James Arnold

James Arnold

Article by Alan Trout

James Arnold rode quite regularly on the Flat between 1925 and 1933 but it was not until he had ridden a winner over jumps that he could finally open his account on the level. 

He was apprenticed to dual purpose trainer Joseph Lyall and had his first ride on Pretty Dolly in an eventful Duchy (Apprentice) Plate at Pontefract on July 10, 1925. He finished sixth of the eight runners, four of whom were badly left at the start, behind Maritime, ridden by Cliff Richards, who was then disqualified for ‘crossing and bumping’, with the race being awarded to the dead-heaters Lolita and Princess Sublime.

Although James rode every year on the Flat except for 1930, his first success came in the Limehurst Hurdle at Southwell on April 23, 1932, when he rode 10-1 chance Eagre to win by a length and a half. It proved a good day also for the Lyall family, with Joseph owning and training the winner, and jockey brother Bob winning the opening race on the card. 

Eagre never ran again, and although James held a National Hunt licence until the 1933/34 season, it was back on the Flat that he gained his only other victory when, despite no longer being able to claim an allowance, having ridden under NH rules, he steered the five-year-old Craven Lassie to a neck success in the Hurn Welter Selling Handicap at Beverley on May 24, 1933, beating Johnny Dines on Maplebeck. Trained by Cornelius Clark, Craven Lassie was winning her sixth race but ran only once more, in an amateur riders’ contest and, like James, did not compete again after 1933.