Gerald Milne

(1868-1942)



Gerald Brooks Milne was born in Manchester in 1868. A noted amateur rider, he rode four winners at Wolverhampton on October 11, 1892.

According to the form book comments, he had a pretty easy time in registering his Wolverhampton four-timer. He began by winning the Bushbury Maiden Hurdle on County Council “easily by two lengths”, then won the Tettenhall National Hunt Selling Flat Race on Old Ben in “a canter” by four lengths, followed that by landing the Thorneycroft Steeplechase on Ceylon “easily” by three lengths, and rounded off proceedings by winning the Kingswinford Steeplechase on Harlow in “a canter” by ten lengths.

He won six races on Skedaddle in 1893 – four chases and two hurdles – including the Great Shropshire Chase at Ludlow and, more importantly, the Grand Steeple Chase de Paris on June 4. Skedaddle started the 40-1 complete outsider of the seven runners and won by a neck in a thrilling finish in which less than a length separating the first four. Mr Milne also finished sixth in that year’s Grand National on Father O’Flynn, the previous year’s winner.

Gerald Milne died in London in 1942, aged 73.