Derek Carey

Derek Carey

Article by Alan Trout

Derek Richard Carey was based with Epsom trainer Cyril Mitchell and rode five winners for him under National Hunt in the early 1950s. 

Although granted a licence for the 1949/50 season, he had to wait until April 20, 1953 for his first success. This came at Wye when riding Mitchell’s four-year-old The Turk to dead-heat with Geoff Francis on Bouboule in the Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2). The Turk had finished fourth with Derek aboard in his previous two outings in March. For both winning jockeys it was their first victory over jumps. Geoff Francis went on to ride 19 more while Derek Carey only had another four, two of which came on the same afternoon.

The Turk went on to show that his Wye success was no fluke by taking the Novices’ Hurdle at Fakenham – still known then as West Norfolk Hunt – by four lengths on Whit Monday, May 25. This provided Derek (and Cyril Mitchell) with the second leg of a double, for in the previous race he guided No Bid to a four-length victory in the Hampton Selling Handicap Hurdle. 

Two wins on Mitchell’s three-year-old hurdler Welcome Tidings were all that Derek could muster for the 1953/54 season. The first was on November 4 at Fontwell Park where, running for the first time over hurdles and having shown nothing on the Flat, Welcome Tidings was sent off at 20-1 but won by eight lengths. 

The second success at Plumpton a fortnight later, November 18, was much closer, with only a short-head separating Derek’s mount from Mowgli, ridden by Jim Wibberley, who then lodged an objection on the grounds of “boring after the last flight of hurdles”. This was overruled and Welcome Tidings kept the race.

Derek and Welcome Tidings went on to finish second next time out at Kempton Park on December 28 but were then unplaced on two subsequent outings, at Sandown in January and in the Triumph Hurdle at Hurst Park on March 6, 1954. Bryan Marshall and Edgar Springate then took over on Welcome Tidings for his last two unplaced efforts. Derek Carey did not renew his licence after that season.