Jimmy Lenehan

Jimmy Lenehan

James Joseph Lenehan, known as Jimmy, was a noted Irish jumps jockey during the inter-war years, recording his biggest success in the Irish Grand National. He also rode five winners in England, including one at Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting. 

Born on February 23, 1908, he was one of four jockey brothers. Paddy, the eldest, was Irish Welter Boxing Champion in 1928 and represented Ireland in that year’s Olympic Games in Amsterdam. He rode more than 100 winners as an amateur between 1923 and 1953 and trained successfully for many years, based in Co. Dublin. Kevin won the 1930 Irish Grand National on Fanmond for owner-trainer Geoffrey Gilpin, and continued his career in England, riding for Tom Coulthwaite. Youngest brother John (known as Jack) had a promising career tragically cut short in a fatal fall from Knight’s Cross at Clonmel in 1944.

Jimmy served his apprenticeship with Tom Coombes at Osborne Lodge, the Curragh, riding on the Flat until 1924 and then going jumping. He rode in England for the first time when finishing second on Letham, owned and trained by former successful amateur rider Bob Gore, in the Barcombe Selling Handicap Chase at Plumpton on December 3, 1928. 

He rode his first winner in England at Hawthorn Hill on March 18, 1929, when Golden Bay won the Windsor Handicap Hurdle. His next winner was Groomsport, who had only two rivals to beat in the Shanklin Selling Hurdle at the Isle of Wight meeting in May that year, doing so by 10 lengths. 

Captain Reginal Sassoon, later to die in a fall at Lingfield Park, owned Jimmy’s next winner, Royal Defence, who took the Spring Handicap Chase at Newbury on February 15, 1930. Then came his most notable English victory when Fluke landed the Grand Annual Chase at Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting on March 11. The eight-year-old had only run once in the past 21 months but battled on to beat Bob Lyall’s mount Royal Scot by a length and a half. 

Jimmy’s fifth and final English winner was another of Captain Sassoon’s horses, the four-year-old Olor, who won the Novices’ Chase at Wolverhampton on November 4, 1930. From thereon he focused his attention solely on Ireland, where he won the 1931 Drogheda Chase at Punchestown on Red Park.

He achieved his greatest victory on Jack Chaucer, trained by Cecil Brabazon, in the 1940 Irish Grand National. He was substituting for the injured Jimmy Brogan. Jack Chaucer led throughout and won by two lengths from Cabin Fire, the winning margin being no reflection of his obvious superiority. Strangely, although many Fairyhouse racegoers were convinced that Jack Chaucer looked a star of the future, he never won another race.

Following his retirement from the saddle, Jimmy served as assistant trainer to Hubert Hartigan until the latter’s death. 

He began training in March 1955. His very first winner was High Lupus in that year’s Irish Two Thousand Guineas. Other early successes included Martini, a three-time winner as a two-year-old in 1956; and Prince Aly Khan’s filly Meriana, a dual winner as a three-year-old at Phoenix Park and Baldoyle in 1957. 

Among his other good horses was the filly Fair Astronomer, who he trained to win five races as a two-year-old in 1962, including the Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot. Fair Astronomer raced in England from then on, trained by Harvey Leader, winning the Rous Stakes at Royal Ascot in 1963 and finishing second, beaten a neck in the 1964 Lincolnshire Handicap, the last one held at Lincoln itself.

Probably Jimmy’s best horse, though, was Dan Kano, with whom he won the Ulster Derby and Irish St Leger in 1967, both times in the hands of Lester Piggott. Piggott was also on board when Dan Kano finished third in the following year’s Coronation Cup at Epsom. 

Jimmy had three sons, one of whom, John Michael Lenehan, was a successful jockey in Ireland before coming to England in the mid-1960s and riding for Fred Rimell.

Jimmy Lenehan’s British winners were:

1. Golden Bay, Hawthorn Hill, March 18, 1929

2. Groomsport, Isle of Wight, May 16, 1929

3. Royal Defence, Newbury, February 15, 1930

4. Fluke, Cheltenham, March 11, 1930 

5. Olor, Wolverhampton, November 4, 1930