Herbert Batchelor

Article by Alan Trout

Apprentice Herbert Martin Batchelor had just one win on the Flat. He was apprenticed to Elton Barthropp and began his race-riding career at Newmarket on April 27, 1926 in the Apprentice Plate. His mount, Janos Bacsi, finished unplaced. The race provided the first success of William Freeman’s brief career, his mount Ripolin winning another race with him on board at Newcastle in October. Janos Bacso did not run in England again and was later exported to South Africa.

Herbert took the occasional ride over the next two years but it was not until the last race of Epsom’s Spring meeting on April 25, 1928, that he achieved his sole success. The race was again called the Apprentice Plate, over the Derby course and distance, and Herbert’s mount Martyr won by a head from Borjom, ridden by future leading National Hunt jockey Don Butchers.

Herbert rode Martyr twice more that season, finishing second in another apprentices’ race at Wolverhampton on May 28.

His final ride was at Haydock Park on June 28, 1929, when he was beaten a neck on Duke of Florence in the Lowton Apprentices’ Stakes, won by James McGonigal on Frank Bare. Duke of Florence won twice more that season, once with Harry Wragg aboard, but Herbert Batchelor did not in public again.