Article by Chris Pitt
Northern-based Flat jockey Peter Concannon served his apprenticeship firstly with Snowy Gray at Beverley from 1957 to 1960 and then Bob Ward at Hednesford.
He rode his first winner on the strangely-named Margipe (named after a village in Chile) at Bogside on April 19, 1958 for Noel Robinson, who trained at Berwick-upon-Tweed. His other three winners were all for Beverley trainer Jimmy Thompson, two of them coming on Raytona in apprentice handicaps at Pontefract and Catterick. Snowy Gray provided Peter with his sole success of 1959, on Pedlar’s Fair at Ayr on April 9.
In 1961 Peter’s indentures were transferred to Bob Ward, who trained at Hednesford, Staffordshire. He rode four winners for Ward that year, two of which came courtesy of three-year-old filly See See at Leicester on May 9 and Worcester on June 24.
On May 14, 1962, Peter rode Ward’s Amberite to win at Ayr, but just two weeks later Ward was thrown out of racing. On May 30 he ran two horses in a seller at Lincoln, a filly named Ione, ridden by Lester Piggott, and Polly Macaw, the mount of Peter Robinson. Polly Macaw, who was backed down from 3/1 to even-money favourite, won while Ione finished second, beaten two lengths. The stewards accused Ward and Piggott of preventing Ione from running on her merits and referred the matter to the Jockey Club, who withdrew Ward’s licence and suspended Piggott for two months.
All Ward’s horses were moved to other trainers, including Kelso Queen, on whom Peter had won a Beverley handicap in July 1961.
She was transferred to Pat Rohan’s Malton stables, and Peter teamed up with her again (right) to win at Beverley on July 13, 1962. That was his last winner as an apprentice for he came out of his time at the end of the season.
He rode as a freelance from 1963-65, based in Malton, but had only one winner during that period, this being Greeba Castle at Yarmouth on August 26, 1965, for Malton trainer Ernie Davey.
He did not hold a jockey’s licence for the next four years but renewed it in 1970 and rode for his old boss Snowy Gray, plus George Toft and Eric Collingwood. However, he mustered only 17 rides and one winner, on Toft’s Que Bonito at Ayr on April 18. He relinquished his licence at the end of that year.
