Sam Heapy

Born in Derby on May 17, 1882, Samuel Archibald Heapy was the son of Samuel Job Heapy and Sarah Ann Loates. He was apprenticed to C. W. Golding and had his first ride when Rose King finished unplaced in the Apprentice Plate at Newmarket on May 20, 1897.

It was nearly two years later that he celebrated his first success when Chon Kina took the Prince of Wales's Plate at Liverpool on March 23, 1899. The winning margin was a head. The runner-up, Bewitchment, was ridden by young Sam’s uncle, Sam Loates, already on his way to being crowned champion jockey that year. The Sporting Life enthused: “A word of praise is due to the boy Heapy for the admirable way he handled the winner.”

As well as riding four more winners that year, young Sam also finished third in the Stewards Cup on Mazeppa and third in the Cesarewitch on Mitcham. However, it was not enough, and he soon realised that his future lay overseas. After a few early rides in 1900 he left to ply his trade in Belgium. There he quickly made his mark and became one of the country’s leading riders.

He made a brief return to Britain in 1907 and had his only win when Blowing Stone, owned and trained by Sam Loates, took the Harbour Selling Plate at Folkestone on August 21. That was to be his final ride in England.

In Belgium, trainers were allowed to ride in races. Hence, from 1913 onwards Sam combined riding with training, based in Brussels. He was interned in Ruhleben camp in Germany during World War One after refusing to leave his horses.

Resuming his riding and training careers after the war had ended, he continued to ride several hundred winners during the inter-war period. He equalled Fred Archer’s long-standing record of 2,747 when riding Fletrange to victory in the Prix de l’Espinette in Belgium in April 1934.

When war with Germany broke out again, Sam returned to England in 1940, anxious to avoid a similar fate to that which had befallen him in World War One. He returned to Belgium once hostilities were at an end.

Sam rode a total of 3,260 winners during his long career. His record was eventually broken by Gordon Richards when winning on Le Bosc Giard in the County Handicap at Worcester on May 19, 1947.

Sam Heapy died in Brussels on October 29, 1963, aged 81.

His British winners were, in chronological order:

1. Chon Kina, Liverpool, March 23, 1899

2. Remember Me, Derby, April 14, 1899

3. Gorse, Lingfield Park, June 7, 1899

4. Over Norton, Newmarket, October 13, 1899

5. Goosander, Derby, November 16, 1899

6. Blowing Stone, Folkestone, August 21, 1907