William Jex

William Jex

Article by Alan Trout

William Walter Jex rode on the Flat between 1924 and 1929, managing three wins during that time.

Although originally apprenticed to Richard Marsh, he soon joined the stable of William Jarvis, who had just been appointed trainer to King George V. It was in the latter’s colours that William made his first appearance on a racecourse when King Cup finished fifth of eleven runners in the Milton Maiden Apprentice Plate at Doncaster on May 30, 1924.

Progress was slow. He appears not to have ridden at all in 1925, but at Derby on August 31, 1926 he won his first race when Bulgarian, owned by Lord Lascelles and trained by Jarvis, won an eventful Belper Maiden Apprentices’ Stakes. One of the five-strong field suffered a fatal fall and the owner of the second horse home, ridden by future Derby and Grand National winning trainer Willie Stephenson, objected to the winner on the grounds of ‘boring and crossing’. The objection was overruled and William had his first win.

Two more followed in 1928. First, St Prisca took the Two-Year-Old Selling Plate at Newmarket on July 5 by eight lengths, then Adel scored in the Stand Selling High-weight Handicap at Doncaster on September 11 by a length and a half.

William had his final ride when Rinmaher finished unplaced in the Haughley Selling Plate for two-year-olds at Newmarket on July 4, 1929. He was still an apprentice at the time and did not take out a professional jockey’s licence once his apprenticeship had ended.