Don McInerney

Don McInerney

Article by Alan Trout 

Don McInerney rode six winners under National Hunt rules in the early 1970s, all of them for County Durham trainer Robin Simpson, with whom he was associated throughout his career. 

He had his first ride when finishing third on the six-year-old Hasty Arrow, owned as well as trained by Simpson at his Heightington yard, near Darlington, in the Brunton Novice Riders’ Hurdle at Newcastle on January 30, 1970. Next time out they fared two places better, taking an early lead and running out the comfortable winners of the Billingham Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2) at Sedgefield on February 24, 12 lengths being the winning margin over Indian Tonic. 

Following an unplaced effort at Kelso four days later, the partnership came good again back at Sedgefield on March 14, landing the Grove Novices’ Hurdle (Division 1) by 15 lengths.  Don kept the ride and was placed three times in six subsequent starts but it was to be more than a year before he had another win. 

The drought was ended at Wetherby on Easter Monday, April 12, 1971, when seven-year-old Poachford was successful in the Wharfedale Selling Handicap Hurdle, thus gaining swift compensation for having been beaten a short head at Carlisle two days earlier.  

Sedgefield was proving to be a lucky course for Don. He had the fourth victory of his career there on November 3, 1971, when Juliana ran on to take the Croxdale Novices’ Hurdle by three lengths. Win number five came when the 10-year-old Jist took over after the odds-on favourite Eye Full had unseated David Goulding at the ninth fence and coasted home by 30 lengths in the Robinson Crusoe Novices’ Chase at Catterick on New Year’s Eve.

His last win was on the horse that had provided him with his first two, Hasty Arrow. Having graduated to fences, he came with a strong late run to overhaul Dulciana and take the Castle Eden Novices’ Chase at Sedgefield on March 11, 1972. 

Don’s final ride, trained like all of his winners by Robin Simpson, was Carnival Jest, finishing fifth of nine starters in the Leeds Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2) at Wetherby on November 28, 1972. 

Don McInerney’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Hasty Arrow, Sedgefield, February 24, 1970 

2. Hasty Arrow, Sedgefield, March 14, 1970

3. Poachford, Wetherby, April 12, 1971

4. Juliana, Sedgefield, November 3, 1971

5. Jist, Catterick Bridge, December 312, 1971

6. Hasty Arrow, Sedgefield, March 11, 1972