Chris Hopwood

Chris Hopwood

Article by Alan Trout

Christopher John Hopwood had plenty of rides over jumps in the mid-1980s and won four races. 

He had an inauspicious start to his career at Stratford on April 11, 1981 when unseated from Sicilian Gold at the fifth flight in the Ilmington Selling Handicap Hurdle. He rode in each of the next five seasons before finally winning a race when Fandango Boy, trained by Richard Frost, led approaching the second last flight and comfortably landed the Headscarf Selling Hurdle (Division 2) at Taunton on November 20, 1986 by 20 lengths.

Chris kept the ride and won on him again at Doncaster on December 13, having to fight much harder when beating Nautical Step by half a length in the Glasgow Paddocks Selling Hurdle. Three placed efforts in a row followed before Chris and Fandango Boy won for a third time at Wolverhampton on March 20, 1987, when beating Richard Dunwoody on King’s Express by seven lengths in the Whiston Selling Hurdle. Fandango Boy went on to win more races with other jockeys aboard.

Chris had one more success when Diophantine, also trained by Richard Frost, won the Oving Conditional Jockeys’ Selling Handicap Hurdle at Fontwell Park on August 25, 1987.

Chris Hopwood’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Fandango Boy, Taunton, November 20, 1986

2. Fandango Boy, Doncaster, December 13, 1986

3. Fandango Boy, Wolverhampton, March 20, 1987

4. Diophantine, Fontwell Park, August 25, 1987