunshoney, Windsor, August 7, 1965
17. Radiant, Bath, August 3, 1966
18. Radiant, Leicester, August 9, 1966
His major wins in Scandinavia were:
Svenskt Derby: Sourido (1978), Flying Jazz (1984)
Svenskt Oaks: Happy Star (1971), Farina (1975), Rush (1976), Spring Flower (1977), Mahogany (1979), Olne (1980), Rosenobler (1987)
Svenskt Derby Trial: Kansas (1980), Flying Jazz (1984), Exclusive Friend (1985), Rosenobler (1987), Spanish Run (1990)
Zawawi Cup: Komarov (1971), Kangetu (1976)
Svenskt Kriterium: Billie Bob (1976)
Malmo Stads Preis: Rossard (1982)
Jagersro Sprint: Solway Winds (1986)
Margareta Wettermarks Minneslopning: Rosenobler (1988)
Danish 1,000 Guineas: Farbella (1974)
