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Article by Chris Pitt
Article by Chris Pitt
Weighing a few pounds less than 6st when signing on as an apprentice, Brian Leyman looked destined for a career on the Flat, but rising weight meant that his future lay over hurdles.
Weighing a few pounds less than 6st when signing on as an apprentice, Brian Leyman looked destined for a career on the Flat, but rising weight meant that his future lay over hurdles.
Brian Leyman was born in Battersea on May 15, 1945. His father was a friend of hurdle race specialist Dennis Dillon, who mentioned to him that Epsom trainer Jack Sirett might be looking for a new apprentice. Brian and his father went down to Epsom on a Sunday morning shortly after Brian’s 15th birthday and knocked on the door of Sirett’s Burnside Stables. After a quick inspection by the trainer, the youngster was signed up as an apprentice.
Brian Leyman was born in Battersea on May 15, 1945. His father was a friend of hurdle race specialist Dennis Dillon, who mentioned to him that Epsom trainer Jack Sirett might be looking for a new apprentice. Brian and his father went down to Epsom on a Sunday morning shortly after Brian’s 15th birthday and knocked on the door of Sirett’s Burnside Stables. After a quick inspection by the trainer, the youngster was signed up as an apprentice.
He had to wait three years for his first winner, on Lord Rosebery’s grey gelding Martinet in a Lingfield apprentice race on July 6, 1963. He won two other similar contests on Martinet, both at Lewes, later that year.
He had to wait three years for his first winner, on Lord Rosebery’s grey gelding Martinet in a Lingfield apprentice race on July 6, 1963. He won two other similar contests on Martinet, both at Lewes, later that year.
Brian rode two winners on the Flat in 1964 and also came within a couple of lengths of a place in racing history as the last jockey to ride a winner at Lewes. Brian rode Night Signal in the concluding Eridge Park Maiden Plate on September 14, 1964 and set out to make all the running, but was mastered inside the final furlong by Bobby Elliott’s mount Miss Rhondda.
Brian rode two winners on the Flat in 1964 and also came within a couple of lengths of a place in racing history as the last jockey to ride a winner at Lewes. Brian rode Night Signal in the concluding Eridge Park Maiden Plate on September 14, 1964 and set out to make all the running, but was mastered inside the final furlong by Bobby Elliott’s mount Miss Rhondda.
By then Brian had begun to get heavy and so focussed his attention on the jumping game, joining fellow Epsom trainer Arthur Pitt in January 1966. This time he didn’t have to wait long for his first success in that discipline, winning on Determinist in division two of the Shylock Selling Handicap Hurdle at Stratford on April 28, 1966. They won again at Wye next time out three weeks later.
By then Brian had begun to get heavy and so focussed his attention on the jumping game, joining fellow Epsom trainer Arthur Pitt in January 1966. This time he didn’t have to wait long for his first success in that discipline, winning on Determinist in division two of the Shylock Selling Handicap Hurdle at Stratford on April 28, 1966. They won again at Wye next time out three weeks later.
Brian enjoyed a lucrative five-day spell in November 1966. Firstly, Arthur Pitt’s handicap hurdler Money Talks got him off the mark for the season. Four days’ later he came in for a winning ride for the royal trainer Peter Cazalet on Prince Rajsinh of Rajpipla’s Three No Trumps – later to be acquired by the Queen Mother – in the Valley Gardens Handicap Hurdle at Ascot. The following day he scored on Pitt’s selling hurdler Arrogant at Worcester, losing his 7lb claim in the process. However, he then rode only one more winner that season and none at all the following season.
Brian enjoyed a lucrative five-day spell in November 1966. Firstly, Arthur Pitt’s handicap hurdler Money Talks got him off the mark for the season. Four days’ later he came in for a winning ride for the royal trainer Peter Cazalet on Prince Rajsinh of Rajpipla’s Three No Trumps – later to be acquired by the Queen Mother – in the Valley Gardens Handicap Hurdle at Ascot. The following day he scored on Pitt’s selling hurdler Arrogant at Worcester, losing his 7lb claim in the process. However, he then rode only one more winner that season and none at all the following season.
He joined a third Epsom trainer, Tommy Gosling, who provided him with three of his four victories in the 1968/69 campaign, the other coming on Peter Supple's novice hurdler Fleet Leader at Wye, that being his 15th winner, resulting in his claim being cut to 3lb.
He joined a third Epsom trainer, Tommy Gosling, who provided him with three of his four victories in the 1968/69 campaign, the other coming on Peter Supple's novice hurdler Fleet Leader at Wye, that being his 15th winner, resulting in his claim being cut to 3lb.
Brian came close to achieving his biggest success so far when the Donald Underwood-trained Merkades was collared in the final strides by Barry Davies’ mount Code in the £1,000 Hardy Furnishing Trophy Handicap Hurdle at Plumpton in October 1969, having led throughout and still been clear jumping the final hurdle. But soon afterwards he struck up a partnership with the best horse he rode over hurdles, Reg Akehurst’s Moyne Royal. Brian first won on him at Lingfield in December and then followed up in the valuable Knights Royal Hurdle at Ascot a fortnight later. Later that season, Brian rode Moyne Royal in Sandown’s Imperial Cup but finished a disappointing tenth. Akehurst also supplied Brian with three winners during April 1970, including two on a useful novice hurdler named Potash.
Brian came close to achieving his biggest success so far when the Donald Underwood-trained Merkades was collared in the final strides by Barry Davies’ mount Code in the £1,000 Hardy Furnishing Trophy Handicap Hurdle at Plumpton in October 1969, having led throughout and still been clear jumping the final hurdle. But soon afterwards he struck up a partnership with the best horse he rode over hurdles, Reg Akehurst’s Moyne Royal. Brian first won on him at Lingfield in December and then followed up in the valuable Knights Royal Hurdle at Ascot a fortnight later. Later that season, Brian rode Moyne Royal in Sandown’s Imperial Cup but finished a disappointing tenth. Akehurst also supplied Brian with three winners during April 1970, including two on a useful novice hurdler named Potash.
Brian gradually wound down his riding career during the 1970s and had only one more winner, Tommy Gosling’s novice hurdler Taikun’s Melody at Chepstow, on Saturday, November 29, 1975, one of just six mounts he had that term before retiring at the end of it.
Brian gradually wound down his riding career during the 1970s and had only one more winner, Tommy Gosling’s novice hurdler Taikun’s Melody at Chepstow, on Saturday, November 29, 1975, one of just six mounts he had that term before retiring at the end of it.
In September 2014, Brian and Bobby Elliott were invited to a celebratory weekend in Lewes to mark the 50th anniversary of the racecourse’s closure in 1964. Both men attended a festival on the Sunday afternoon on the site of the old course – which is still in use today as gallops for local trainers – whereupon they jointly unveiled a plaque commemorating the course at which they had finished first and second in the very last race run there half a century earlier.
In September 2014, Brian and Bobby Elliott were invited to a celebratory weekend in Lewes to mark the 50th anniversary of the racecourse’s closure in 1964. Both men attended a festival on the Sunday afternoon on the site of the old course – which is still in use today as gallops for local trainers – whereupon they jointly unveiled a plaque commemorating the course at which they had finished first and second in the very last race run there half a century earlier.
Brian Leyman’s winners were, in chronological order:
Brian Leyman’s winners were, in chronological order:
1. Martinet, Lingfield Park, July 6, 1963
1. Martinet, Lingfield Park, July 6, 1963
2. Martinet, Lewes, September 2, 1963
2. Martinet, Lewes, September 2, 1963
3. Martinet, Lewes, September 16, 1963
3. Martinet, Lewes, September 16, 1963
4. Resistance, Salisbury, August 12, 1964
4. Resistance, Salisbury, August 12, 1964
5. Easy To Love, Lingfield Park, October 7, 1964
5. Easy To Love, Lingfield Park, October 7, 1964
6. Determinist, Stratford-on-Avon, April 28, 1966
6. Determinist, Stratford-on-Avon, April 28, 1966
7. Determinist, Wye, May 18, 1966
7. Determinist, Wye, May 18, 1966
8. Money Talks, Plumpton, November 14, 1966
8. Money Talks, Plumpton, November 14, 1966
9. Three No Trumps, Ascot, November 18, 1966
9. Three No Trumps, Ascot, November 18, 1966
10. Arrogant II, Worcester, November 19, 1966
10. Arrogant II, Worcester, November 19, 1966
11. Money Talks, Folkestone, April 12, 1967
11. Money Talks, Folkestone, April 12, 1967
12. Orator, Wye, October 7, 1968
12. Orator, Wye, October 7, 1968
13. C.E.D., Wye, October 28, 1968
13. C.E.D., Wye, October 28, 1968
14. Orator, Lingfield Park, December 6, 1968
14. Orator, Lingfield Park, December 6, 1968
15. Fleet Leader, Wye, March 3, 1969
15. Fleet Leader, Wye, March 3, 1969
16. Moyne Royal, Lingfield Park, December 6, 1969
16. Moyne Royal, Lingfield Park, December 6, 1969
17. Moyne Royal, Ascot, December 20, 1969
17. Moyne Royal, Ascot, December 20, 1969
18. Potash, Leicester, April 6, 1970
18. Potash, Leicester, April 6, 1970
19. High Temperature, Wincanton, April 9, 1970
19. High Temperature, Wincanton, April 9, 1970
20. Potash, Fontwell Park, April 14, 1970
20. Potash, Fontwell Park, April 14, 1970
21. Taikun’s Melody, Chepstow, November 29, 1975
21. Taikun’s Melody, Chepstow, November 29, 1975
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