Oliver Gray
Oliver John Gray was born in Dublin on May 28, 1952. He was apprenticed to Seamus McGrath in Ireland but did not ride a winner before venturing to England in 1971, where he became apprenticed firstly to Doug Smith and then to Eric Collingwood.
Oliver John Gray was born in Dublin on May 28, 1952. He was apprenticed to Seamus McGrath in Ireland but did not ride a winner before venturing to England in 1971, where he became apprenticed firstly to Doug Smith and then to Eric Collingwood.
He rode his first winner on Go Too at Edinburgh on May 8, 1972 and went on to reach a total of eight for the season. He increased his score to 19 wins in 1973 and improved again to 23 in 1974, his last season as an apprentice, when his victories included the Charles Elsey Memorial Trophy at Beverley on Collingwood’s horse Sunotra and the Prince of Wales Handicap at Chester’s May meeting on Tommy Fairhurst’s filly Irma Flintstone.
He rode his first winner on Go Too at Edinburgh on May 8, 1972 and went on to reach a total of eight for the season. He increased his score to 19 wins in 1973 and improved again to 23 in 1974, his last season as an apprentice, when his victories included the Charles Elsey Memorial Trophy at Beverley on Collingwood’s horse Sunotra and the Prince of Wales Handicap at Chester’s May meeting on Tommy Fairhurst’s filly Irma Flintstone.
He rode 28 winners in 1975, his first season with a full jockey’s licence, thanks largely to his association with Middleham trainer Sam Hall. The highlight was his partnership with the Guy Reed-owned Aviator, on whom Oliver won three races in a row in 1975 including the Ladbroke Handicap at Ripon and the valuable Northern Goldsmiths’ Handicap at Newcastle on successive Saturday’s in August.
He rode 28 winners in 1975, his first season with a full jockey’s licence, thanks largely to his association with Middleham trainer Sam Hall. The highlight was his partnership with the Guy Reed-owned Aviator, on whom Oliver won three races in a row in 1975 including the Ladbroke Handicap at Ripon and the valuable Northern Goldsmiths’ Handicap at Newcastle on successive Saturday’s in August.
Sadly, his winning tallies declined during the second half of the 1970s, registering scores of 13, 9, 11 and 10 between 1976 and 1979, then dwindled further still in the early 1980s when he rode mainly as a freelance. He last held a licence in 1985.
Sadly, his winning tallies declined during the second half of the 1970s, registering scores of 13, 9, 11 and 10 between 1976 and 1979, then dwindled further still in the early 1980s when he rode mainly as a freelance. He last held a licence in 1985.