Jim Loftus

Jim Loftus

1904-2002

Article by Alan Trout

James Alfred (Jim) Loftus rode on the Flat in 1921 but without success and had to wait until 1929 before his first victory over jumps, and until 1933 for his second, but ended with a total of a dozen winners, achieving a best score of five in the 1935/36 season. 

Born in 1904, he was apprenticed to Alfred Day and had his first ride when finishing seventh of nine runners on Pretty Sport in the Westenhanger Selling Handicap at Folkestone on August 9, 1921. 

He had his first ride over obstacles at Wye on March 14, 1927, when unplaced on Shady Bird in the Harville Hurdle. His first success finally came when Chiron won the Cotland Selling Handicap Chase at Gatwick on February 7, 1929, beating Disposals, the mount of Dick Thrale, by eight lengths. 

There was then a wait of more than four years for another success, aboard Courtesy at Devon & Exeter on the last day of August 1933, with the next not coming until January 1936, although that one heralded his best season with five wins to his credit. It could easily have been six, for he was first past the post on Glazert in the Oswestry Challenge Cup, a handicap hurdle, at Oswestry & Llanymynech in May, but Frenchie Nicholson on the runner-up Priodonte objected to the winner on grounds of taking the wrong course. The stewards sustained the objection and fined Jim £5 for carelessness in not making himself acquainted with the course. 

He had a ride over the Liverpool fences on Pinnega in the 1938 Stanley Chase but was among the half dozen fallers. 

His last win was on Cactus II, who beat nine rivals to land the Lonsdale Selling Chase at Uttoxeter on May 9, 1939. The nine-year-old, who was running for the fifth time in 29 days, won by five lengths. Jim kept his licence for just one more season.

James (Jim) Loftus died in 2002. His winners as a jockey were, in chronological order:

1. Chiron, Gatwick, February 7, 1929

2. Courtesy, Devon & Exeter, August 31, 1933

3. Glazert, Leicester, January 7, 1936

4. San Michele, Tarporley, April 1, 1936

5. San Michele, Southwell, April 11, 1936

6. Pamphlet, Stratford-on-Avon, May 9, 1936

7. Pamphlet, Newton Abbot, May 13, 1936 

8. Red Tape, Newton Abbot, August 4, 1936

9. Glazert, Totnes, September 2, 1936

10. San Michele, Haydock Park, January 5, 1938

11. Cactus II, Towcester, April 10, 1939

12. Cactus II, Uttoxeter, May 9, 1939