John Hullah
Article by Chris Pitt
Article by Chris Pitt
John Alfred Hullah, also known as Jack, began his racing career as an apprentice with Major Fred Sneyd at Sparsholt in the mid-1930s. He turned to the National Hunt game and rode his first winner on Golden Venture, trained by Alfred Smyth at Whitsbury, in a Taunton selling hurdle on March 8, 1946. Thereafter he found winning opportunities, such as they were, hard to come by.
John Alfred Hullah, also known as Jack, began his racing career as an apprentice with Major Fred Sneyd at Sparsholt in the mid-1930s. He turned to the National Hunt game and rode his first winner on Golden Venture, trained by Alfred Smyth at Whitsbury, in a Taunton selling hurdle on March 8, 1946. Thereafter he found winning opportunities, such as they were, hard to come by.
John Hullah typified the unsung claimer who relied on busy bank holiday Mondays for a couple of spare rides and maybe, just maybe, a winner might come his way. A perfect example was the 1948/49 season, in which he finished second twice at Towcester’s Easter meeting on two of Fred Rimell’s horses; then he finished second on a selling chaser named Highland Robber at Towcester’s Whitsun fixture.
John Hullah typified the unsung claimer who relied on busy bank holiday Mondays for a couple of spare rides and maybe, just maybe, a winner might come his way. A perfect example was the 1948/49 season, in which he finished second twice at Towcester’s Easter meeting on two of Fred Rimell’s horses; then he finished second on a selling chaser named Highland Robber at Towcester’s Whitsun fixture.
He finally got his second winner when Gaellic Cottage, on whom he’d finished third at Southwell on his previous outing, landed the Kimbolton Chase at Huntingdon on October 22, 1949. He also finished second in the juvenile hurdle on the same card, the closest he would ever come to landing a double.
He finally got his second winner when Gaellic Cottage, on whom he’d finished third at Southwell on his previous outing, landed the Kimbolton Chase at Huntingdon on October 22, 1949. He also finished second in the juvenile hurdle on the same card, the closest he would ever come to landing a double.
He made a good start to the 1951/52 campaign, scoring on selling hurdler Hester’s King on the second day of Newton Abbot’s season-opening fixture. That same horse also provided him with his only other winner that season – and what would be the last of his career – when scoring at Wincanton on Boxing Day. He retired the following season.
He made a good start to the 1951/52 campaign, scoring on selling hurdler Hester’s King on the second day of Newton Abbot’s season-opening fixture. That same horse also provided him with his only other winner that season – and what would be the last of his career – when scoring at Wincanton on Boxing Day. He retired the following season.
The 1963 Directory of the Turf reveals that ‘Jack Hullah’ was at that time employed as head lad to Atty Corbett at Yew Tree House Stables, Compton, Berkshire. However, he eventually left racing and finished his working life as a taxi driver in Newcastle-on-Tyne.
The 1963 Directory of the Turf reveals that ‘Jack Hullah’ was at that time employed as head lad to Atty Corbett at Yew Tree House Stables, Compton, Berkshire. However, he eventually left racing and finished his working life as a taxi driver in Newcastle-on-Tyne.
John Hullah’s winners were:
John Hullah’s winners were:
1. Golden Venture, Taunton, March 8, 1946
1. Golden Venture, Taunton, March 8, 1946
2. Gaellic Cottage, Huntingdon, October 22, 1949
2. Gaellic Cottage, Huntingdon, October 22, 1949
3. Hester’s King, Newton Abbot, August 8, 1951
3. Hester’s King, Newton Abbot, August 8, 1951
4. Hester’s King, Wincanton, December 26, 1951
4. Hester’s King, Wincanton, December 26, 1951