Ernest Sadgrove

Ernest Sadgrove

1890-1975

Article by Alan Trout

Born in 1890, Ernest Sadgrove rode 42 winners as an apprentice between 1907 and 1910. 

He was apprenticed to former champion jockey Sam Loates, who had only begun training in 1904. Ernest had his first ride on an unnamed three-year-old gelding by Buccaneer out of St Ange who finished unplaced in the Apprentice Plate at Newmarket on November 1, 1905. 

Although he had plenty of rides, it was not until April 11, 1907 that Ernest recorded his first success, courtesy of Flower Bed, owned and trained by Sam Loates, in the Apprentices’ Plate at Leicester.

This was followed by two wins on Mansfelt at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting, the first on April 30, the second on May 2. At Newmarket’s next fixture on May 15, Ernest won the five-furlong Flying Handicap on Ayrcastle, then two days later rode 8-1 chance Happy Hampton to a half-length success in the Mayblossom Selling Handicap at Gatwick. Later that season, he won the Ayrshire Handicap on Wise Mason, giving him a total of six winners by the end of the year. 

The next two seasons were even better, registering 16 victories in each. However, his apprenticeship finished at the end of 1909, and in 1910 his tally dropped to just four, despite making a flying start by winning the opening race of the year when Florestan took the Trial Selling Plate at Lincoln on March 14. 

Ernest’s last win was on Kilcarby in the Monklands Selling Plate at Lanark on September 28, 1910. The loss of his apprentice allowance certainly did not help his cause. 

He rode for the last time when finishing sixth of 14 runners on an unnamed filly by Perigord out of Varra in the May Maiden Two-Year-Old Plate at Wolverhampton on June 6, 1911. 

Ernest Sadgrove died in 1975. His son, Ernest Thomas Sadgrove (1915-1997), rode three winners as an apprentice in the early 1930s and held a full licence for one season only in 1936.