Gary Crone

Gary Crone

Not many 7lb claimers get to ride a Cheltenham Festival winner but Gary Crone did. 

Gary was born on March 17, 1971. He started in racing as a stable lad and conditional jockey with Guy Harwood in Sussex and went on to achieve modest success as a National Hunt jockey. He had his first winner on the four-year-old Say Shanaz, quickening on the run-in to beat Tres Sportif in the West of England Conditional Jockeys’ Selling Handicap Hurdle at Newton Abbot on May 3, 1990. 

His second win came exactly a year later, also at Newton Abbot. There was then an even longer gap before his third success, and he never won more than three races in a season. 

He achieved by far his biggest victory when winning the 1996 Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup Handicap Chase on 14-1 shot Old Bridge for trainer Andy Turnell. 

The horse was set to carry 10st but Gary’s 7lb claim brought that down to just 9st 7lb. He needed all of that allowance for it enabled him to hold on by half a length from Call It A Day, the mount of Charlie Swan. 

He only rode one more winner after that Cheltenham success on the seven-year-old Hawaiian Sam in the First Half Club Novices’ Handicap Chase at Sandown on February 13, 1997, and there may even have been a touch of fortune about that, as two of his three rivals unseated their jockeys. Gary had previously finished second twice on Hawaiian Sam that season, but they were well beaten in two subsequent starts. 

Gary combined his career in the saddle with working at Turnell’s stables at East Hendred. He then became head lad for Wantage trainer David Gandolfo, where his wife Louise was travelling head girl. However, having failed to achieve his ambition of becoming a top-flight jockey. he opted for a complete change of direction and joined the Oxfordshire Fire Service. 

The unusual career change earned him a special racing industry award of £500 in recognition of his effort and initiative in developing a new career. The award was presented by the Jockeys Employment and Training Scheme (JETS) which advises Jockeys who decide to start a new job. 

Gary Crone’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Say Shanaz, Newton Abbot, May 3, 1990

2. Failand, Newton Abbot, May 3, 1991

3. Singing Detective, Fontwell Park, August 11, 1993

4. Singing Detective, Plumpton, August 30, 1993

5. Northern Trial, Worcester, August 8, 1994

6. Northern Trial, Southwell, August 28, 1994

7. Dulzura, Windsor, November 23, 1994

8. Kreef, Ludlow, December 20, 1995

9. Old Bridge, Warwick, February 17, 1996

10. Old Bridge, Cheltenham, March 13, 1996

11. Hawaiian Sam, Sandown Park, February 13, 1997