Ted Lawlor

Ted Lawlor

Article by Alan Trout

Edward Lawlor, known as Ted, rode four winners under National Hunt rules between 1906 and 1912. 

He had his first success at Hethersett on April 19, 1906, when Lucy Glitters II won the Hunters’ Maiden Chase. Ted was the only professional jockey among the four starters and his mount won by three lengths. They had teamed up for the first time when unplaced at Fakenham’s Easter Monday fixture three days earlier. Ted kept the ride for the mare’s four subsequent starts, but two placed efforts were the best they achieved. 

He did not hold s licence in 1907 or 1908, and it was not until April 15, 1910 that he rode his second winner when Bellax took the Rendlesham Park Selling Hurdle at Ipswich, beating Test Match, the mount of Tommy Dunn, by two lengths. He had one more ride on the gelding, finishing last of four at Bungay, before being replaced. 

There was another lengthy wait for his next victory. This came on the five-year-old Adorn in the Caterham Selling Handicap Hurdle at Gatwick on January 4, 1912, beating Ra by four lengths. Then, having waited so long for a winner, Ted struck again just nine days later when Plume took the Novices’ Hurdle at Hurst Park. 

Both those winners were trained by Herbert Metcalfe, who also put Ted up for the biggest ride of his career when partnering Plume in the Imperial Cup on March 2, 1912, but they finished down the field. 

Ted Lawlor’s last ride was on Etrick, runner-up in the Bridgford Selling Hurdle at Nottingham on April 15, 1912, beaten four lengths by Harvey Leader on Catch Penny.