National Hunt jockey Michael Connors rode mainly in his native Ireland. However, he also rode a total of 38 winners in Britain during the 1920s.
He had already ridden out his claim in Ireland before making his British debut at Haydock Park on January 7, 1921, finishing fourth in the Makerfield Handicap Chase on Drifter, a safe as houses conveyance who would finish second in the 1922 Grand National and fifth the following year.
Michael did not take long to open his British account, winning the three-mile Stockport Handicap Chase at Manchester on February 3, 1921 aboard the odds-on favourite Eamon Beag, trained by Tom Coulthwaite. They followed up in Newton Handicap Chase at Haydock nine days later and then finished second in the valuable Grand Allies’ Handicap Chase at Manchester on February 25. Based on those three good performances, Michael and Eamon Beag were sent off 10-1 second favourites for the 1921 Grand National, only to fall on the first circuit.
The best horse Michael rode was Ballinode, destined to win the 1924 Grand Sefton Chase and the 1925 Cheltenham Gold Cup in the hands of Ted Leader. Michael rode Ballinode to win the Metropolitan Handicap Chase at Baldoyle in September 1923. Two months later they finished fourth in the Grand Sefton over the Grand National fences.
Michael was unlucky not to win the Irish Grand National in 1924, being beaten a short head on the 3-1 favourite Taughmonagh, trained by Cecil Brabazon. He finished third the following year on Halston for trainer Jack Ruttle.
He had one more ride in Aintree’s Grand National, that being in 1927 on the Percy Woodland-trained Silver Somme, on whom he’d won the Hurst Park Trial Chase earlier that month. Unfortunately, their race did not go well. Silver Somme was slowly away and was still among the backmarkers when refusing at Becher’s on the first circuit.
Michael enjoyed his most productive British season in 1927/28 with 18 wins. He had what proved to be his last English winner on Santabel, trained by Percy Woodland, who narrowly justified odds of 6-4 on by a head in the three-mile four-furlong Test Handicap Chase at Manchester on November 3, 1928.
His final mount in Britain, Astrologer in the Belvoir Chase at Leicester on December 2, 1929, ended in a fall, an anti-climactic end to his visits to this side of the Irish Sea.
