Paul Kelleway

1940 - 1999

Paul Anthony Kelleway was born on August 31, 1940, in Islington, London, from where he was evacuated during the Second World War to Yorkshire which became his adopted home.

He became apprenticed to Doncaster trainer Eddie Magner in 1954 and had his first ride in public at Catterick on October 20 that same year, aged 14, finishing last of 12 on 20-1 shot Blandish in a long-distance selling handicap. 

But his heart was in the south and, after just a year with Magner, he switched his indentures to Newmarket trainer Harry Wragg for £500. He rode his first winner on a horse named Golovine, trained by Wragg, in the two-mile Haydock Park Stayers’ Handicap on October 8, 1955, beating fellow 7lb claimer Don Morris on Mixed Vermouth by half a length. Golovine went on to win the following year’s Chester Cup, partnered by Peter Robinson.  

Paul rode just one more winner from around 50 rides as an apprentice before growing too heavy for the Flat. He then joined Ryan Price, who trained at Findon, in Sussex. Price was later to have a profound effect on Paul’s own training career. He rode his first winner over jumps on Gold Wire, trained by Price, in the Ilminster Handicap Hurdle at Taunton on October 11, 1958. 

He achieved his first big race success on 50-1 longshot Cash, trained by Sid Dale, in the 1963 Mackeson Handicap Hurdle. But it was Ryan Price’s chaser What A Myth who was to give Paul some of his greatest moment in the saddle. Having ridden him to big race victories in the Rhymney Breweries, Mildmay Memorial, Whitbread and Mandarin Chases, he was also in the saddle when the by then 12-year-old warrior ploughed through near bottomless ground to win the 1969 Cheltenham Gold Cup.  

Paul then moved on to ride as number one jockey for the formidable Fred Winter Stable in Lambourn and his career went up another gear. He rode a career-best total of 48 winners in the 1970/71 season. Suddenly he was riding horses of the calibre of Bula, winner of the Champion Hurdle in 1971 and again in 1972. He won the Champion Chase at Cheltenham on Crisp who was later to achieve world-wide fame when second to Red Rum in the Grand National in 1973. However, Crisp was ridden at Aintree by Richard Pitman, who that year succeeded Paul as number one rider in acrimonious circumstances.

Having won back-to-back Scottish Grand Nationals on Barona in the autumn of his career, he rode what proved to be his final winner on Black Sabbath for Dorking trainer Merrick Francis in the Highclare (4yo) Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury on March 5, 1977. Twelve days later, he rode that horse in the Triumph Hurdle, finishing unplaced, then pulled up Barona in the National Hunt Handicap Chase. He announced his retirement from the saddle soon after, having already taken out a trainer’s licence the previous month. 

He made a highly successful transition from jump jockey to Flat trainer. Based at Shalfleet Stables in Newmarket, he won both the Sun Chariot and Champion Stakes there in 1978 with Swiss Maid. He saddled African Song to win the 1980 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, and recorded his sole Classic success courtesy of Madam Gay in the 1981 Prix de Diane (French Oaks). 

He twice won Britain’s longest Flat race, the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot, firstly in 1981 with dual-purpose performer Donegal Prince, who went on to win the following year’s Schweppes Gold Trophy and Fighting Fifth Hurdle; and secondly with Sprowston Boy, who in 1987, enabled his daughter Gay to make history as the first female jockey to ride a winner at Royal Ascot, a feat that would remain unequalled for 32 years until Hayley Turner emulated her in 2019.

Paul retired from training in 1997, expressing frustration with the reduced size of his string, which had by then fallen below 20.

Paul Kelleway died in Cheam, Surrey, on April 21, 1999, of pancreatic cancer, aged 59. 

Cheltenham Gold Cup winner: What A Myth (1969)

Champion Hurdle winners: Bula (1971, 1972)

Other big winners:

1963: Mackeson Handicap Hurdle – Cash 

1964: Senior Service Trophy Chase – John O’ Groats 

1965: Rhymney Breweries Chase – What A Myth 

1966: Mildmay Memorial Chase – What A Myth 

1966: Whitbread Gold Cup – What A Myth 

1967: Mandarin Handicap Chase – What A Myth 

1970: Wills Handicap Hurdle – Some Jest 

1970: Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase – Soloning 

1970: Gloucestershire Hurdle (Div 2) – Bula 

1970: Heinz Novices’ Chase – Into View 

1970: Black & White Whisky Gold Cup – Into View 

1970: Benson & Hedges Handicap Hurdle – Bula 

1971: Two-Mile Champion Chase – Crisp 

1971: Welsh Champion Hurdle – Bula 

1971: Ackermann Skeaping Trophy Hurdle – Bula 

1972: Kingwell Pattern Hurdle – Bula 

1972: Kirk and Kirk Hurdle – Bula 

1972: Cheltenham Trial Hurdle – Bula 

1973: Kingwell Pattern Hurdle – Bula 

1974: Whitbread Northern Trophy Chase – Barona 

1975: Scottish Grand National – Barona 

1976: Yellow Pages Handicap Hurdle – Soldier Rose 

1976: Scottish Grand National – Barona

His major wins as a trainer included:

1978: Kiveton Park Steel Stakes – Green Girl 

1978: Sun Chariot Stakes – Swiss Maid 

1978: Champion Stakes – Swiss Maid 

1979: Chesham Stakes – Star Way 

1980: King’s Stand Stakes – African Song 

1981: Queen Alexandra Stakes – Donegal Prince 

1981: Prix de Diane – Madam Gay 

1982: Schweppes Gold Trophy Hurdle – Donegal Prince 

1982: Palace House Stakes – Lightning Label 

1982: Chesham Stakes – Right Dancer 

1982: Fighting Fifth Hurdle – Donegal Prince 

1985: Sun Alliance Hurdle – Asir 

1986: Beresford Stakes – Gulf King 

1987: Queen Alexandra Stakes – Sprowston Boy 

1987: Prix Jean Prat – Risk Me 

1987: Grand Prix de Paris – Risk Me 

1988: Ribblesdale Stakes – Miss Boniface 

1991: Dee Stakes – Hundra