Cliff Harper

Cliff Harper

Article by Alan Trout

Clifford Harper won two races on Bokhari, owned and trained by former jump jockey William Newton, in the spring of 1946. They proved to be the only wins of his career. 

Cliff had been in the saddle when Bokhari had made his racecourse debut at Wetherby on November 3, 1945, finishing unplaced, and had ridden the gelding on four subsequent occasions, which had yielded just one fourth place. However, back at Wetherby on March 23, 1946, Bokhari beat eleven rivals to take the Woodhall Selling Hurdle by three lengths. 

Following an unplaced effort at Carlisle and a second place finish at Wetherby, the pair recorded a second victory at Hexham on June 8 with another three-length success in the Shire Selling Handicap Hurdle. Alec Jack, rider of the runner-up Goldpore, objected to the winner on grounds of ‘interfering and crossing’ but this was overruled.

Bokhari changed stables during the summer, and although Cliff Harper held a licence for two more seasons, he did not ride another winner.