Graham Gray

Graham Gray

Article by Alan Trout

Graham William Gray was a prominent National Hunt jockey on northern courses during the first half of the 1980s, riding a total of 49 winners over a period of five years, having earlier ridden one as an apprentice on the Flat. 

Born in 1961, he had the good fortune to associated with the Bishop Auckland stable of Arthur Stephenson, among the leading trainers for more than three decades. He had his sole success on the Flat, at Carlisle on July 6, 1978, when Drakensburg, owned and trained by Stephenson, defeated nine others in the Cumruw Apprentice Stakes, the winning margin over the favourite Isobel’s Choice being a head.

It was on Stephenson’s six-year-old gelding Overlook that Graham had his first ride over jumps when fifth of 22 starters in the Coldstream Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2) at Kelso on January 16, 1980, yet it was for another successful northern trainer, Mrs Mary Reveley, that he had his first winner when Lottie Lehmann ran on strongly to land the Road Show Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2) at Sedgefield on April 11, 1980. The combination struck again at the same course the following month. 

Progress was slow after that, with only one further success by the start of 1982. However, things gradually began to pick up and he had ridden another seven winners by the end of the season, including two more on Lottie Lehmann and three on the chaser Dusky Duke. 

Graham did even better the following season with 17 victories including doubles at Hexham and Wetherby and three successes on the five-year-old handicap hurdler Legal Session. He also won the valuable H.S. Commercial Spares Handicap Chase, a Listed race, at Wetherby aboard the six-year-old Good Crack. 

The 1983/84 campaign saw him ride 19 winners, 14 of them before Christmas. He had a first success on the Peter Liddle-trained Joe’s Fancy, who was also responsible for the last three victories of Grahm’s career. His 49th and final success came at Kelso on April 12, 1985, when Joe’s Fancy got up close home to land the Tennant Quaich Handicap Hurdle at Kelso by half a length. 

Graham missed the following season but made a brief comeback in 1986/87, having his final ride at Sedgefield on April 7, when Seven Clubs was a faller at the second flight in the Road Show Novices’ Hurdle, the same race in which he had scored his first victory seven years earlier. 

Graham Gray’s wins were, in chronological order:

1. Drakensburg, Carlisle, July 6, 1978

2. Lottie Lehmann, Sedgefield, April 11, 1980

3. Lottie Lehmann, Sedgefield, May 23, 1980

4. Tidy Work, Ayr, December 4, 1980

5. Spring Chancellor, Newcastle, February 20, 1982

6. Dusky Duke, Kelso, April 5, 1982

7. Lottie Lehmann, Wetherby, April 12, 1982

8. Dusky Duke, Hexham, April 14, 1982

9. Spring Chancellor, Sedgefield, April 20, 1982

10. Dusky Duke, Kelso, April 24, 1982

11. Lottie Lehmann, Perth, April 28, 1982

12. Legal Session, Cartmel, September 11, 1982

13. Felixstowe Lad, Sedgefield, October 19, 1982

14. Legal Session, Catterick Bridge, November 6, 1982

15. Legal Session, Kelso, November 17, 1982

16. Rays Song, Southwell, November 23, 1982

17. Carouser, Southwell, November 29, 1982

18. Tudor Folly, Newcastle, December 29, 1982

19. Good Crack, Sedgefield, January 3, 1983

20. Haven Centurion, Wetherby, January 11, 1983

21. Good Crack, Sedgefield, January 18, 1983

22. Abersong, Catterick Bridge, March 9, 1983

23. Newlife Connection, Sedgefield, March 15, 1983

24. Bonny Gold, Hexham, March 17, 1983

25. Go Benfield, Hexham, March 17, 1983

26. Good Crack, Wetherby, April 4, 1983

27. Tudor Folly, Wetherby, May 30, 1983

28. Newlife Connection, Wetherby, May 30, 1983

29. Lottie Lehmann, Market Rasen, July 30, 1983

30. Brighter Victor, Market Rasen, July 30, 1983

31. Newlife Connection, Hexham, September 5, 1983

32. Lottie Lehmann, Perth, September 22, 1983

33. Legal Session, Carlisle, September 24, 1983

34. Village Scene, Carlisle, September 24, 1983

35. Newlife Connection, Hexham, October 6, 1983

36. Little Tempest, Kelso, October 15, 1983

37. Newlife Connection, Sedgefield, October 18, 1983

38. Village Scene, Newcastle, October 26, 1983

39. Legal Session, Wetherby, October 29, 1983

40. Glen Willy, Sedgefield, November 1, 1983

41. Run Over, Market Rasen, November 26, 1983

42. Joe’s Fancy, Kelso, December 19, 1983

43. Mainsforth Queen, Sedgefield, March 5, 1984

44. Mainsforth Queen, Sedgefield, March 13, 1984

45. Newlife Connection, Wetherby, April 24, 1984

46. Wimsey, Cartmel, May 26, 1984

47. Ronan-Paul, Hexham, May 28, 1984

48. Joe’s Fancy, Carlisle, February 5, 1985

49. Joe’s Fancy, Kelso, March 20, 1985

50. Joe’s Fancy, Kelso, April 12, 1985