Eric Mercer
The younger brother of top jockeys Manny and Joe Mercer, apprentice Eric Mercer made a brief appearance on the racing scene during the early 1960s in a career that lasted not much more than a year.
The younger brother of top jockeys Manny and Joe Mercer, apprentice Eric Mercer made a brief appearance on the racing scene during the early 1960s in a career that lasted not much more than a year.
Unusually, rather than being listed merely by his initial in the newspapers, he was invariably shown as ‘Eric Mercer’. There was no other apprentice with that initial riding at the time, so his full name may possibly have been used to avoid any confusion with the late E (Manny) Mercer who had suffered a fatal accident at Ascot in 1959.
Unusually, rather than being listed merely by his initial in the newspapers, he was invariably shown as ‘Eric Mercer’. There was no other apprentice with that initial riding at the time, so his full name may possibly have been used to avoid any confusion with the late E (Manny) Mercer who had suffered a fatal accident at Ascot in 1959.
Eric was apprenticed to Willie Stephenson at Royston but it was for Lambourn trainer Freddie Black that he rode his first winner, on Balfour Lass in an apprentices’ maiden at Bath on August 23, 1962, his sole success from 17 rides that year.
Eric was apprenticed to Willie Stephenson at Royston but it was for Lambourn trainer Freddie Black that he rode his first winner, on Balfour Lass in an apprentices’ maiden at Bath on August 23, 1962, his sole success from 17 rides that year.
His second victory – which turned out to be his last – was gained at Lincoln (below) on the opening day of the Flat season, March 25, 1963, aboard Arcticeelagh for his guvnor Willie Stephenson in the 16-runner Hainton Handicap, winning ‘cleverly’ according to the form book result. Again, the form book identifies him as ‘Eric Mercer’.
His second victory – which turned out to be his last – was gained at Lincoln (below) on the opening day of the Flat season, March 25, 1963, aboard Arcticeelagh for his guvnor Willie Stephenson in the 16-runner Hainton Handicap, winning ‘cleverly’ according to the form book result. Again, the form book identifies him as ‘Eric Mercer’.
His name appears among the list of apprentices in just two editions of the Horses in Training annual, those for 1962 and 1963, so it must be assumed that Eric’s career as a jockey was but a short-lived affair.
His name appears among the list of apprentices in just two editions of the Horses in Training annual, those for 1962 and 1963, so it must be assumed that Eric’s career as a jockey was but a short-lived affair.