Stephen Holmes

Stephen Holmes

Article by Alan Trout

Stephen Holmes rode one winner on the Flat and one over jumps. Born in 1954, he was apprenticed to Sam Armstrong, by then nearing the end of a long and distinguished training career.

Stephen’s only success on the Flat came at Windsor on August 10, 1970 when Nunky, trained by Dave Thom, had a comfortable victory in the Cookham Apprentices’ Selling Handicap, beating Whistler’s Sister by three lengths. Mick Kettle and Chris Leonard were among the apprentices who followed Nunky home that day. 

Stephen had around three dozen rides in 1970 but no further success. Nor was there any joy on his first ride over jumps, when the nine-year-old Keranti was well beaten in the Valley Gardens Opportunity Handicap Hurdle at Ascot on October 30, 1974. 

Bill Swainson was Keranti’s trainer, and it was he who provided Stephen with his only victory under National Hunt rules when Lyford Cay came with a strong run to take the lead on the flat and score by a length and a half in the Lucky Dip Opportunity Hurdle at Stratford on New Year’s Eve 1974. The 10-year-old had scored at Wolverhampton on Boxing Day under David Cartwright and this proved to be his final win after a successful career which had included winning the Great Metropolitan Handicap at Epsom.

Stephen never rode Lyford Cay again and had his final ride on More Music, unplaced in the Halford Novices’ Hurdle (Division 1) at Ludlow on November 17, 1976.