Fred Bland

Fred Bland

Article by Alan Trout

Fred Bland rode for four years on the Flat during the first decade of the 20th century and had six winners. He was fortunate to be apprenticed to William Elsey, who trained at Baumber House, Baumber, in Lincolnshire. It says of Elsey in the ‘Biographical Encyclopaedia of Flat Racing’ that he “believed in running his horses as often possible”. In 1905 alone he trained 124 winners.

Fred had his first ride in the Newcastle Handicap at that course on June 28, 1906. His mount, Pamir, finished unplaced, the race being won by Bill Saxby on Killigrew.

It was not until November 9, 1906 at Liverpool that Fred rode his first winner when William Elsey’s two-year-old colt Dunree won the Third All-Aged Selling Plate by half a length, beating 15 rivals.

Fred’s best year was 1907 when he rode four winners, all of them two-year-olds. The first of these came at Wolverhampton on May 21 when a then-unnamed two-year-old filly of William Elsey’s by Tartar out of Royal Dame (later named Tartar Princess) won the Dunstall Juvenile Selling Plate by half a length. A victory by a head in the Eden Nursery Handicap on Gaelic Cross at Carlisle on October 16 was Fred’s next winner, then on October 29 he was successful on Yelden in the Easby Nursery Handicap at Catterick Bridge. Another of William Elsey’s two-year-olds, Fitz, provided Fred with his final win of the season at Liverpool on November 8 when taking the Aintree All-aged Selling Plate by three lengths.

There was to be only one win for Fred in 1908 – the last of his career – and this came at Carlisle on June 30 when Alfred House won the Solway Selling Handicap by two lengths.

His final ride was at Newcastle on June 24, 1909 when Gaelic Cross was unable to repeat his Carlisle win of the previous season, finishing down the field in the Camperdoen Selling Welter Handicap won by James Clark on Athelta. Fred carried 5lb overweight that day, although still weighing just 7st 8lb, an indication perhaps that increasing weight was becoming an issue.

He was granted a full licence for the 1915 season but he does not appear to have had any rides.

Fred Bland’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Dunree, Liverpool, November 9, 1906

2. b. f. by Tartar out of Royal Dame, Wolverhampton, May 21, 1907

3. Gaelic Cross, Carlisle, October 16, 1907

4. Yelden, Catterick Bridge, October 29, 1907

5. Fitz, Liverpool, November 8, 1907

6. Alfred House, Carlisle, June 30, 1908