Dick McCarthy

Dick McCarthy

Article by Alan Trout

Born in 1905, Richard McCarthy, known as Dick, has his first winner in his native Ireland on Hiscyllius in the Slivebloom Hurdle Plater at Powerstown Park (known today as Clonmel) on May 26, 1927. Second that day was Tim Cullinan, who would go on to ride the winners of the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle in 1930. 

It was not long after that initial victory that Dick made the journey to England, where he had his first ride on the gelding Charles Surface, which finished eighth of nine finishers in the St. Margaret’s Selling Hurdle at Kempton Park on December 2, 1927. Just a few weeks later came his first success when, in a tight finish to the Duxhurst Handicap Hurdle at Gatwick on February 1, 1928, the eight-year-old Noisy, trained by Bob Gore at Findon, beat Glanessa by a short head. The runner-up was ridden by future successful trainer Harry Hannon, father of classic-winning trainer Richard Snr and grandfather of the current licence holder Richard Jnr.

By the end of that 1927/28 season Dick had registered 12 wins, including doubles at the annual Hambledon Hunt meeting and on consecutive days at Folkestone. He also had four victories on the selling chaser Priority. There were another ten over the next nine years as he spent more time riding in Ireland, his visits to England becoming ever less frequent.

He had rides in some big races, including unplaced efforts on Prince Cherry in both the 1929 and 1930 runnings of Sandown Park’s Imperial Cup. He failed to complete the course on all three of his Grand National mounts, with Savernake falling in 1930, and Tootenhill refusing in 1932 being the first two. 

He did, however, finish second in the 1929 Cheltenham Gold Cup, although his mount, the 100-9 chance Lloydie, was 20 lengths adrift of the great Easter Hero at the winning line. 

Dick’s last winner in England was on Veinarde, trained by Herbert Smyth, in the Duchy Chase at Manchester on Easter Monday, March 29, 1937, beating Jacksbro, ridden by Denis McCarthy, by five lengths. 

By then he had re-established himself in Ireland, where he rode at least 70 winners between 1933 and 1949. He had one more Grand National attempt, on Arranbeg in 1949, but they fell at the eleventh fence. 

Reunited with Arranbeg three months later, this time over hurdles, Dick rode him to victory at Waterford & Tramore (now just called Tramore) on June 6, then finished second on him over fences at Thurles three days later. He rode Arranbeg a couple of times the following season but did not win on him again.  

Dick McCarthy’s British winners were, in chronological order:

1. Noisy, Gatwick, February 1, 1928 

2. Wood Owl, Hurst Park, February 17, 1928

3. Priority, Gatwick, February 24, 1928

4. Golden Bay, Plumpton, February 27, 1928

5. Priority, Hurdt Park, March 16, 1928

6. Priority, Folkestone, April 4, 1928

7. Noisy, Folkestone, April 4, 1928

8. Rare Sort, Folkestone, April 5, 1928

9. Guiding Light, Folkestone, April 5, 1928

10. Priority, Sandown Park, April 28, 1928

11. Golden Bay, Hambledon Hunt, May 4, 1928

12. Snip-snap, Hambledon Hunt, May 4, 1928 

13. Noisy, Gatwick, December 12, 1928 

14. Noisy, Lingfield Park, January 3, 1929

15. Ormuzd, Sandown Park, January 31, 1929

16. Cross Roads. Chepstow, November 15, 1929

17, Grandene, Kempton Park, February 22, 1930

18. Chevy Slyme, Folkestone, May 7, 1931

19. Courtesy, Newton Abbot, May 11, 1932

20. Up Stream, Taunton, September 22, 1932

21. Creeksea Ferry, Hereford, April 17, 1933

22. Veinarde, Manchester, March 29, 1937