John Boal

John Boal

Article by Alan Trout

John Boal had a few rides on the Flat as an apprentice in the late 1920s without managing to ride a winner. However, he had some success over jumps with five winners during the 1930s.

John was apprenticed to trainer Graeme Whitelaw at Letcombe Regis in Berkshire and was first seen in action at Pontefract on July 9, 1927 when his mount, the 5-2 favourite Blower, was beaten a length in the Ducy Apprentice Plate. The winner, Laytham Whin, a 6-1 chance, was ridden by Willie Stephenson, later to train both a Derby and Grand National winner, but here enjoying just his third win as a jockey.

Despite this promising start, John made little progress as an apprentice and had his last ride on the Flat on Coup d’Amour, owned, like so many of his other mounts, by Mrs Whitelaw, the trainer’s wife, in the Home-Bred Two-Year-Old Plate at Gatwick on May 18, 1929. The partnership finished well down the field in the 21-runner race, won by Harry Beasley on Trelawne. 

Having graduated to riding under National Hunt rules, John finally registered his first win with a comfortable 15-length success on Water Melon in the Licensed Victuallers’ Selling Handicap Chase at Buckfastleigh on Whit Monday, May 25, 1931. Of his five rivals only Socrates, ridden by future royal trainer Peter Cazalet, completed the course. 

Although John continued to hold a licence, he had no further success until the autumn of 1937 when he rode two winners within a week, thanks to the six-year-old gelding Fossil. Trained by former NH jockey Len Lefebve, Fossil was a comfortable winner of the Coddington Selling Chase at Colwall Park on September 27, then just five days later had an even easier success in the Welford Selling Handicap Chase at Stratford, winning by ten lengths. 

There was another long gap before his next win, which came at Derby on January 16, 1939 when Young Bob, also trained by Lefebve, won the High Peak Selling Hurdle.

John’s final win was somewhat poignant. It came at Devon & Exeter when Bishop’s Move, owned and trained by Lefebve, won the Chudleigh Optional Selling Hurdle by two lengths. The date was August 31, 1939, the war in Europe had already begun, and that meeting at Haldon Racecourse was the last National Hunt fixture in Britain for 81 days. 

When the war over, John Boal held a licence for the 1946/47 season but rode no more winners.