Richard Boucher

Article by Alan Trout

Born on May 4, 1966, Richard Arthur Boucher was a conditional jockey with Oliver Sherwood and rode eight winners in the second half of the 1980s and early 1990s. 

He had plenty of rides during that time, having made his debut at Ascot on October 29, 1986. His mount, The Processor, was lying in third place and holding every chance when unseating his rider at the last flight in the Valley Gardens Opportunity Handicap Hurdle.

Richard had his second ride nine days later at Cheltenham and this had a far better outcome, with Predominate, trained by Oliver Sherwood, taking the lead at the penultimate obstacle and comfortably winning the Gloucestershire St. John and Red Cross Handicap Hurdle, for conditional jockeys, by four lengths. 

Richard had one more victory before the season ended and again rode two winners in each of the next two seasons without ever looking like making a breakthrough. 

He was involved in one of those rare occasions when a photo finish result is changed. At Warwick on May 19, 1990, Graham McCourt on the favourite Persillant and Richard on Strike A Chord were initially called as joint winners of the Allied Dunbar Hurdle but following a re-inspection of the photo finish print Persillant was awarded the race outright. Richard and Strike A Chord gained swift compensation when winning at Stratford two weeks later. 

Richard’s last victory was at Huntingdon on January 24, 1991, when Marquee Café beat Rostreamer by five lengths in the Sapley Handicap Hurdle.

Richard Boucher’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Predominate, Cheltenham, November 7, 1986

2. Pollen Bee, Doncaster, February 28, 1987

3. Tanzing, Cheltenham, October 8, 1987

4. The Processor, Leicester, November 27, 1987

5. Una Donna, Devon & Exeter, December 9, 1988

6. Cinnamon Run, Leicester, January 2, 1989

7. Strike A Chord, Stratford-on-Avon, June 1, 1990

8. Marquee Café, Huntingdon, January 24, 1991