John Curran

John Curran

Article by Chris Pitt

National Hunt jockey John Curran rode a dozen winners (plus one on the Flat) in Britain but went on to enjoy far greater success in Scandinavia. 

Apprenticed to Newmarket trainer Harry Thomson (Tom) Jones, he rode his first winner at Redcar on May 21, 1956, when Philox II, trained by Tom Jones, beat Gledhill Star, the mount of Jock Skilling, by a length in the Apprentice Handicap Plate. That was his sole success on the Flat in \Britain. 

Based with Newmarket dual purpose trainer Harry Thomson (Tom) Jones, he rode the first half of those dozen winners within a couple of months, beginning with novice chaser Hilloton at Newton Abbot on August 18, 1961. He won on him again the very next day, at Devon & Exeter five days after that, and at Southwell the following month.

He then rode two winners at Newbury’s three-day October meeting, firstly on Michael Pope’s handicap hurdler Starliner, secondly on Thomson Jones’s novice hurdler Rubor. (Rubor’s subsequent claim to fame was when jumping the last fence alongside Arkle in the Milltown Chase at Leopardstown in February 1963. Derek Weeden rode Rubor that day, but Arkle, who was conceding Rubor 22lb, quickly put eight lengths between them on the run-in.)

It wasn’t all ‘ups’ for John that season; there was the occasional ‘down’ too, such as a last fence fall on the Bill Holden-trained Edward the Third at Nottingham on February 6, 1962, a photo of which appeared on the front page of the following day’s Sporting Life. John rode one more winner during that 1961/62 season, on Powder Monkey for another Newmarket trainer, David Thom, at Huntingdon on Easter Monday.

Despite having made such a promising start, his career never really took off from there. He failed to ride a winner during the 1962/63 campaign and his three winners the following season were all for different trainers, beginning with selling chaser Baby Slam for Norfolk trainer Tim Finch. Then came a bank holiday ‘spare’ for Fred Rimell on novice chaser Kings Fair at Hereford on Easter Monday 1964; and lastly on 33/1 outsider Flaming, who landed a three-mile hurdle at Uttoxeter’s Whitsun Meeting for Bishops Stortford permit holder Jervis Foulds. The last of those three was John’s tenth winner and thus his claim was cut to 5lb. 

He rode just two more winners in Britain, both in September 1964: veteran handicap chaser Sandy Spur for Len Carrod at Devon & Exeter, and selling hurdler Complete Treasure for Eric Foster at Newton Abbot. He relinquished his licence at the end of that season and headed for pastures new in foreign fields.

Venturing to Scandinavia he soon made his mark, for in October 1966 he won what was then regarded as the Swedish Grand National, the St. Erik’s Grand Prix, run over 3¼ miles, at Taby, Stockholm, on Cortland. (The inaugural running of the ‘proper’ Swedish Grand National, which today takes place at Stromsholm and is the richest jump race in Scandinavia, was not until 1971, when it was won by Officer Kelly, ridden by John Cook, who had won the Aintree Grand National earlier that year on Specify.)

John Curran’s British winners were, in chronological order:

1. Philox II, Redcar, May 21, 1956 

2. Hilloton, Newton Abbot, August 18, 1961

3. Hilloton, Newton Abbot, August 19, 1961

4. Hilloton, Devon & Exeter, August 24, 1961

5. Hilloton, Southwell, September 4, 1961

6. Starliner, Newbury, October 19, 1961

7. Rubor, Newbury, October 21, 1961

9. Powder Monkey, Huntingdon, April 23, 1962

9. Baby Slam, Windsor, February 27, 1964

10. Kings Fair, Hereford, March 30, 1964

11. Flaming, Uttoxeter, May 19, 1964

12. Sandy Spur, Devon & Exeter, September 3, 1964

13. Complete Treasure, Newton Abbot, September 19, 1964