Edward Hide

Edward Hide 

Edward William George Hide was born on April 12, 1937, at Stanton Lacey, near Ludlow, the son of farmer and trainer Bill Hide. Young Edward learned the basics of horsemanship in the Shropshire hunting field. 

Aged 13, he became apprenticed to his father and had his first ride in public on Copper Wire at Birmingham, August 29, 1950, finishing last. His first win came the next year. Weighing just 5 stone, he booted home Ritornello to land the Gwynt Selling Handicap at Chepstow on September  22, 1951, just one of seven winners he rode that season. He consolidated his promise in 1953 when he rode a further 25.

In 1954, Edward was retained to ride the lightweights for the Malton trainer Captain Charles Elsey, for whom Australian Edgar Britt was stable jockey. He achieved his first big race success the same year, not in Britain but in Ireland, aboard Limereagh in the Naas November Handicap. In 1956 he won the Ayr Gold Cup on Precious Heather and the Cesarewitch on Prelone, his first major British prizes. 

He was crowned champion apprentice in 1954, in 1956 and for a third time in 1957, the year in which he was also runner-up in the main title race behind Scobie Breasley and earned the first of his 16 titles as ‘Cock of the North’ for leading northern jockey. Also in 1957 he rode his first winner for The Queen, Opera Score, at Newmarket in May, finishing the season with 131 winners. He again topped the century mark in the following two seasons.

More important winners came his way that year, including Dionisio in the Victoria Cup and Babur in the Lincolnshire. In 1958 his victories included the Chesham Stakes on Tudor Melody, the Gimcrack Stakes and Champagne Stakes on Be Careful; and in 1959, the filly Cantelo gave him his first English Classic victory in the St Leger.

When Edgar Britt retired in 1959, Edward stepped up as stable jockey. Captain Elsey also retired within months, and his son Bill took over. On May 6, 1965, Edward rode his 1,000th winner. He remained Bill Elsey’s stable jockey until 1968, winning the 1967 Oaks for him on Pia.

Upon Scobie Breasley’s retirement in 1969, Edward moved South to become number one jockey to Sir Gordon Richards. Richards, that year, had a poor season, but Edward flourished as other prominent trainers booked him including Major Peter Nelson for whom he won Royal Ascot’s King Edward VII Stakes on Vervain.

In 1972, Edward won the 1,000 Guineas for Bill Watts on Waterloo in the colours of Richard Stanley, brother to Lord Derby.

He achieved his greatest success when guiding Morston to victory in the 1973 Derby. It was only the Arthur Budgett-bred and trained colt’s second racecourse appearance – and he never ran again – while Edward only came in for the ride because Frankie Durr chose to stick with 2,000 Guineas winner Mon Fils and Willie Carson recovered from injury in time to get back aboard Edward’s intended Derby mount Ksar.

Numerically, his best season was in 1974 with 137 winners. He had a brief spell as stable jockey for Clive Brittain in 1978-79, and it was for him that Edward rode the last of his six English Classic winners on Julio Mariner in the 1978 St Leger.

Although never officially stable jockey, Edwards also struck up a notable association with Mick Easterby and the pair combined to win the 1977 1,000 Guineas with the 16-1 shot Mrs McArdy. 

He also rode Easterby’s star sprinter Lochnager, running up a remarkable sequence in 1976, landing the Temple Stakes, King's Stand, July Cup, and William Hill Sprint Championship (now the Nunthorpe), resulting in the horse being crowned the season’s champion sprinter.

Having retired from race-riding, Edward made a one-off comeback, aged 56, in a celebrity race for former jockeys, the Classic FM Handicap, at Newmarket on May 22, 1993. Riding 7-1 chance Lexus for Newmarket trainer, Robert Williams, Edward hit the front two furlongs out drew clear to win easily by six lengths. Among his beaten rivals that day were Greville Starkey, John Francome, Geoff Lewis, Gianfranco Dettori, Peter Scudamore, Paul Tulk, Ron Barry and Graham Thorner. 

Edward won six domestic Classics among a total of 2,593 winners in Britain, a tally only recently passed by Joe Fanning as the highest total for a jockey never to be crowned champion.

He retired to a smallholding in Malton where he and his wife Sue had four broodmares. They bred the winners of over 80 races before giving up when no longer able to make it pay.

Edward Hide died on 7 September 2023, aged 86. He was survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Sue, his son William and his daughter Lizzie.

Classic winners:

Derby: Morston (1973)

Oaks: Pia (1967) 

One Thousand Guineas: Waterloo (1972), Mrs McArdy (1977)

St Leger: Cantelo (1959), Julio Mariner (1978)

Other big winners:

1956: Ayr Gold Cup – Precious Heather 

1956: Cesarewitch Handicap – Prelone 

1957: Lincolnshire Handicap – Babur 

1957: Thirsk Classic Trial – Orycida 

1957: Victoria Cup – Dionisio 

1957: Northumberland Plate – Great Rock 

1957: Challenge Stakes – Welsh Abbot 

1957: Midlands Cesarewitch – Hollyhock 

1958: City & Suburban Handicap – Guersillus 

1958: Chesham Stakes – Tudor Melody 

1958: Gordon Stakes – Guersillus 

1958: Gimcrack Stakes – Be Careful 

1958: Champagne Stakes – Be Careful 

1958: Royal Lodge Stakes – Cantelo 

1958: Challenge Stakes – Logarithm

1958: Dewhurst Stakes – Billum 

1959: City and Suburban Handicap – Guersillus 

1959: Cheshire Oaks – Cantelo 

1959: Ribblesdale Stakes – Cantelo 

1959: Old Newton Cup – Mongoose 

1960: Thirsk Classic Trial – Newbus

1960: Warwickshire Breeders’ Foal Stakes – Parmene 

1960: Manchester Cup – Colours 

1960: Old Newton Cup – Apostle 

1961: Dee Stakes – Oakville 

1961: Queen’s Vase – Black King

1961: Cambridgeshire Handicap – Henry The Seventh (dead-heat) 

1961: Jockey Club Cup – Apostle 

1961: Manchester November Handicap – Henry’s Choice 

1962: Craven Stakes – High Noon 

1962: Zetland Gold Cup – Henry The Seventh 

1962: Eclipse Stakes – Henry The Seventh 

1962: Champagne Stakes – King of Babylon 

1963: Thirsk Classic Trial – King Of Babylon 

1963: Zetland Gold Cup – Principal 

1964: Thirsk Classic Trial – Signal Rocket 

1964: Thirsk Hunt Cup – High Flown 

1964: Cumberland Plate – Coliseum 

1964: Magnet Cup – Space King 

1964: Northern Goldsmith’s Handicap – Maria Gabriella 

1964: Portland Handicap – Comefast 

1965: Thirsk Classic Trial – Hornblower 

1965: Lancashire Oaks – Without Reproach

1966: Cheshire Oaks – Lucaya

1966: Cherry Hinton Stakes – Pia 

1966: Lowther Stakes – Pia 

1967: Dee Stakes – French Vine 

1967: Park Hill Stakes – Pia (dead-heat)

1969: King Edward VII Stakes – Vervain 

1969: Solario Stakes – Miracle 

1970: Chesham Stakes – Trinity Term 

1970: Britannia Stakes – Richboy 

1970: Princess Margaret Stakes – Boulevard 

1971: Lincolnshire Handicap – Double Cream 

1971: Thirsk Classic Trial – Sparkler 

1971: Queen Mary Stakes – Waterloo 

1971: Cheveley Park Stakes – Waterloo 

1972: Lincolnshire Handicap – Sovereign Bill

1972: Coronation Stakes – Calve 

1972: Falmouth Stakes – Waterloo

1972: Portland Handicap – Privateer 

1973: Musidora Stakes – Where You Lead 

1973: Windsor Castle Stakes – Daring Boy 

1973: Timeform Gold Trophy – Petty Officer

1974: Nell Gwyn Stakes – Angels Too 

1974: Gosforth Park Cup – Dutch Gold

1974: Carlisle Bell – Fiery Coin 

1974: Timeform Gold Trophy – Petty Officer

1974: Nunthorpe Stakes – Blue Cashmere

1974: Jockey Club Cup – Petty Officer 

1975: Thirsk Classic Trial – Royal Manacle  

1975: Dante Stakes – Trasi’s Son 

1975: Portland Handicap – Walk By 

1976: Palace House Stakes – Polly Peachum

1976: Dante Stakes – Trasi’s Son

1976: Temple Stakes – Lochnager 

1976: King’s Stand Stakes – Lochnager 

1976: Gosforth Park Cup – Lazenby 

1976: July Cup – Lochnager 

1976: Falmouth Stakes – Duboff 

1976: Nunthorpe Stakes – Lochnager 

1977: Musidora Stakes – Triple First 

1977: Zetland Gold Cup – Move Off 

1977: St James’s Palace Stakes – Don 

1977: Gosforth Park Cup – Palmvinnia 

1977: Princess Margaret Stakes – Sarissa

1977: Nunthorpe Stakes – Haveroid 

1977: Great St Wilfrid Handicap – Private Line 

1978: Duke of York Stakes – Private Line

1978: Victoria Cup – Private Line 

1978: Queen Anne Stakes – Redetzky 

1978: Gordon Stakes – Sexton Blake 

1979: Magnet Cup – Tesoro Mio

1980: Craven Stakes – Tyrnavos 

1980: Cumberland Plate – Coriace 

1980: Princess Margaret Stakes – Tolmi 

1981: Coronation Stakes – Tolmi 

1981: Criterion Stakes – Dalsaan 

1981: Lancashire Oaks – Rhein Bridge 

1981: Andy Capp Handicap – Say Primula 

1981: Flying Childers Stakes – Peterhof 

1982: Zetland Gold Cup – Say Primula 

1982: King’s Stand Stakes – Fearless Lad 

1982: Goodwood Stakes – Atlantic Traveller 

1983: Yorkshire Cup – Line Slinger 

1983: Cherry Hinton Stakes – Chapel Cottage

1983: Beeswing Stakes – Beaudelaire 

1984: Beeswing Stakes – Major Don 

In Ireland

1954: Naas November Handicap – Limereagh 

In Denmark

1958: Dansk Derby – Flying Friendship 

In Norway

1958: Norsk Derby – Flying Friendship

1971: Nirsk Derby – Wolfsbane

In Germany

1974: Henckel Rennen – Lord Udo 

In  Honk Kong

1986: Champions and Chater Cup – Gay Eighties