Colin Gorman
Article by Chris Pitt
Article by Chris Pitt
South-west National Hunt jockey Colin Gorman was an amateur and later a professional, riding mostly horses trained by his father, permit holder Frank Gorman, plus one or two other local permit trainers. He achieved plenty of success on family-owned horses such as Vitamin and No Thanks (five wins each), Mac’s Birthday (four wins), Moss and Falconry (three wins each). The Gorman colours of red, green collar and spots on black cap were a familiar sight on the Devon and Somerset courses throughout the 1960s and early 70s.
South-west National Hunt jockey Colin Gorman was an amateur and later a professional, riding mostly horses trained by his father, permit holder Frank Gorman, plus one or two other local permit trainers. He achieved plenty of success on family-owned horses such as Vitamin and No Thanks (five wins each), Mac’s Birthday (four wins), Moss and Falconry (three wins each). The Gorman colours of red, green collar and spots on black cap were a familiar sight on the Devon and Somerset courses throughout the 1960s and early 70s.
Colin Frank Gorman rode his first winner on Honey Harvest in a Taunton selling hurdle on October 7, 1961. The horse was owned and trained by his father at Stokeclimsland, in Cornwall. Colin won on him again at Newton Abbot on Easter Monday 1962.
Colin Frank Gorman rode his first winner on Honey Harvest in a Taunton selling hurdle on October 7, 1961. The horse was owned and trained by his father at Stokeclimsland, in Cornwall. Colin won on him again at Newton Abbot on Easter Monday 1962.
He rode two winners in both the next two seasons, increasing his tally to nine in 1964/65, including two winners at Newton Abbot’s Easter fixture, the first of which, No Thanks, resulted in his claim being reduced from 7lb to 5lb. The second, Vitamin, went on to win three more races within eight days before the season’s end.
He rode two winners in both the next two seasons, increasing his tally to nine in 1964/65, including two winners at Newton Abbot’s Easter fixture, the first of which, No Thanks, resulted in his claim being reduced from 7lb to 5lb. The second, Vitamin, went on to win three more races within eight days before the season’s end.
With his claim by now reduced to just to 3lb, Colin turned professional at the start of the 1966/67 campaign.
With his claim by now reduced to just to 3lb, Colin turned professional at the start of the 1966/67 campaign.
No Thanks got him off the mark in the paid ranks when landing a Devon & Exeter novices’ chase on August 4, 1966. He then scored twice on No Thanks on successive days at Devon & Exeter, winning the Bristol Cream Novices’ Chase on August 31 and the Duchy of Cornwall Challenge Cup Chase on September 1. Surprisingly, despite that promising start, Colin had to wait until May 1967 for his only other winner that term, Take Off, in division one of the Newton Abbot Challenge Cup Maiden Hurdle.
No Thanks got him off the mark in the paid ranks when landing a Devon & Exeter novices’ chase on August 4, 1966. He then scored twice on No Thanks on successive days at Devon & Exeter, winning the Bristol Cream Novices’ Chase on August 31 and the Duchy of Cornwall Challenge Cup Chase on September 1. Surprisingly, despite that promising start, Colin had to wait until May 1967 for his only other winner that term, Take Off, in division one of the Newton Abbot Challenge Cup Maiden Hurdle.
Colin’s fortunes then declined and he rode just two winners over the course of the next three seasons. He went more than two and a half years without a winner before trainer Billy Williams gave him a winning ‘spare’ on Ballydainty at Newton Abbot on Easter Monday 1970. That was his 24th winner and also the first one trained by someone other than his father.
Colin’s fortunes then declined and he rode just two winners over the course of the next three seasons. He went more than two and a half years without a winner before trainer Billy Williams gave him a winning ‘spare’ on Ballydainty at Newton Abbot on Easter Monday 1970. That was his 24th winner and also the first one trained by someone other than his father.
Colin went on to ride three winners in each of the next four seasons. The first of those, his father’s selling chaser Falconry at Plumpton on October 13, 1970, was his 25th victory and resulted in him losing his 3lb claim.
Colin went on to ride three winners in each of the next four seasons. The first of those, his father’s selling chaser Falconry at Plumpton on October 13, 1970, was his 25th victory and resulted in him losing his 3lb claim.
His last four wins came courtesy of Mac’s Birthday, the final one being in the Bath Road Handicap Hurdle at Newbury on March 1, 1974. He retired having ridden a total of 36 winners, all bar three of them owned and trained by his father.
His last four wins came courtesy of Mac’s Birthday, the final one being in the Bath Road Handicap Hurdle at Newbury on March 1, 1974. He retired having ridden a total of 36 winners, all bar three of them owned and trained by his father.
Colin Gorman’s winners were, in chronological order:
Colin Gorman’s winners were, in chronological order:
1. Honey Harvest, Taunton, October 7, 1961
1. Honey Harvest, Taunton, October 7, 1961
2. Honey Harvest, Newton Abbot, April 23, 1962
2. Honey Harvest, Newton Abbot, April 23, 1962
3. Jules Verne, Taunton, April 4, 1963
3. Jules Verne, Taunton, April 4, 1963
4. Moss, Newton Abbot, April 13, 1963
4. Moss, Newton Abbot, April 13, 1963
5. Moss, Wincanton, November 28, 1963
5. Moss, Wincanton, November 28, 1963
6. Hayling Gem, Newton Abbot, May 19, 1964
6. Hayling Gem, Newton Abbot, May 19, 1964
7. Moss, Taunton, October 10, 1964
7. Moss, Taunton, October 10, 1964
8. Asyoulikeit, Wincanton, October 29, 1964
8. Asyoulikeit, Wincanton, October 29, 1964
9. Vitamin, Newton Abbot, December 26, 1964
9. Vitamin, Newton Abbot, December 26, 1964
10. No Thanks, Newton Abbot, April 17, 1965
10. No Thanks, Newton Abbot, April 17, 1965
11. Vitamin, Newton Abbot, April 19, 1965
11. Vitamin, Newton Abbot, April 19, 1965
12. Vitamin, Wincanton, May 20, 1965
12. Vitamin, Wincanton, May 20, 1965
13. Vitamin, Taunton, May 22, 1965
13. Vitamin, Taunton, May 22, 1965
14. Vitamin, Newton Abbot, May 28, 1965
14. Vitamin, Newton Abbot, May 28, 1965
15. Asyoulikeit, Devon & Exeter, June 7, 1975
15. Asyoulikeit, Devon & Exeter, June 7, 1975
16. No Thanks, Newton Abbot, August 12, 1965
16. No Thanks, Newton Abbot, August 12, 1965
17. No Thanks, Devon & Exeter, August 18, 1965
17. No Thanks, Devon & Exeter, August 18, 1965
18. White Rajah, Fontwell Park, March 23, 1966
18. White Rajah, Fontwell Park, March 23, 1966
19. No Thanks, Devon & Exeter, August 4, 1966
19. No Thanks, Devon & Exeter, August 4, 1966
20. No Thanks, Devon & Exeter, August 31, 1966
20. No Thanks, Devon & Exeter, August 31, 1966
21. No Thanks, Devon & Exeter, September 1, 1966
21. No Thanks, Devon & Exeter, September 1, 1966
22. Take Off, Newton Abbot, May 6, 1967
22. Take Off, Newton Abbot, May 6, 1967
23. Flight Royal, Newton Abbot, August 28, 1967
23. Flight Royal, Newton Abbot, August 28, 1967
24. Ballydainty, Newton Abbot, March 30, 1970
24. Ballydainty, Newton Abbot, March 30, 1970
25. Falconry, Plumpton, October 13, 1970
25. Falconry, Plumpton, October 13, 1970
26. Erica June, Chepstow, October 20, 1970
26. Erica June, Chepstow, October 20, 1970
27. Karesuando, Wincanton, October 27, 1970
27. Karesuando, Wincanton, October 27, 1970
28. Glenrova, Taunton, November 25, 1971
28. Glenrova, Taunton, November 25, 1971
29. Joe’s Bar, Taunton, December 28, 1971
29. Joe’s Bar, Taunton, December 28, 1971
30. Falconry, Taunton, January 27, 1972
30. Falconry, Taunton, January 27, 1972
31. Falconry, Devon & Exeter, August 16, 1972
31. Falconry, Devon & Exeter, August 16, 1972
32. Simon Templar, Devon & Exeter, September 20, 1972
32. Simon Templar, Devon & Exeter, September 20, 1972
33. Mac’s Birthday, Devon & Exeter, September 21, 1972
33. Mac’s Birthday, Devon & Exeter, September 21, 1972
34. Mac’s Birthday, Newton Abbot, August 27, 1973
34. Mac’s Birthday, Newton Abbot, August 27, 1973
35. Mac’s Birthday, Newton Abbot, September 4, 1973
35. Mac’s Birthday, Newton Abbot, September 4, 1973
36. Mac’s Birthday, Newbury, March 1, 1974
36. Mac’s Birthday, Newbury, March 1, 1974