James Killalee

James Killalee

1886-1950

Article by Alan Trout

Born in 1886, James Killalee rode nine winners over jumps in a career that lasted for a decade. He had his first mounts in 1910, and among the owners he rode for in his early days was the infamous Robert Sievier, owner (and for some of the time trainer) of the great filly Sceptre.  

It was not until 1912 that James had his first winner when Kebty won the Lewes Selling Hurdle at the Southdown Hunt’s annual fixture at Plumpton, beating Isaac Morgan on Flagship by five lengths. 

Thereafter, James had a few rides each season and the occasional winner. He did have a mount in one big race when partnering MacSherry in the 1913 Imperial Cup at Sandown Park, finishing unplaced, the race being won by Ernie Piggott on Rathlea. 

After the First World War, James took out a trainer’s licence. He trained both of the horses he won on in 1920. His last success as a jockey came at Folkestone on December 7 that year, when the seven-year-old Cormac beat three younger rivals to land the Selling Handicap Hurdle. Arthur Cox on the runner-up Longerline objected to the winner on the grounds of ‘bumping at the last flight of hurdles’ but this was overruled. 

James had no further rides after 1920 and focused on his training career which lasted until the end of World War Two. He died in 1950.

James Killalee’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Kebty, Southdown Hunt (Plumpton), April 12, 1912 

2. Crete, Plymouth, September 12, 1912

3. Albion, Wye, March 16, 1915

4. Thaddeus, Lingfield Park, April 7, 1915

5. Sporting Parson, Gatwick, March 14, 1919

6. Sporting Parson, Lingfield Park, April 3, 1919

7. Cormac, Wye, May 10, 1920

8. Polytart, Folkestone, December 6, 1920

9. Cormac, Folkestone, December 7, 1920