Bernard Sanderson

Bernard Sanderson

Article by Alan Trout

Bernard Sanderson held a National Hunt jockey’s licence for three seasons in the mid-1950s and rode one winner. 

He started his career at Nottingham on March 18, 1954, when unplaced on Carrowdore Castle in the Hare Handicap Hurdle.  

His only success came a few weeks later, on May 6, when the eight-year-old Ship’s Log, trained by Tom Pettifer at Letcombe Regis, near Wantage, narrowly beat Billy Williams’ mount Osbir by a neck in the Kingweston Handicap Chase at Taunton. Despite having to put up 4lb overweight at 9st 11lb, Bernard was able to take the lead on Ship’s Log at the ninth fence and repel the strong challenge of the runner-up. 

Billy Williams was still an aspiring amateur rider at the time but would go on to  become a good professional jockey, based in the south-west, where he and Jimmy Renfree were hard men to beat around the tight Buckfastleigh and Newton Abbot tracks.  

Ship’s Log carried the well-known pink and green striped colours of owner Stanhope Joel and was winning for the first time in 16 months, although he had been placed three times from nine previous starts that season. Bernard finished fourth on him at Newton Abbot next time out.

He held a licence for two more seasons and had five more rides on Ship’s Log, but the best they managed was one fourth place.  

At Hereford on Easter Monday 1955 he was obliged to put up 12lb overweight at 10st 5lb on his mount Marullo in the George Britten Handicap Hurdle, so it is possible that rising weight may have brought his career to a premature end. He had his final ride when Oui Oui II finished unplaced in the Slapton Selling Handicap Hurdle at Towcester on October 22, 1955.