David O'Halloran

David O’Halloran

Article by Alan Trout

It was on the final day of the 1953/54 National Hunt season that David Francis O’Halloran rode his only winner. 

His first ride had been more than four years earlier, at Hereford on October 6, 1949, when Ploverfield was unplaced in the Novices’ Hurdle. The five-year-old was owned and trained by former leading jump jockey George Owen, who a few weeks earlier had seen another of his charges, Russian Hero, win the Grand National.

David did not have many mounts over the next few seasons, but at Towcester on Whit Monday, June 7, 1954 he finally had a winning ride. Always well placed, he took the lead three flights from home and drove the five-year-old Hallcroft home to land the Hartwell Selling Handicap Hurdle, beating Luesweed, ridden by Johnny Gilbert, by three lengths. 

Owned and trained by Vic Brunt at St Albans, Hertfordshire, Hallcroft had run 14 times already that season and had won one race, also at Towcester, when ridden by Kevin Gilsenan. Kevin had also ridden the gelding on his most recent start, just two days before Hallcroft’s second victory, but opted on that Whit Monday to go to Huntingdon, where he failed to ride a winner, enabling David O’Halloran to step in for the winning ride at Towcester. 

David drew a blank the following season and was not seen in action again until November 1961, but he had no success. He did not hold a licence the following season but renewed it for one last time in the 1963/64 campaign, again without success.