Frank Cotton

Frank Cotton

1843 -1923

Successful amateur rider Francis Egerton Cotton was born on August 7, 1843. He rode a total of 78 winners over jumps between 1875 and 1890 but was robbed of his greatest success in the National Hunt Chase when being found to have taken the wrong course. 

Frank achieved his first win when riding his own horse Daffodil to win a match against Mr O. H. Vavassour’s horse Jerry, ridden by Mr Bond, at Draycott on April 1, 1875. He enjoyed his most successful year in 1879 with a score of 13 wins.

On Monday, March 23, 1885 Lincoln hosted the National Hunt Chase. It was the only steeplechase on the opening day of the three-day Spring Meeting, which traditionally marked the start of the new Flat season. The race was something of a fiasco. 

“None of the riders appeared to know the course,” complained to the Sporting Chronicle’s reporter. There were only seven runners that year and the race was run at a slow pace. There were no incidents early on, although the crowd at the water jump on the far side of the course encroached so much that it was difficult for the riders to identify on which side the flags had to be passed. 

Gamecock, the 5-2 favourite – not to be confused with the 1887 Grand National winner of the same name – led until headed by Golden Fleece passing the stand. As they went up the hill, Frank Cotton on Rienzi took over from Golden Fleece and Wild Meadow. Both Gamecock and Wild Meadow went the wrong side of a flag marker and, as they came onto the racecourse the shouting of the crowd told the two riders that they had gone the wrong way, causing them to go back and jump the fence which they had missed. 

Back up the hill for the second time, Rienzi was still leading, and as they came down the field on the far side Helmet took second place before being passed on the turn for home by Lady Tempest. She in turn headed Rienzi and jumped the last fence in front, but Rienzi came again on the run-in and got back up to win by three-quarters of a length, with Helmet a well-beaten third and Golden Fleece the only other finisher in fourth.

However, on returning to weigh in, Lady Tempest’s rider, Willie Beasley, objected to Rienzi on the grounds of having gone the wrong side of a post. Captain Percy Bewicke, the rider of Golden Fleece, then objected to the first three for the same reason. After some deliberation, the first objection was sustained and Rienzi disqualified, but the other was overruled. Lady Tempest thus became the first Irish-trained winner of the National Hunt Chase. 

Rienzi was making his racecourse debut at Lincoln and his luck stayed out the following day when he returned to the course to be beaten a neck in a hunter chase. However, it soon changed and he went on to record a hat-trick in hunter chases at Bangor-on-Dee, Tarporley Hunt and Ludlow. 

Frank had one ride in the Grand National, on 25-1 chance Amicia in 1886, but failed to complete the course.

His last winning ride came courtesy of Piper, the easy three-length winner of the Bryn-y-Pys Steeplechase at Bangor-on-Dee on April 11, 1890. He rode for the final time when finishing third of nine on Lizzie in the Holme Lucy Hunters’ Chase at Hereford on Easter Monday, March 30, 1891.

Frank Cotton lived to a good age, dying on October 27, 1923, aged 80.