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Article by Chris Pitt
Article by Chris Pitt
Flat apprentice Jimmy Harris – not to be confused with the National Hunt jockey of the same name who broke his back in a fall at Huntingdon – spent his entire racing career with Epsom trainer Peter Ashworth and made the perfect start to his career by winning on his first ride in public.
Flat apprentice Jimmy Harris – not to be confused with the National Hunt jockey of the same name who broke his back in a fall at Huntingdon – spent his entire racing career with Epsom trainer Peter Ashworth and made the perfect start to his career by winning on his first ride in public.
James Arthur Frederick Harris was born in 1944 and became apprenticed to Peter Ashworth early in 1960. He was
James Arthur Frederick Harris was born in 1944 and became apprenticed to Peter Ashworth early in 1960. He was
fortunate in having the recently retired Derby-winning jockey Charlie Smirke there to tutor him. Whatever young Jimmy learned from Charlie was soon put to good effect, because his first ride – Makarska at Birmingham on June 21, 1960 – was a winner. He rode four more winners that summer, three for Peter Ashworth and one – Pelota at Lewes – for George Todd, a man who had an intuitive eye for a good apprentice.
fortunate in having the recently retired Derby-winning jockey Charlie Smirke there to tutor him. Whatever young Jimmy learned from Charlie was soon put to good effect, because his first ride – Makarska at Birmingham on June 21, 1960 – was a winner. He rode four more winners that summer, three for Peter Ashworth and one – Pelota at Lewes – for George Todd, a man who had an intuitive eye for a good apprentice.
He also caught the attention of Lionel Cureton, ‘Templegate’ of the Daily Herald, who wrote in the 1961 edition of Cope’s Racing Annual: “I was impressed with his quiet and effective style. In order to make the best of his inherent ability, his mounts in public were purposely restricted so as to bring him along steadily. We shall be hearing a lot more of Jimmy Harris when his master considers him capable of doing full justice to good horses.”
He also caught the attention of Lionel Cureton, ‘Templegate’ of the Daily Herald, who wrote in the 1961 edition of Cope’s Racing Annual: “I was impressed with his quiet and effective style. In order to make the best of his inherent ability, his mounts in public were purposely restricted so as to bring him along steadily. We shall be hearing a lot more of Jimmy Harris when his master considers him capable of doing full justice to good horses.”
Well, not that much more, actually. Jimmy rode just two winners from 30 mounts in 1961, both of them for Peter Ashworth, beating Lester Piggott on an odds-on favourite on the second of them, Incarna, in a three-year-old fillies’ maiden at Brighton. But it would be four long years before he rode another – and that would be over fences.
Well, not that much more, actually. Jimmy rode just two winners from 30 mounts in 1961, both of them for Peter Ashworth, beating Lester Piggott on an odds-on favourite on the second of them, Incarna, in a three-year-old fillies’ maiden at Brighton. But it would be four long years before he rode another – and that would be over fences.
Peter Ashworth trained mainly on the Flat but he had one or two jumpers in the yard, and Jimmy was entrusted with a
Peter Ashworth trained mainly on the Flat but he had one or two jumpers in the yard, and Jimmy was entrusted with a
limited number of rides over fences and hurdles. His first winner in that sphere was on novice chaser Jamaica Choice at Fontwell on September 21, 1965, one of only six rides he had that season. He rode Jamaica Choice again at Plumpton the following week, leading to the fifth fence but ending up on the deck.
limited number of rides over fences and hurdles. His first winner in that sphere was on novice chaser Jamaica Choice at Fontwell on September 21, 1965, one of only six rides he had that season. He rode Jamaica Choice again at Plumpton the following week, leading to the fifth fence but ending up on the deck.
He rode one winner from just four rides in the 1966/67 campaign, namely Mr Mick in a selling hurdle at Warwick; then one from six rides in 1967/68, a juvenile hurdler named Edith at Wye. That pretty much marked the end of Jimmy’s career over obstacles as he did not renew his licence the following season.
He rode one winner from just four rides in the 1966/67 campaign, namely Mr Mick in a selling hurdle at Warwick; then one from six rides in 1967/68, a juvenile hurdler named Edith at Wye. That pretty much marked the end of Jimmy’s career over obstacles as he did not renew his licence the following season.
He did, though, manage one more winner, the eleventh and last of his career. Having taken out a Flat jockey’s licence for 1969, he had a total of 16 rides that year, including one on Peter Ashworth’s two-year-old Miralgo Lad, who made a winning racecourse debut in the Mayfair Stakes at Ascot in May. That was Jimmy’s final season with a licence.
He did, though, manage one more winner, the eleventh and last of his career. Having taken out a Flat jockey’s licence for 1969, he had a total of 16 rides that year, including one on Peter Ashworth’s two-year-old Miralgo Lad, who made a winning racecourse debut in the Mayfair Stakes at Ascot in May. That was Jimmy’s final season with a licence.
Jimmy Harris’s winners were, in chronological order:
Jimmy Harris’s winners were, in chronological order:
1. Makarska, Birmingham on June 21, 1960
1. Makarska, Birmingham on June 21, 1960
2. Owenor, Lewes, July 4, 1960
2. Owenor, Lewes, July 4, 1960
3. Independence II, Newmarket, April 13, 1960
3. Independence II, Newmarket, April 13, 1960
4. Butterfly Kiss, Kempton Park, July 21, 1960
4. Butterfly Kiss, Kempton Park, July 21, 1960
5. Pelota, Lewes, August 29, 1960
5. Pelota, Lewes, August 29, 1960
6. Boudicca, Windsor, June 21, 1961
6. Boudicca, Windsor, June 21, 1961
7. Incarna, Brighton, August 10, 1961
7. Incarna, Brighton, August 10, 1961
8. Jamaica Choice, Fontwell Park, September 21, 1965
8. Jamaica Choice, Fontwell Park, September 21, 1965
9. Mr Mick, Warwick, November 5, 1966
9. Mr Mick, Warwick, November 5, 1966
10. Edith, Wye, October 2, 1967
10. Edith, Wye, October 2, 1967
11. Miralgo Lad, Ascot, May 3, 1969
11. Miralgo Lad, Ascot, May 3, 1969
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