Geoff Laidlaw

National Hunt jockey Geoffrey Laidlaw spent his entire riding career with Epsom trainer Evan ‘Snowy’ Parker, who provided him with five of his six winners. He began as an apprentice on the Flat and went close three times during the 1951 Flat season before finally opening his account on the final day.

In April of that year, he finished third twice within a week on Sussex Way in a Birmingham maiden and a Wolverhampton apprentices’ plate. Later in the season, on October 15, he finished second, beaten a short head in an apprentices’ handicap at Alexandra Park. That race must rank as one of the closest finishes ever, not just at Alexandra Park but anywhere. The first six horses were separated by barely half a length, the distances being: short head, head, short head, head, short head, short head.

On the last day of that 1951 Flat season, Saturday, November 17, Geoff finally made it to the winner’s enclosure, guiding 8-1 chance Fairest Of Leeds to victory in the Back End Selling Handicap at Lingfield Park. That would be his sole success on the Flat.

He held a National Hunt jockey’s licence between the 1955/56 and 1961/62 seasons and rode five winners during that time. He achieved his first success over jumps at Worcester on March 14, 1956, aboard Up And Coming, trained by Frank Mann at Bishops Itchington, near Leamington Spa.

Thereafter, he rode only sporadically and more than two years elapsed before his next winner, Domont, trained by Snowy Parker, in a Fontwell Park handicap chase in April 1959. That was his one victory from just eleven rides all that season.

The versatile Domont proved a good ally for Geoff, accounting for both his winning rides in the 1959/60 season, first in a Fontwell handicap hurdle on October 17, then following up nine days later in a Wye handicap chase.

Geoff rode what proved to be his last winner on the Parker-trained Tax Diablo in the Lime Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at Sandown’s Grand Military meeting on March 18, 1961, his only success from 15 mounts that season. He held a licence for two more seasons but had few rides and failed to ride another winner.

Geoff Laidlaw’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Fairest Of Leeds, Lingfield Park, November 17, 1951

2. Up And Coming, Worcester, March 14, 1956

3. Domont, Fontwell Park, April 8, 1959

4. Domont, Fontwell Park, October 17, 1959

5. Domont, Wye, October 26, 1959

6. Tax Diablo, Sandown Park, March 18, 1961