John Kelly

National Hunt jockey John Joseph Kelly rode a total of 66 winners over jumps in Britain between 1908 and 1925 and finished fourth on Loch Allen in the 1919 Grand National during a career compromised by World War One.

He had his first ride in Britain on Chelsea Bob in the Rendlesham Park Selling Handicap Hurdle at the Ipswich & Essex & Suffolk Hunt meeting on April 3, 1908, but their race ended in a fall. Later that year, John recorded his first British success on Jealousy in the Juvenile Three-Year-Old Hurdle over a mile and a half at Gatwick on December 10, 1908.

He gained his biggest success in 1912 aboard Generous Pride in the November Handicap Hurdle at Liverpool. However, he enjoyed his best year numerically in 1914 with a total of 12 wins, which included a hat-trick at Torquay’s Easter meeting on April 9, aboard Captain Bell in the Torbay and South Devon Handicap Chase, Tip And Run in a dead-heat for the St Marychurch Hurdle, and Duke Of Lancaster in the Torre Handicap Hurdle.

John rode seven winners in the curtailed 1918 season, placing him joint sixth in that year’s jockeys’ table.

He rode in three Grand Nationals, his mounts being:

1912: Mount Prospect’s Fortune (66-1), sixth

1919: Loch Allen (33-1), fourth

1921: Loch Allen (100-1), fell

He came closest to recording his biggest success when finishing second, beaten four lengths, on Culprit in the 1919 Grand Annual Chase at Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting.

John rode his last British winner on Star, the 5-4 favourite, in the Bridgetown Selling Chase at Totnes on September 9, 1925. He took out a trainer’s licence that same year. He continued to have the occasional ride on horses he trained, his final mount being on Toujours, who finished unplaced in the Risca Selling Handicap Chase at Newport on November 8, 1928.

Later, he took over the Queen’s Arms at Eastbury, which he ran for some 20 years until his death at Newbury District Hospital on November 16, 1948, aged 63. He left £250.