Mick Clancy

Mick Clancy

Michael Francis (Mick) Clancy was based with Penrith trainer Tommy Robson and held a British jump jockey’s licence for two seasons but rode just one winner. 

Prior to joining Tommy Robson, Mick had ridden a winner in his native Ireland, aboard Prairie Mistress in the Slievenamon Handicap Hurdle at Powerstown Park (today called Clonmel) on 30 June 1966. He had the occasional ride thereafter, but lack of opportunities persuaded him to cross the Irish Sea and try his luck elsewhere. 

He took out a licence for the 1968/69 season and had his first ride in Britain when finishing sixth on the Gordon Richards-trained Donald’s Pool in a novice riders’ handicap hurdle at Ayr on 12 October 1968. 

On 7 December he finished a well-beaten fourth on Ring A Bell, also trained by Gordon Richards, in a novice riders’ handicap chase at Catterick. However, the next time he rode that horse was a very different story, for at Ayr on 3 January 1969, in the three-runner Drongan Handicap Chase, again for novice riders, Mick sent 11-10 favourite Ring A Bell to the front at the seventh fence and was never headed thereafter, winning comfortably by two lengths from Speldhurst Boy, the mount of Mac Turner, with Sea Dreamer, ridden by Stephen Ross, eight lengths last of the trio.

Ring A Bell was owned by Alex Greenshields who had previously trained the horse himself. Partnered by his head lad Derek Nightingale, Ring A Bell had won four times for him between June 1963 and October 1965. By now eleven years old, the horse was past his best but still capable of picking up the occasional minor contest. 

Mick kept the ride for Ring A Bell’s next outing, but after the pair had finished tailed off at Sedgefield on 25 January, he was replaced by Richards’ stable jockey Ron Barry, who rode him to win at Nottingham in March and Wetherby in April. 

Mick had a total of 23 rides during that 1968/69 campaign, but that proved to be his sole success. Having struggled for the mounts the following season, Mick relinquished his licence in March 1970. 

Mick then returned to Ireland where he had at least two more wins: on Zimone Boy in the Guinness Festival Trophy Handicap Hurdle at Wexford on October 28, 1971, and on Leamlara in the Fort William Handicap Hurdle at Limerick Junction (now called Tipperary) on October 17, 1974. He also trained the latter.