Nick Roche
Article by Alan Trout
Nicholas Danial Roche – the unusual spelling of his second name is not a misprint – rode a couple of winners under National Hunt rules at the end of the 1980s.
Nicholas Danial Roche – the unusual spelling of his second name is not a misprint – rode a couple of winners under National Hunt rules at the end of the 1980s.
He started out as a conditional jockey with Ron O’Leary and had his first ride at Nottingham on December 19, 1987, when Paupers Son was a distant fifth of six finishers in the Colwick Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase.
He started out as a conditional jockey with Ron O’Leary and had his first ride at Nottingham on December 19, 1987, when Paupers Son was a distant fifth of six finishers in the Colwick Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase.
His first victory came at Hexham on March 16, 1989, when Betty’s Girl, trained by Owen Brennan, gained a somewhat fortunate success in the Allerwash Novices’ Chase. They were outpaced and lying in fourth place with two fences left to jump, but two of his rivals fell there and Nick managed to force the mare up close home to beat Liam O’Hara’s mount Hazel Bank by a neck.
His first victory came at Hexham on March 16, 1989, when Betty’s Girl, trained by Owen Brennan, gained a somewhat fortunate success in the Allerwash Novices’ Chase. They were outpaced and lying in fourth place with two fences left to jump, but two of his rivals fell there and Nick managed to force the mare up close home to beat Liam O’Hara’s mount Hazel Bank by a neck.
His other success came at Stratford on September 2, 1989, when La Molinilla, trained by Sue Wilton, comfortably beat three rivals in the Black Prince Conditional Jockeys’ Selling Handicap Hurdle, scoring by eight lengths. Nick only had a dozen rides that season and did not ride another winner.
His other success came at Stratford on September 2, 1989, when La Molinilla, trained by Sue Wilton, comfortably beat three rivals in the Black Prince Conditional Jockeys’ Selling Handicap Hurdle, scoring by eight lengths. Nick only had a dozen rides that season and did not ride another winner.
