Charles Jacklin

National Hunt jockey Charles (Charlie) Jacklin rode a total of 25 winners over jumps during a career that was at its height in the first half of the 1920s.

His career in the saddle got off to a shaky start when his mount, Lynchpin, was a faller in the Breedon Hill Hunters’ Chase at Pershore on October 21, 1912. It took a while before he rode his first winner but when it finally arrived, it was certainly one to remember. It came aboard 10-1 shot Hackler’s Boy who landed the three-mile Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham on April 15, 1914, beating top jockey Ernie Piggott on Ballycarron by a short head.

The First World War came and went with Charlie just having that one win to his name. It was 1920 before he gained his second victory, one of four successes that year.

He rode seven winners in 1921 when based in the southwest. Four of those came courtesy of selling hurdler Twinko, at Torquay in March, Plymouth and Buckfastleigh in May and Newton Abbot in August. He notched a double on the second day of Torquay’s annual Easter meeting, winning the Maidencombe Selling Handicap Hurdle on Twinko and the Torre Handicap Hurdle on Public Benefit; and another double on day two of Buckfastleigh’s Whitsun fixture on Twinko in the Dean Prior Selling Hurdle and Farphone in the Well Park Hurdle.

Charlie then endured two blank seasons before enjoying a career-best score of eight wins in 1924. Three of those were gained in October, on novice hurdler Olivewhin at Wincanton and Monmouth, and handicap hurdler Oliver’s Mount at Colwall Park. Another came courtesy of Clifden Lad in the Alderton Chase at the annual Beaufort Hunt fixture in April.

Charlie won a pair of Birmingham handicap hurdles on Oliver’s Mount in January and February 1925. He then rode three winners within the space of four days at the start of April, winning a selling hurdle at Bungay on Our Billy on the 2nd, a repeat victory on Clifden Lad in Beaufort Hunt’s Alderton Chase on the 4th, and the Shottery Chase at Stratford aboard Oliver’s Mount on the 6th.

The following week saw Charlie on board the best horse he ever rode, Thrown In, on which he finished fourth in the 1925 Welsh Grand National. Thrown In would go on to win eight chases over the next two seasons including Liverpool’s Valentine Chase (in 1926) and the 1927 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Sadly, Charlie’s career was all but over by then.

He journeyed to Colwall Park for two of his regular rides on April 20, 1925. The first of them, handicap hurdler Killucan, finished second, but then Oliver’s Mount fell in the Mathon Novices’ Chase, injuring the rider.

Charlie eventually returned to action but was unable to reignite his career and rode no more winners. His final mount was Timmy Tiptoes, the 10-1 outsider of five, who failed to trouble the main contenders in the Stalbridge Maiden Hurdle at Wincanton on October 13, 1928.