Raymond Clark

Raymond Clark

Article by Alan Trout

Raymond Nevill Clark rode over jumps for some years between the wars and had seven wins. The first of those was when beating three rivals to take the Mentmore Chase at the Vale of Aylesbury Hunt meeting on April 11, 1929. His mount, Governor, beat Bromide, ridden by Danny Morgan, then at the start of his distinguished career, by a distance, the other two runners failing to finish. 

Another easy win followed when Raymond rode Benjamin Cherry to win the Open Handicap Chase at Woore by six lengths the following month. However, it would be another three years before he next visited the winner’s enclosure. 

At Uttoxeter on April 12, 1932, he rode Master Poacher to win the Sudbury Selling Hurdle by a neck from Sea Devil, the mount of Percy Carey. His next win, a year later, was even narrower, for at Wetherby on Easter Monday 1933, his mount Concise scored by a short head over Bob Chadwick’s mount Raunnerdale in the Bilton Hurdle. 

Another long gap ensued between winners, but at least the 1933/34 season brought two of them. Continuing the theme of close finishes, Noir et Rouge had only a head to spare over the James Ward-ridden Valum at the end of the Barton Court Novices’ Selling Chase at Colwall Park on March 19, 1934. The four-year-old had a much easier task at Bridgnorth six weeks later, winning the Tasley Chase by ten lengths. 

There was another gap, over 18 months, before Raymond rode what proved to be his last winner. At Pershore on October 19, 1935, he steered Landrecies to a narrow victory in the ‘Pershore Plum’ Handicap Hurdle, scraping home by a neck from Irish Delight, the mount of prominent amateur rider Ginger Dennistoun, with another leading amateur, Sandy Scratchley, two lengths further away on the 5-4 favourite Decorum. It was a controversial finish, with Raymond and Landrecies having to overcome not one objection, but two. 

Mr Dennistoun objected to the winner on the grounds of ‘bumping and boring from the last hurdle and stopping me using my whip’ and Mr Scratchley objected to the first two for ‘crossing after landing over the final hurdle’. Both objections were overruled but Scratchley’s deposit money was returned. 

Raymond Clark continued to hold a licence until the 1937/38 season but rode no more winners. His wins were, in chronological order:

1. Governor, Vale of Aylesbury Hunt, April 11, 1929

2. Benjamin Cherry, Woore, May 16, 1929 

3. Master Poacher, Uttoxeter, April 12, 1932

4. Concise, Wetherby, April 17, 1933

5. Noir et Rouge, Colwall Park, March 19, 1934

6. Noir et Rouge, Bridgnorth, April 28, 1934 

7. Landrecies, Pershore, October 19, 1935