Ray McGhin

Ray McGhin

Flat jockey Raymond McGhin was born in County Durham on March 23, 1948. He was apprenticed to John Sutcliffe but rode no winners. Disillusioned with his lack of progress, he left the sport and worked for the Post Office for three or four years before returning to racing around 1979.

He found it hard going because he was no longer an apprentice and so did not have the benefit of an allowance. However, he finally rode his first winner on Philip Mitchell’s two-year-old filly Blue Garter at Carlisle on September 9, 1980. He won on her again at Warwick on October 14. 

Ray also had one win over jumps when Young Buckers, trained by Mick Haynes, won the Brighton Hurdle for three-year-olds at Fontwell Park on December 28, 1984. It was Ray's second ride on the winner, having been brought down at Lingfield six days earlier. 

He went on to ride more winners both in England and in Jersey, where the weights were higher. He subsequently trained for a short spell from November 1997.

Ray later hit the jackpot, quite literally, winning £205,000 on a winning lottery ticket.