Patrick Heaney

Article by Alan Trout

Patrick Heaney held a National Hunt jockey’s licence for nearly two decades in the first quarter of the 20th century and had 24 wins. He had a few rides on the Flat in 1903 without success, but it was over jumps in the same year that he had his first victory when Single-Stick won the Sutton Handicap Hurdle at Birmingham on the first day of December. Patrick was riding the four-year-old for the third time, and they led all the way to beat Mibor Daly, the mount of leading amateur Dick Payne, by two lengths. 

Patrick went on to ride six winners in 1904 and five in 1905. He partnered 66-1 chance Saxilby in the 1905 Grand National. The eight-year-old, usually partnered by champion jockey ‘Tich’ Mason, had not won a race since November 1903. After being prominent early, Saxilby was “hopelessly tailed off” at the end of the first circuit, falling later, while Mason went on to win it on the Welsh-trained Kirkland. On the previous day, Patrick had had his first taste of the Liverpool fences when partnering Turbulent in the Stanley Chase. Just five horses started, with Hackwatch, ridden by John Walsh, the only one to have a clear round. William Morgan remounted Holoscope to finish second, but Turbulent was a faller and failed to complete. 

Earlier that month, Patrick had ridden Warlock to win the Seven Springs Selling Chase at Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting. However, he could not maintain his level of successes, winning just one race in 1906. Five years then elapsed before he scored twice on Bairgen Breac in April 1911. He rode a double at Wetherby on Easter Monday 1914, landing the Igmanthorpe Chase on Stag’s Head and the Harrogate Maiden Chase on Black Watch V, but they were his only wins between 1911 and 1919, a period during which racing took place on a vastly reduced scale due to World War One. 

His last winner was Llandulas, who easily won the Sands Selling Handicap Chase at Sedgefield on December 27, 1922, scoring by a distance. That was also his final ride so at least he went out on a winner. 

Patrick Heaney’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Single-Stick, Birmingham, December 1, 1903

2. Single-Stick, Wolverhampton, December 28, 1903

3. Pango Pango, Haydock Park, January 13, 1904 

4. The Venerable Bede, Manchester, January 21, 1904

5. John McCormick, Windsor, January 26, 1904

6. Single-Stick, Croxton Park, April 5, 1904

7. Arm Chair, Shirley Park, September 26, 1904

8. Helium, Nottingham, October 24, 1904

9. Warlock, Colwall Park, March 4, 1905

10. Warlock, Cheltenham, March 9, 1905

11. Fearnaught II, Tarporley, April 12, 1905

12. Love Potion, Newport, June 13, 1905

13. Pierre, Wolverhampton, December 26, 1905

14. Picton II, Woore, April 5, 1906

15. Bairgen Breac, Bogside, April 7, 1911

16. Bairgen Breac, Manchester, April 18, 1911

17. Stag’s Head, Wetherby, April 13, 1914

18. The Black Watch V, Wetherby, April 13, 1914

19. Roman, Uttoxeter, April 10, 1919

20. Roman, Manchester, April 22, 1919

21. Balcorris, Woore, April 15, 1920

22. Llandulas, Hexham, June 5, 1922

23. Sinbad III, Kelso, October 14, 1922

24. Llandulas, Sedgefield, December 27, 1922