Scott Cunningham

Scott Cunningham

Article by Alan Trout

William Scott Cunningham, known by his second name, was the son of former jump jockey Terry Cunningham, who trained at Northallerton. 

He started out as an amateur and recorded his first victory under National Hunt rules on the six-year-old Coulters Candy, trained by permit holder David McGarva, in the John McKie Maiden Hunters’ Chase at Carlisle on Easter Monday, March 31, 1986. Eleven days later they followed up by taking the Horse & Hound-sponsored Buccleuch Hunters’ Chase at Kelso. 

Later that month Scott landed the Heart of All England Hunt Cup, a historic and prestigious race for maiden hunter chasers, at Hexham on Bronze Head, owned and trained by former jump jockey Gordon Bonas. 

The following season saw Bronze Head and Scott combine to win four hunter chases in a row before suffering an shock odds-on defeat when only third at Sedgefield. 

Scott turned conditional during the 1987/88 season, based with his father. His first ride as a conditional jockey was at Kelso on January 13, 1988, when Ringmore finished tenth of 15 starters in the Grantshouse Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle. 

He had nearly 80 rides during the 1988/89 National Hunt campaign, winning on five of them. It was at Huntingdon on November 12 that he had his first success as a conditional when Impertain took the lead on the flat and ran on to beat Skylander by three-quarters of a length in the Bedford Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chae, despite whipping round at the start.

He added four more during a lucrative ten-day period in May 1989, beginning with a double at Perth on May 17. On that day Terrible Jim was a comfortable winner of the Gloag’s Champagne Handicap Chase, scoring by 20 lengths. Three races later, Impertain finished six lengths clear at the end of the Highland Park 12 Y.O. Single Malt Novices’ Chase. 

At Sedgefield on May 26, Terrible Jim had 15 lengths to spare over Karnatak at the end of the George Carpenter Memorial Handicap Chase; and on the following day Impertain led all the way and narrowly held off the challenge of Beetee You by a head in the Federation Special Ale Novices’ Handicap Chase at Hexham.

Although Scott was placed on both Terrible Jim and Impertain in the 1989/90 season, there were to be no more victories, ending his career with a dozen under NH rules, seven as an amateur and five as a conditional. 

Scott Cunningham’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Coulters Candy, Carlisle, March 31, 1986

2. Coulters Candy, Kelso, April 11, 1986

3. Bronze Head, Hexham, April 26, 1986

4. Bronze Head, Sedgefield, February 24, 1987

5. Bronze Head, Market Rasen, March 7, 1987

6. Bronze Head, Sedgefield, March 17, 1987

7. Bronze Head, Hexham, March 30, 1987

8. Impertain, Huntingdon, November 12, 1988

9. Terrible Jim, Perth, May 17, 1989

10. Impertain, Perth, May 17, 1989

11. Terrible Jim, Sedgefield, May 26, 1989

12. Impertain, Hexham, May 27, 1989