John Connolly

John Connolly

Article by Alan Trout

National Hunt jockey John Aloysius Connolly rode his first winner on Lady Cashier in the Bishopscourt Cup Chase at Punchestown on April 25, 1945. Lady Cashier finished second but was awarded the race when first past the post Ballynahooley was disqualified for not keeping a straight course. The Bishopscourt Cup is a unique race, being restricted to horses owned by farmers in the Kildare district. It still forms part of today’s Punchestown Festival. 

With just that one winner to his name in his native Ireland, John eventually crossed the Irish Sea and joined trainer Captain Gerald Balding, father of Toby and Ian. He went on to ride 22 winners over four seasons in the early 1950s before his career was ended by a fall. 

His first winner was at Hereford on October 7, 1950, when Torhill took the Novices’ Hurdle by two lengths. Trained by Captain Balding, Torhill was winning his ninth race but was unable to add to his total thereafter. John rode three more winners that season and four the next. He also has a ride in the 1952 Welsh Grand National, pulling up on 13-year-old veteran Tai-Ford. 

It seemed that 1952/53 would be the breakthrough season for John. Despite not getting off the mark until October, he ended up riding 11 winners from 98 mounts, all bar two of them for Captain Balding. The other two were gained on Gay Fox, trained by Charles Cooper, Balding’s former head lad, who had taken out a trainer’s licence in the 1950/51 season. John’s wins included doubles at Warwick in March and Hereford on Whit Monday. He also completed the course on Old Kentucky in the Topham Trophy over Liverpool’s Grand National fences. 

Three wins in a seven-day period in September appeared to indicate that the 1953/54 campaign would be equally, if not more, successful. He won twice within five days on Gay Fox and then rode 5-1 chance Phalene, trained like so many other of his winners by Captain Balding, to win the Hambleton Juvenile Hurdle at Market Rasen. George Vergette, trainer of the runner-up The Ashes, was fined for “making a frivolous objection.” 

Sadly, that Market Rasen success would be his last. On October 17, 1953, John suffered a first fence fall from Balkan Catch at Worcester, resulting in a fractured skull which ended his career in the saddle. 

John Connolly’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Lady Cashier, Punchestown, April 25, 1945

2. Torhill, Hereford, October 7, 1950

3. Multum In Parvo, Ludlow, March 1, 1951 (dead-heat)

4. Empire Song, Fontwell Park, March 14, 1951

5. Demon Vino, Hurst Park, May 14, 1951

6. Demon Vino, Newton Abbot, August 7, 1951

7. Red Herring, Taunton, April 3, 1952

8. Demon Vino, Plumpton, April 30, 1952

9. Red Herring, May 8, 1952

10. Demon Vino, Newton Abbot, October 6, 1952 

11. Gay Fox, Wincanton, November 20, 1952

12. Gay Fox, Newton Abbot, December 26, 1952

13. Just Joe, Warwick, January 10, 1953

14. Spring Heather, Doncaster, February 7, 1953

15. Spring Heather, Warwick, March 14, 1953

16. Balkan Catch, Warwick, March 14, 1953

17. Balkan Catch, Fontwell Park, March 23, 1953

18. Criterion, Uttoxeter, May 23, 1953

19. Son Of Marie, Hereford, May 25, 1953

20. Pardon, Hereford, May 25, 1953 

21. Gay Fox, Taunton, September 12, 1953

22. Gay Fox, Wincanton, September 17, 1953

23. Phalene, Market Rasen, September 19, 1953