Fred Holmes

Fred Holmes

Article by Alan Trout

Frederick Ernest James Holmes, known simply as Fred, rode three winners under National Hunt rules in the immediate post-war years, all of them trained by Walter Tapper near Banbury.

His first victory was at Hereford on May 18, 1946, when riding Egmont to take the Selling Handicap Hurdle by two lengths. Fred was riding him for the second time, having finished third at Towcester the previous month.  

Hereford was also the venue for his second success, aboard Montero in the Pontrilas Handicap Hurdle On October 26. Having led for a long way, Montero came again with a strong late burst to overhaul Highland Magic, the mount of future champion jockey Bryan Marshall, and win by a length. Fred regularly rode the six-year-old and had been placed on him on each of their last six starts, so they were not winning out of turn. 

Having finished third at Wolverhampton the following month with Paddy Murray in the saddle, Montero and Fred were reunited and resumed winning ways, taking the lead between the last two flights and drawing clear for a three-length victory in the Wigston Handicap Hurdle at Leicester on January 13, 1947, beating Sans Atout, ridden by Fred Rickaby.

Fred Holmes rode Montero twice more without success and did not renew his licence the following season.