Eddie McKenzie

Eddie McKenzie

Article by Alan Trout

Edward Lawrence McKenzie was an Irish jockey who had yet to ride a winner in his native country before coming to England to register the first of his three victories on British soil. 

His first ride in Britain was at Sandown Park on January 19, 1951, when Finlandia was unplaced in the Metropolitan Novices’ Hurdle (Division 1). He had better fortune at Windsor on February 28, when Danger Light, trained by Bill Marshall, ran prominently throughout, taking the lead at the final flight to win the Castle Hill Selling Handicap Hurdle by five lengths from Alf Mullins on Ardfort. Danger Light was the 20-1 outsider in the field of six, hardly surprising as he had finished last, not been in the first ten and pulled up on his three previous starts that season, twice ridden by his trainer. 

Leading trainer Captain Ryan Price provided Eddie with his second win when Midlothian landed the Chilham Selling Handicap Hurdle at Wye on March 19, beating Dave Hanley on Birthday Girl by four lengths. 

Back in Ireland, Eddie had his first success there when Ardent Boy won the Inisfallen Chase at Killarney on July 18, 1951. The winning margin over All Steel, ridden by the great Martin Molony, was three-quarters of a length. 

Eddie rode nine winners in Ireland in 1952 and increased that score to 15 the following year, which included the Easter Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse’s Irish Grand National meeting on Limavaddy for owner-trainer James J. Ryan. 

He had his third and final victory in England in the Mildmay Chase at Liverpool on March 26, 1954, taking the lead on Evian between the last two fences and racing clear to win by six lengths from Leo McMorrow on Kenya Canna.  

It was only in the previous December that the Mildmay course, comprising smaller versions of the Grand National course’s spruce fences, had been jumped for the first time, and Evian was the first Irish-trained horse to win over them. Trained by the great Vincent O’Brien, the six-year-old Evian had not won a race that season, despite being ridden by top jockeys such as Bryan Marshall and Tommy Burns. 

Eddie ended 1954 with 15 wins, equalling his best annual total achieved the previous year. However, that was as good as it got, for his score fell to just six in 1955 and he never again attained double figures in a calendar year. 

He rode 33-1 chance Killballyown in the 1959 Grand National but was brought down at Becher’s Brook on the second circuit. That appears to have been his final ride in England. He also rode Killballyown in that year’s Irish Grand National, finishing sixth, his best placing in four rides in the race.