Leslie Arthur Ireson – always known by his second Christian name – was born in 1907, the son of jockey Arthur Frederick Ireson (1879-1941) who had ridden on the Flat in the late 1890s and again in 1906.
Arthur junior was apprenticed to former jump jockey Arthur Reader and had his first ride in public when unplaced on Waving Corn in the Duchy Apprentice Plate at Pontefract on July 11, 1924.
Although he had a few rides each season, it was to be more than three years before Arthur gained his first success when Little Flo, owned and trained by Reader, won the Earlstown Selling Plate at Haydock Park by two lengths on October 7, 1927. Gordon Richards, who had already won two races that afternoon, finished third.
Arthur subsequently took out a National Hunt jockey’s licence and had his first win over jumps when Redmire took the Hall Orchards Selling Handicap Hurdle at Wetherby on October 27, 1932. Harry Marshall owned and trained the winner, and he was also responsible for the two victories that Arthur enjoyed in the 1933/34 season. The first of these was Armlet, who won the Reeth Hurdle at Catterick Bridge on March 9, 1934, then Whitavon took the Devil’s Water Selling Handicap Hurdle at Hexham the following month. On the latter occasion, Arthur narrowly missed registering a double when Armlet was beaten a head in the Cambridge Handicap Hurdle later in the afternoon.
Over a year passed before Arthur rode his fourth winner over jumps – and fifth in all – when, back at Hexham on May 1, 1935, Southern Maid gave him back-to-back victories in the Devil’s Water Selling Handicap Hurdle.
William Mather trained Arthur’s last two winners under National Hunt rules, both of them on Arago, who won the Coxhoe Selling Handicap Hurdle at Sedgefield on February 20, 1937, and then followed up at the same course in the Rockcliffe Selling Handicap Hurdle on April 14. The runner-up on that latter occasion was Greyshott, ridden by top amateur rider Reg Tweedie, who later owned and trained the gallant Freddie, who finished second in the Grand Nationals of 1965 and 1966.
Arthur next visited the winner’s enclosure at Redcar on August 13, 1938, eleven years after his only previous win on the Flat. The long wait was ended by Smart Girl, who won the Warrenby Selling Plate. It was only another 46 days before he had his third Flat success when Reynard’s Lodge took the Fryston Maiden Two-Year-Old Plate at Pontefract on September 28.
Having held a Flat jockey’s licence periodically during the 1930s when based in the North, in the post-war years he was with Frank Cundell, who trained at Aston Tirrold, near Didcot, in Berkshire. His first post-war winner came when Initial, already placed six times that season, five of them with Arthur aboard, finally got his head in front to win the Dunstall Selling Plate at Wolverhampton on September 22, 1947, nine years after Arthur’s previous victory. Frank Cundell was the trainer and he also provided Arthur with his next winner when Hawaian Sun won the Blakeney Selling Plate at Chepstow on May 8, 1948. But for Arthur, the best was yet to come.
His red-letter day arrived at Birmingham on Tuesday, May 30, 1950, when steering 20-1 outsider Rambling Vista to an easy five-length victory in the Guernsey Stud Produce Stakes. It was his sole success from 24 mounts that season. It was also the last of his career.
The Guernsey Stud Produce Stakes was one of two such races held at Birmingham, the other being the Midland Breeders’ Produce Stakes. They were two of several such ‘Breeders’ or ‘Foal’ stakes held at courses around the country, back in a time when racing was largely run for the benefit of the owner-breeders. Despite their value, they rarely produced a top-class winner.
Horses were entered for the race when they were foals, each race offering grossly-inflated prize-money well out of proportion to its importance. Sandown Park’s National Breeders’ Produce Stakes, for example, was at one time the most valuable two-year-old race of the season. That particular race survived, albeit in a revised ‘normal’ format, and is now known as the National Stakes, run at Sandown in May. Otherwise, however, the concept of ‘Breeders’ or ‘Foal’ races became outdated and they were phased out during the 1960s.
Outdated they may have been but one of those races provided Arthur Ireson with his biggest day in the saddle.
He held a licence until 1954, though in all probability his main role was as a work or trial rider with just the occasional mount in public.
Arthur Ireson died in 1979.
His winners were, in chronological order:
1. Little Flo, Haydock Park, October 7, 1927
2. Redmore, Wetherby, October 27, 1932
3. Armlet, Catterick Bridge, March 9, 1934
4. Whitavon, Hexham, April 25, 1934
5. Southern Maid, Hexham, May 1, 1935
6. Arago, Sedgefield, February 20, 1937
7. Arago, Sedgefield, April 14, 1937, 1937
8. Smart Girl, Redcar, August 13, 1938
9. Reynard’s Lodge, Pontefract, September 28, 1938
10. Initial, Wolverhampton, September 22, 1947
11. Hawaiian Sun, Chepstow, May 8, 1948
12. Rambling Vista, Birmingham, May 30, 1950
Additional information provided by Alan Trout.