Jack Haley
1907-1990
1907-1990
Born in 1907, National Hunt jockey Herbert John Haley, always known as Jack Haley, rode a total of 37 winners during a lengthy career punctuated by World War Two. He held a Flat jockey’s licence for couple of spells either side of the war, in 1937 and 1938, and later from 1945 to 1948, but it was over jumps that he achieved most success.
Born in 1907, National Hunt jockey Herbert John Haley, always known as Jack Haley, rode a total of 37 winners during a lengthy career punctuated by World War Two. He held a Flat jockey’s licence for couple of spells either side of the war, in 1937 and 1938, and later from 1945 to 1948, but it was over jumps that he achieved most success.
He had his first mount under NH rules when finishing unplaced on Cavalcade in the County Hurdle at Manchester on February 5, 1926. He rode his first winner on Expert, trained at Newmarket by Tom Leader, in the Farnsfield Hurdle at Southwell on October 30, 1926.
He had his first mount under NH rules when finishing unplaced on Cavalcade in the County Hurdle at Manchester on February 5, 1926. He rode his first winner on Expert, trained at Newmarket by Tom Leader, in the Farnsfield Hurdle at Southwell on October 30, 1926.
Jack won four races during the 1928/29 campaign including Uttoxeter’s Derbyshire Hurdle on Tin o’ Mint, also trained by Leader. He came within a length of Cheltenham Festival glory that season when finishing second on Tin o’ Mint in the Gloucestershire Hurdle.
Jack won four races during the 1928/29 campaign including Uttoxeter’s Derbyshire Hurdle on Tin o’ Mint, also trained by Leader. He came within a length of Cheltenham Festival glory that season when finishing second on Tin o’ Mint in the Gloucestershire Hurdle.
Thereafter he was an infrequent visitor to the winner’s enclosure. Indeed, in six consecutive seasons, from 1930/31 to 1935/36, he rode just one winner in each of them. By comparison, his four wins in 36/37 and three in 37/38 was heady stuff, but he was back down to just one in 38/39, that being selling hurdler Jack Silver at Sandown Park in December.
Thereafter he was an infrequent visitor to the winner’s enclosure. Indeed, in six consecutive seasons, from 1930/31 to 1935/36, he rode just one winner in each of them. By comparison, his four wins in 36/37 and three in 37/38 was heady stuff, but he was back down to just one in 38/39, that being selling hurdler Jack Silver at Sandown Park in December.
He returned to the saddle after the war and had his comeback win on Double Sam in a three-mile handicap chase at Market Rasen on Boxing Day 1946. He rode Double Sam, a 100-1 outsider, in the 1947 Grand National – his only ride in the race – and performed relatively well given their long odds, making it as far as the third last fence before falling.
He returned to the saddle after the war and had his comeback win on Double Sam in a three-mile handicap chase at Market Rasen on Boxing Day 1946. He rode Double Sam, a 100-1 outsider, in the 1947 Grand National – his only ride in the race – and performed relatively well given their long odds, making it as far as the third last fence before falling.
Jack enjoyed his most successful season in 1948/49 with a score of seven, the only time he exceeded four in a season. The majority of those were courtesy of The Four Elms, who won five in a row, landing four novice chases at Buckfastleigh, Newton Abbot and Devon & Exeter in August and at Huntingdon in October (comprising the first leg of a double), followed later that month by a handicap chase at Towcester. His Huntingdon double on October 23, 1948 – the only one of his career – was gained on The Four Elms in the Cambridgeshire Chase and Dane Lad in the Ermine Street Maiden Hurdle.
Jack enjoyed his most successful season in 1948/49 with a score of seven, the only time he exceeded four in a season. The majority of those were courtesy of The Four Elms, who won five in a row, landing four novice chases at Buckfastleigh, Newton Abbot and Devon & Exeter in August and at Huntingdon in October (comprising the first leg of a double), followed later that month by a handicap chase at Towcester. His Huntingdon double on October 23, 1948 – the only one of his career – was gained on The Four Elms in the Cambridgeshire Chase and Dane Lad in the Ermine Street Maiden Hurdle.
He began training under National Hunt rules in 1949, based at Cheveley Park Stables, Newmarket. He trained and rode The Four Elms to win the Grimsby Open Handicap Chase at Market Rasen on October 15, 1949, his only winning ride of the 1949/50 campaign. He rode two winners the following season and one the next.
He began training under National Hunt rules in 1949, based at Cheveley Park Stables, Newmarket. He trained and rode The Four Elms to win the Grimsby Open Handicap Chase at Market Rasen on October 15, 1949, his only winning ride of the 1949/50 campaign. He rode two winners the following season and one the next.
He trained and rode two winners in 1952/53: Dunnottar in a Haydock Park maiden hurdle in February and Golden Wedding in the Godmanchester Chase at Huntingdon on Easter Monday. He repeated the feat in 1953/54, training and riding selling hurdler Acid Test to win at Haydock Park in December, followed by Dunnottar in the Yorkshire Main Selling Handicap Hurdle at Doncaster on March 14, 1954, the 37th and last winner of his career.
He trained and rode two winners in 1952/53: Dunnottar in a Haydock Park maiden hurdle in February and Golden Wedding in the Godmanchester Chase at Huntingdon on Easter Monday. He repeated the feat in 1953/54, training and riding selling hurdler Acid Test to win at Haydock Park in December, followed by Dunnottar in the Yorkshire Main Selling Handicap Hurdle at Doncaster on March 14, 1954, the 37th and last winner of his career.
Jack’s training operation was relatively modest – he never had more than eleven horses in training at any one time. His final ride, again on one of his own string, Forager III, ended with a fall in the Ramsey Hurdle at Huntingdon on Whit Monday, May 30, 1955. He relinquished his trainer’s licence later that year.
Jack’s training operation was relatively modest – he never had more than eleven horses in training at any one time. His final ride, again on one of his own string, Forager III, ended with a fall in the Ramsey Hurdle at Huntingdon on Whit Monday, May 30, 1955. He relinquished his trainer’s licence later that year.
Jack Haley died in 1990. His daughter, Odette, married successful Flat jockey Frankie Durr.
Jack Haley died in 1990. His daughter, Odette, married successful Flat jockey Frankie Durr.
