Arthur Knott

Arthur Knott

1915-1973

Article by Alan Trout

Duffield, Derbyshire-based trainer Jospeh Lilley provided all six of the winners Arthur John Castledine Knott rode towards the end of the 1930s. 

Born in 1915, Arthur had his first success at Uttoxeter on April 4, 1938, when Ferrule won the Cheadle Selling Hurdle. He was the outsider in a field of five despite winning a January race when ridden by Gerry Wilson. However, at Uttoxeter, the champion jockey opted to ride Lilley’s other runner, Generalissime, who finished third. At the same time, Ferrule, with Arthur in the saddle for the first time, beat Ma-Chin-On, the mount of Tommy Crabb, by a length. 

Fourteen days later it was Arthur’s turn to ride Generalissime. While Gerry Wilson was riding an Easter Monday double at Wetherby, Arthur guided Generalissime to win the Selling Hurdle at Market Rasen by half a length from Bill Kidney on Fort Defiance.  

Arthur won four races on two horses the following season. First there was the nine-year-old Pompelmoose who beat two rivals to take the Selling Chase at Market Rasen on Easter Monday (Gerry Wilson was riding at Manchester that day), and five days later won the Manor Handicap Chase at Bangor.

Then there was Traveller, who won the Thurgartin Selling Handicap Chase at Southwell on May 25 and followed up two days later in the Spofforth Selling Handicap Chase at Wetherby. The stewards at Southwell questioned Lilley about the running of Traveller. They accepted his explanation but cautioned him as to the running of his horses in future.

Arthur Knott kept a licence until the 1940/41 season but had no further success. He died in 1973. 

His winners were, in chronological order:

1. Ferrule, Uttoxeter, April 4, 1938

2. Generalissime, Market Rasen, April 18, 1938

3. Pompelmoose, Market Rasen, April 10, 1939

4. Pompelmoose, Bangor-on-Dee, April 15, 1939

5. Traveller, Southwell, May 25, 1939

6. Traveller, Wetherby, May 27, 1939