Geoff Littlewood

1920 -1970

Article by Chris Pitt

The son of a Barnsley miner, Geoff Littlewood was born on February 28, 1920 in the village of Pilley, situated midway between Birdwell and Tankersley, to the south-west of Barnsley.

He began a three-year apprenticeship with Archie Douglas-Pennant at Upavon, Wiltshire, and then had his indentures transferred to Captain Tommy Hogg for another three years at Newmarket.

Geoff rode his first winner, Lord Glanely’s colt Trafalgar, at Manchester on June 9, 1938 and was champion apprentice in 1940 with 13 winners. He achieved his first big race victory on 100/6 shot Yorkshire Hussar in the 1943 Ebor, run that year at Stockton as the ‘Substitute Ebor Handicap’, for Malton trainer Charles Elsey.

In 1950 he won Stockton’s Rosebery Stakes and Newmarket’s Craven Stakes on Charles Elsey’s Rising Flame. The combination then ran well to finish fifth in the Two Thousand Guineas, behind Palestine, Prince Simon, Masked Light and Master Gunner.

Geoff was attached to Geoff Barling’s Newmarket stable for several years and averaged between 30 and 40 winners per season. His biggest win for Barling came on Le Tellier in the 1952 Chester Cup.

In 1956 he was appointed first jockey to Harry Peacock’s stable at Richmond, Yorkshire and enjoyed his most successful season that year with 62 winners. The best horse he rode for Peacock was French Beige, on whom he won the 1956 Ascot Gold Vase the 1957 Doncaster Cup and the 1958 Jockey Club Cup at Newmarket.

Geoff’s last big race triumph was on Bordone in the 1962 Northumberland Plate for another Richmond trainer, Buster Fenningworth.

He rode as a freelance for the final few years of his career and achieved his last winner on Stan Palmer’s filly Pyelogram at Nottingham on July 25, 1966, although he maintained his jockey’s licence until 1968.

After retiring, he ran the Green Man pub at Six Mile Bottom, near Newmarket.

Alas, it was but a brief retirement, because Geoff Littlewood died in hospital after a short illness on June 27, 1970, aged 50, less than two years after retiring from the saddle. He left £1,887.

Big winners

1943: Ebor Handicap – Yorkshire Hussar

1952: Chester Cup – Le Tellier

1954: Lancashire Oaks – Blue Prelude

1954: Lanark Silver Bell – Doonaha

1956: Lanark Silver Bell – Comedy Address

1956: Queen’s Vase – French Beige

1957: Doncaster Cup – French Beige

1958: Cheshire Oaks – Scryer

1958: Cumberland Plate – Brancusi

1958: Edinburgh Gold Cup – Bibi Mah

1958: Jockey Club Cup – French Beige

1960: Craven Stakes – Rising Flame

1960: Carlisle Bell – Princess Antelope

1961: Northern Goldsmith’s Handicap – Dock Green

1962: Bessborough Stakes – Better Honey

1962: Northumberland Plate – Bordone