Walter Lawlor

Walter Lawlor

Article by Alan Trout

Born in 1871, Walter Lawlor enjoyed a measure of success both on the Flat and over jumps at the turn of the 20th century, achieving his greatest victory in the 1903 Scottish Grand National. 

He had three wins on the Flat in 1896, all courtesy of the four-year-old Peter Clarke, who first took the Corinthian Welter Handicap at Ayr on September 16. Walter had ridden him for the first time on his previous outing eleven days earlier when finishing down the field at Hamilton Park. Now the partnership beat Silkworth, the mount of Seth Chandley, by a length. 

Altogether, Walter had eight wins on the Flat and a dozen over jumps. He made an excellent start in the latter discipline with two doubles in three days, beginning with a five-length victory on Castasegna in the East of Scotland Steeplechase at Dunbar on April 15, 1899. He then won the next race, the Bellhaven Selling Handicap Hurdle, on Lothair. He went on to ride another double, this one at Kelso, two days later. There was one more success over jumps, at Hexham in May, and two more on the Flat before the century ended.  

He made a bright start to 1900 when Double Daisy landed the Trial Plate at Bogside in April, but then went three years without success before Chit Chat gave him his biggest triumph in the 1903 Scottish Grand National, leading for most of the way and resisting the strong late challenge of John Archer on The Watcher to win by a length. The ten-year-old went on to land the Club Steeplechase at Hamilton Park eleven days later to give Walter his only other victory of the year. 

There were four more wins in 1905, including a double at Hamilton Park, but Chit Chat was unable to repeat his Scottish Grand National Triumph of two years earlier.

Walter rode his last winner on Divination in the Hardwick Selling Handicap Hurdle at Sedgefield on April 3, 1906, beating Snowcap, ridden by Martin Phelan, by five lengths. He did not ride her again. In fact, Divination may well have been his last ride as well as his last winner, in which case he bowed out on a winning note.

Walter Lawlor’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Peter Clarke, Ayr, September 16, 1896 Flat

2. Peter Clarke, Lanark, September 29, 1896 Flat

3. Peter Clarke, Warwick, November 24, 1896 Flat

4. Rummager, Carlisle, March 31, 1897 Flat

5. Velveteen, Hamilton Park, May 19, 1897 Flat

6. Castasegna, Dunbar, April 15, 1899 NH

7. Lothair, Dunbar, April 15, 1899 NH

8. Lantwit, Kelso, April 17, 1899 NH

9. Chitwood, Kelso, April 17, 1899 NH

10. Louis d’Or, Hexham, May 3, 1899 NH

11. Melete, Hamilton Park, May 17, 1899 Flat

12. Earlsfield, Hamilton Park, July 14, 1899 Flat

13. Double Daisy, Bogside, April 5, 1900 Flat

14. Chit Chat, Bogside, April 2, 1903 NH

15. Chit Chat, Hamilton Park, April 13, 1903 NH

16. Senateur, Bogside, April 13, 1905 NH

17. Senateur, Hamilton Park, April 24, 1905 NH

18. Master Herbert, Hamilton Park, April 24, 1905 NH

19. Cashel, Shincliffe, May 10, 1905 NH

20. Divination, Sedgefield, April 3, 1906 NH