Cecil Harrison
Article by Alan Trout
Although Cecil Ernest Harrison held a Flat licence for nearly 20 years, he only rode one winner. He fared rather better over jumps with 15 wins. It took him 18 years to achieve that total, but his career was compromised to a large extent by World War Two.
Apprenticed to former leading amateur rider Captain Percy Whitaker, Cecil had his first ride on the Flat when High Minded finished down the field in the Allington Handicap Plate at Salisbury on July 12, 1928, a race won by Gordon Richards on Silex Major. His first ride over jumps came at Newbury on New Year’s Eve 1930, when Rossignol was unplaced in the Wroughton Selling Handicap Hurdle, but it was that same horse who provided Cecil with his first win when talking the Novices’ Hurdle at Bungay on April 9, 1931.
It was not until January 16, 1935 that he rode another winner, and on April 5 of that year he had his sole success on the Flat when Rising Sun, who he had ridden to victory over hurdles at Birmingham six weeks earlier, landed the Craven Plate at Catterick Bridge, beating William Christie on So Sorry by a head.
Cecil rarely had more than 20 rides in a season but, before his career ended, he did have one win on a really good horse. This was Jack Finlay, who had finished second at 100-1 in the 1946 Grand National when partnered by Bill Kidney. Just a few weeks after Jack Finlay had fallen in the 1947 version, Cecil rode him to win the Fitzwilliam Chase at Huntingdon on Whit Monday, May 26, beating former Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Schubert, ridden by his trainer Cliff Beechener.
Cecil had two rides over those daunting Liverpool fences. The first was on Jolly, who fell in the 1947 Stanley Chase. The second was aboard 100-1 shot Tommy Traddles in the 1948 Grand National, in which they parted company on the first circuit.
Three of Cecil’s last four wins came courtesy of selling hurdler Yankee Doodle, trained by Bob Ward at Great Barr, on the outskirts of Birmingham. The final occasion was when winning the Selling Handicap Hurdle at Chepstow on November 18, 1948. Cecil renewed his licence until the 1951/52 season but rode no more winners.
Cecil Harrison’s winners were, in chronological order:
1. Rossignol, Bungay, April 9, 1931
2. Blue Cheek, Lingfield Park. January 16, 1935
3. Rising Sun, Birmingham, February 26, 1935
4. Rising Sun, Catterick Bridge, April 5, 1935
5. Hillsbrook, Wetherby, November 5, 1936
6. Arrah-Go-On, Nottingham, October 24, 1938
7. Arrah-Go-On, Haydock Park, February 10, 1939
8. Derby Round, Windsor, March 16, 1940
9. Six Hills, Huntingdon, April 22, 1946
10. Port Barn, Southwell, October 21, 1946
11. Port Barn, Market Rasen, May 10, 1947
12. Jack Finlay, Huntingdon, May 26, 1947
13. Yankee Doodle, Wolverhampton, December 27, 1947
14. Yankee Doodle, Leicester, January 12, 1948
15. Mona-more, Leicester, February 9, 1948
16. Yankee Doodle, Chepstow, November 18, 1948