John Armstrong

John Armstrong

Article by Alan Trout

John Armstrong rode on northern racecourses throughout the 1970s, ending his career with 29 winners, more than half of them trained by former jockey Cliff Boothman. 

Born on March 20, 1951, John made a promising start to his career with ten victories in his first full season and eight in his second. After that, winners were harder to find, and at one stage he had only one success in nearly three years.

His first ride was on Vil-Morleigh, finishing last but one in the 16-runner Skegness “Jolly Fisherman” Novices’ Juvenile Hurdle (Division 2) at Market Rasen on March 6, 1971. He made a good start to the following season, however, as the 12-year-old Adelphi beat his five younger rivals to land the Kelham Selling Handicap Hurdle at Southwell on Bank Holiday Monday, August 30. He may have been a little fortunate to win as the leader, Jim Hardy, slipped up on the final bend.

It was Adelphi’s first victory since dead-heating for first place in the same race the previous year when ridden by his trainer Cliff Boothman. That was to prove the penultimate win of Boothman’s career. On Boxing Day 1970 the 55-year-old veteran jockey broke his back in a fall at Wetherby and was thereafter confined to a wheelchair.   

Just seven days after John had opened his account on Adelphi at Southwell, the pair proved that their success was no fluke when following up in the Whitley Chapel Selling Handicap Hurdle at Hexham, coming with a strong run to overhaul the five-year-old Cumin George, ridden by Barry Brogan, and score by a head.

There were eight more wins that season, including three on the hurdler Mon Bleu, the horse on which Cliff Boothman had broken his back in that Boxing Day fall at Wetherby. Later in his career John would have three more victories on the mare, including one over fences. He also won twice more on Adelphi, the second occasion being when the 14-year-old warrior repeated their August Bank Holiday success of two years earlier in the Kelham Selling Handicap Hurdle at Southwell. John rode Adelphi in his final start later that season, when the then 15-year-old finished ninth at Market Rasen on May 11, 1974. 

John had his final success at Wetherby on Whit Monday, May 26, 1980, when Smokey Bear, owned and trained by John Hanson, held off the challenge of Jonjo O’Neill on Indian Brave to take the Holiday Novices’ Hurdle. He had his last ride at Ayr on March 13, 1982, when finishing a remote sixth in the Braehead Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2). 

John Armstrong’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Adelphi, Southwell, August 30, 1971

2. Adelphi, Hexham, September 6, 1971

3. Camus, Catterick Bridge, December 11, 1971

4, Mon Bleu, Newcastle, March 18, 1971

5. Camus, Wetherby, April 4, 1972

6. Valairon, Wetherby April 4, 1972

7. Mon Bleu, Newcastle, April 5, 1972

8. Mon Bleu, Hexham, May 10, 1972

9. Strident, Sedgefield, May 24, 1972

10. Adelphi, Hexham, May 27, 1972

11. Cranley, Newcastle, November 4, 1972

12. Cranley, Hexham, November 9, 1972

13. Camus, Wetherby, February 3, 1973

14. Last Of The Moors, Sedgefield, February 6, 1973

15. Cranley, Kelso, March 21, 1973

16. Last Of The Moors, Hexham, March 26, 1973

17. Mon Bleu, Hexham, April 7, 1973

18. Tabby, Hexham, April 30, 1973

19. Adelphi, Southwell, August 27, 1973

20. Mon Bleu, Catterick Bridge, November 2, 1974

21. Silver Glint, Teesside Park, November 19, 1974

22. Silver Glint, Taunton, February 6, 1975

23. King’s Savings, Sedgefield, March 8, 1975

24. Tabby, Warwick, December 16, 1975

25. Mon Bleu, Market Rasen, June 5, 1976

26. Mon Bleu, Sedgefield, May 20, 1977

27. Lady Of Elegance, Market Rasen, August 12, 1978

28. Smokey Bear, Wetherby, April 8, 1980

29. Smokey Bear, Wetherby, May 26, 1980