Frank Steward

Frank Steward

Article by Alan Trout

Having ridden one winner on the Flat in 1927, Frank George Steward made a slow start to his career over jumps, but nine wins in the 1936/37 season appeared to show that he was making progress. Surprisingly, he had no more victories after that, despite continuing to ride until the closing days of 1939. 

Born in 1909, he was apprenticed to Major Charles Stevens and had his first ride at Chepstow on April 23, 1927, when unplaced on Lady B. in the Dymock Selling Plate. Lady B. was owned by Mrs Stevens, who also owned Little Zip, the horse which gave Frank his first success when taking the Bristol Selling Handicap at Bath on July 13 that year, despite the young rider being obliged to put up 8lb overweight at 7 stone. 

Difficulty in making the weight probably explains why Frank did not continue on the Flat after 1927. The remainder of his carer would be under National Hunt rules. 

He did not reappear until finishing unplaced on Lashaway in the Tangmere Selling Handicap Hurdle at Fontwell Park on October 6, 1932. Eighteen months then elapsed before he achieved his first success. It finally came at Chelmsford on April 16, 1934, when Fakir, trained by Fred Collinson, won the Billericay Selling Handicap Hurdle, beating Ennistymon by four lengths.

Frank only rode one winner in the 1934/35 season and four the next, but one of those was a special occasion. In the Towcester Chase at that Northamptonshire venue on September 28, 1935, his mount, Tynfield, was the 20-1 outsider in a field of six, but defied those odds to beat By-Pass II, ridden by champion jockey Gerry Wilson, by four lengths, with two other top jockeys of the day, Frenchie Nicholson and Jack Moloney, finishing third and fourth. 

Then came what could have been Frank’s breakthrough season, which included a double at Plumpton for Fred Collinson, and three wins on the hurdler Trelissick. He also had a ride in one of season’s major races, the International Hurdle at Gatwick, finishing fifth of the 11 runners on 20-1 chance Stainless. 

Frank had what would prove to be his final win when Hickie narrowly defeated Freddie Maxwell’s mount Bombay III to land the Manor Selling Chase at Kempton Park by a head. He finished second on Hickie in a subsequent race but there were no more victories. 

He had his final ride on Muffin Man, unplaced in the Beginners’ Hurdle at Plumpton on December 16, 1939. With jump racing continuing on a limited basis during the early years of the war, then ceasing altogether in 1942, there is no telling whether he may have reignited his career in due course. 

Frank Steward’s winners were, in chronological order.

1. Little Zip, Bath, July 13, 1927

2. Fakir, Chelmsford, April 16, 1934

3. River Fox, Chelmsford, March 20, 1935

4. Tynfield, Towcester, September 28, 1935

5. Ground Swell, Cheltenham, November 15, 1935

6. Trelissick, Plumpton, December 9, 1935

7. Tynfield, Gatwick, January 3, 1936

8. Tynfield, Devon &N Exeter, August 26, 1936

9. River Fox, Newton Abbot, September 10, 1936

10. Sad Jester, Hawthorn Hill, November 9, 1936

11. Trelissick, Plumpton, December 14, 1936

12. Trelissick, Plumpton, January 2, 1937

13. Sad Jester, Plumpton, January 2, 1937

14. Trelissick, Gatwick, January 8, 1937

15. Royal Wine, Gatwick, February 4, 1937

16. Hickie, Kempton Park, February 26, 1937