Harry Lightfoot

Harry Lightfoot

Article by Alan Trout

Beating future National Hunt champion jockey Fred Winter to record your first winner is no mean achievement, but sadly for Harry Lightfoot that was just about as good as it got, for he only managed two more. 

That initial success came in the Haydock Park Novices’ Hurdle (Division 1) at the Lancashire venue on November 30, 1949. His mount, Congo Song, trained by Morgan Scannell at Tarporley, was having his first run over hurdles and beat Fred Winter’s mount Western Pride, also a newcomer, by one and a half lengths. Harry had three more rides on Congo Song, which yielded just one fourth place before Tim Molony took over and won on him at Bangor. 

Meanwhile, Harry had doubled his score when Pawon took the Kersal Selling Hurdle at Manchester on December 30, 1949 by two lengths. Despite being seven years old, Pawon was running under National Hunt rules for the first time. Harry was replaced by Arthur Thompson next time out but Pawon could only finish fourth when sent off favourite for a selling hurdle at Birmingham. 

After being slowly away and trailing in last on his chasing debut with Thompson on board, Harry was reunited with Pawon, only for the gelding to refuse at the first fence at Haydock. Put back over hurdles, Harry managed to finish third on him at Manchester. Tim Molony took over for his next start at Stratford but Pawon refused to race. 

The gelding changed hands the following season and was kept to selling hurdles. Harry had another go but again Pawon refused, as he did on three more occasions. He was also pulled up once by Dick Francis. In five starts during the 1950/51 campaign, the recalcitrant Pawan was ridden by five different jockeys, ending the season – and his career – with alphabet form figures of RRRPR. 

Harry, meanwhile, had one more winning ride when Kind Regards, trained by Congleton, Cheshire permit holder Albert Yarwood, beat two rivals to land the Jubilee Handicap Hurdle at Manchester on Easter Monday, March 26, 1951, beating the 3-1 on favourite Slapdash by 10 lengths. He had just eight rides that season, the last two of them ending in falls, with chaser Scarloch being brought down at Bangor on April 21, then selling hurdler Pamira falling at Woore on May 3.  

Harry did not renew his licence the following four seasons but made a brief comeback during the 1955/56 campaign, though he was unable to add to his total of three wins.