Andy Gilroy was apprenticed to Henry Peacock who trained at Hurgill Lodge, Richmond, Yorkshire. He rode his first winner on Fur Baby, owned and trained by Peacock, in a seven-furlong handicap at Thirsk on June 22, 1957.
He rode four winners in 1958, all for Peacock, including two, Irrefutable at Redcar and Ellora at Thirsk, belonging to Sir Victor Sassoon, thus wearing the colours made famous by Derby winners Pinza, Crepello, Hard Ridden and St Paddy.
In 1959 Andy’s indentures were transferred to neighbouring Richmond trainer George ‘Buster’ Fenningworth, for whom he rode both his winners that year: Beauty Box at Edinburgh and Dolores V at Newcastle.
Andy finished his apprenticeship at the end of 1959 and rode as a fully-fledged jockey from 1960 to 1965. His only winner during that time was Bass Solo, trained by Fenningworth, who scored by half a length in the Carmichael Maiden Plate at Lanark on September 29, 1962. It was one of just four rides he had that year.
Andy took out a jockey’s licence for 1968 but relinquished it halfway through the season.
His winners, in chronological order, were:
1. Fur Baby, Thirsk, June 22, 1957
2. Fur Baby, Lanark, May 3, 1958
3. Irrefutable, Redcar, August 9, 1958
4. Pink Elephant, Redcar, September 20, 1958
5. Ellora, Thirsk, September 27, 1958
6. Beauty Box, Edinburgh, April 20, 1959
7. Dolores V, Newcastle, May 23, 1959
8. Bass Solo, Lanark, September 29, 1962