Ian Semple

Ian Semple

Far better known as a trainer, Ian Semple rode under National Hunt rules in the 1970s and had three wins before his career was ended by injury. 

Born on 6 June 1948,  he had his first ride on Complicity, finishing unplaced in the Tyne Handicap Hurdle at Nottingham on 12 November 1973. His first win was at Kelso on 7 February 1975 when the nine-year-old Tortuga narrowly got the better of a prolonged duel with Poly Boy, the mount of Ruchard Collins, at the end of the Makerstoun Opportunity Selling Handicap Hurdle. 

Ian’s second win was on Relthone, trained like Tortuga by permit holder Tommy Bell, in the Grove Novices’ Hurdle at Sedgefield on 8 March 1975, despite a blunder at the last flight. They were well beaten at the same course ten days later. 

He drew a blank the following season but had one more victory back at Sedgefield on 28 September 1976, when Horn Head, trained by former jump jockey Raymond ‘Barney’ Cross, landed the Ludworth Opportunity Selling Handicap Hurdle by four lengths. 

Ian must have thought he had ridden a fourth winner when Beau Brigg was called the winner of the Heads Nook Novices’ Hurdle at Carlisle on 15 February 1977, but the judge had made an error the four-year-old was demoted to second place.  

Beau Brigg was also Ian’s last ride when being brought down after the third flight in the Warnell Fell Novices’ Hurdle on Easter Monday, 11 April 1977. Sadly, the injuries he suffered put paid to his riding career. 

He then worked as head lad for top Flat trainers John Dunlop and John Gosden. It was while working for Gosden that he played a major part in Benny The Dip winning the 1997 Epsom Derby. 

He began training in his own right in 1998, based at Belstane Racing Stables, Carluke, in Strathclyde, quickly developing a reputation as a shrewd operator and having some big-priced handicap winners over the years with horses such as Appalachian Trail. He recorded 49 winners in 2006 – the most in one year by a Flat trainer in Scotland for half a century – including his first Group race success with Big Timer, ridden by Tom Eaves, in the Acomb Stakes at York. 

With racing having been part and parcel of his life since leaving school at 15, he decided to take a step back from training, but there was no way he could just roll his sleeves down and switch off. A solution presented itself when Linda Perratt took over at the Belstane Stables early in 2008, while Ian stayed on as her assistant. They enjoyed a successful and eventful partnership with Ian diverted to the position of assistant trainer, hence it was Perratt’s name that appeared as the trainer when Big Timer won the 2008 Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot. 

Having announced his retirement the following year, Ian made a surprise return to training in March 2011, taking over at Burnwynd Racing Stables in Strathaven. However, despite a decent run of success, the arrangement ended in acrimonious fashion 18 months later.

He continued to train, albeit on a lesser scale, having his last win with Polly’s Rose, ridden by Jason Hart, in a seven-furlong all-weather fillies’ maiden at Wolverhampton on 17 November 2014. His final runner, Knotty Jack, finished eighth of ten runners in an all-weather maiden at Wolverhampton on 20 November 2015. 

Thanks to Alan Trout for providing the riding career part of this article.