Tom Rattley

Article by Chris Pitt

Twenty-two-year old Tom Rattley rode his first winner on 50/1 outsider Gay Juliet in the Tonbridge Maiden Stakes at Folkestone on June 10, 1968. It came at a good time, for he was due to be married the following week.

He rode Gay Juliet next time out against far better company at Sandown Park on July 25, finishing sixth of seven. That turned out to be the final time he rode her.

Thomas Leonard Rattley was born in 1945 and had been an apprentice with Jack Waugh at Newmarket for two years before having his first ride in 1963. He failed to register a winner and when he came out of his time at the end of 1967 he went back home to Bournemouth for two months

He was about to accept a job abroad when he was offered a job at Walter Combes’ Exeter Road stables in Newmarket. Now that he had broken the ice he planned to stay in England.

It looked like a good decision when Combes’ Unit Trust gave Tom his second winner

when landing a Yarmouth seller on September 18. But unfortunately, that was as good as it got – those two winners in 1968 proved to be Tom’s glory days.

He had no more and gave up his jockey’s licence at the end of the following year.