Joe Sime

1923 - 1996

Joseph Francis Sime, the son of a painter at the local docks, was born in Liverpool on July 27th 1923.

His ambition as a young boy was to be a footballer but, too small in stature to achieve this, he went instead to Newmarket where he became apprenticed to Dawson Waugh at the Somerville Lodge Stables. Joe rode for the first time at Newmarket on May 14, 1941, finishing unplaced on Samos III. The following day he rode his first winner on Firle in Newmarket's Apprentice Handicap. 

He went on to become champion apprentice in 1943 (with just five winners, the lowest winning total ever) and again in 1944 with just nine. 

He was champion apprentice for the third time in 1946 when his forty winners included the Portland Handicap on The Shah. Waugh retired at the end of 1942 and Joe completed his apprenticeship with Waugh’s nephew, Jack, at the Heath House stables in Newmarket.

At this time he lived at 22, St Phillip's Road, Newmarket.

His first important win came on Mad Carew in a substitute Manchester November Handicap ran at Pontefract in 1943. Riding for Captain Charles Elsey, he won the 1947 Ebor Handicap on Procne, then won the same race again twelve months later on Domino.

His first Royal Ascot success came in 1948 when he took the King George V Handicap on Lake Placid. In 1949, he won the Hardwicke Stakes on the three-year-old Helioscope and the

Wokingham Stakes on Light Harvest in 1956.

One of his most important wins came on the brilliant sprinter Chris in the King’s Stand Stakes in 1959. The horse was trained by his great friend, the former jockey Willie Nevett, Joe’s predecessor as Cock o’ the North (how the leading northern rider was then known). Joe excelled at Royal Ascot where his wins included Lucky Guy (Queen Anne Stakes 1959), Smartie (Royal Hunt Cup 1962, pictured above) plus Pavot and Beddard (Queen’s Vase 1962 and 1965).

Joe rode a second Cesarewitch winner on Utrillo for Ryan Price’s Findon stable in 1963. Two years later he won a third on Mintmaster.

In a career that spanned 29 years, from 1941 to 1969, Joe rode 1,420 winners, his best season coming in 1960 when finished 4th behind Lester Piggott in the jockeys’ championship with 108 winners. Pipe smoking Joe, a friendly, modest person, retired to live at 80, Cantley Road, Doncaster from where he worked as a journalist for The People and ran a newsagent shop just by the course.

Joe enjoyed golf, cricket and football. His favourite racecourse was Redcar. Joe died on October 22nd 1996 and was survived by his wife Joan, whom he married on November 30, 1946, and by their two sons, Paul and David, and daughter, Maureen.

The Joe Sime Memorial Race for three-year-olds is run each summer over the full St Leger course

When Joe finally retired, he lived happily for many years in a house that backed  onto Rose Hill at Doncatser Racecourse. 

KING'S STAND STAKES

1959    Chris 3-8-10    Mr H Hartley    Billy Nevett     9/4  

HARDWICKE STAKES

1949    Helioscope 3-7-6    Lady Zia Wernher    Cecil Boyd-Rochfort   20/1   

DEWHURST STAKES

1947    Pride Of India 2-8-13    Mr Jim Joel       John Watts     5/2    

1960    Bounteous 2-8-13    Mrs H Leggatt      Rufus Beasley    2/1    

1963    Kings Lane 2-8-12    Mr L Chamberlain    Sam Hall  10/1 

YORKSHIRE CUP

1957    Souverlone 4-8-4    Mr R F Dennis    Harry Peacock  50/1    

AYR GOLD CUP

1959    Whistling Victor 3-7-8    Mr R Galloway    Gerald Laurence  7/1   

CESAREWITCH

1958    Morecambe 5-9-1    Mr J Bullock    Sam Hall    15/2    

1963    Utrillo 6-8-0    Mr J Gerber    Ryan Price  100/8   

1965    Mintmaster 4-7-9    Mr E Collington    Sam Hall   13/2   

EBOR

1947    Procne 4-8-4    Mr Jim Joel    Charles Elsey   8/1   

1948    Donino 4-8-12    Mr W Cockerline    Albert Cooper  100/7  

1957    Morecambe 4-7-9    Mr J Bullock    Sam Hall  100/8   

1963    Partholon 3-7-8    Mrs A Biddle    Tim Shaw  100/6 

LINCOLN

1951    Barnes Park 5-8-0    Mr H Lane    George Boyd   33/1   

1962    Hill Royal 4-7-9    Mr D Murray    Eric Cousins  50/1   

1963    Monawin 8-7-9    Mr Ron Mason    Ron Mason   25/1 

MAGNET CUP

1963     Raccolto 6-8-3    Mr L Lazarus    Sam Hall    6/1  

NORTHUMBERLAND PLATE

1950    Light Cavalry 4-7-6    Mr A McLeod    M Everitt   10/1

NOVEMBER HANDICAP

1943    Mad Carew 4-7-6    Mrs W Robottom    Percy Vasey    33/1   

1950    Coltbridge 4-7-6    Mr D Thomson    Sam Hall    100/6 

Other big winners:

1946: Portland Handicap – The Shah 

1947: Cumberland Plate – Procne 

1948: Carlisle Bell – Clever Lad

1949: Carlisle Bell – Laird Of Moray 

1951: Midlands Cesarewitch – Dorogoi 

1952: Cumberland Plate – Culgaith 

1953: Cumberland Plate – Reverse Charge 

1955: Great St Wilfrid Handicap – Whitebrigg 

1956: Wokingham Stakes – Light Harvest 

1958: Jersey Stakes – Faith Healer 

1959: Queen Anne Stakes – Lucky Guy 

1959: Vaux Gold Tankard – Morcambe 

1960: Wokingham Stakes – Silver King 

1960: Vaux Gold Tankard – Red Dragon 

1960: William Hill Gold Cup – Silver King 

1961: Thirsk Hunt Cup – Monawin 

1961: Zetland Gold Cup – Beau Rossa 

1961: Wokingham Stakes – Whistler’s Daughter  

1962: Free Handicap – Privy Councillor 

1962: Thirsk Classic Trial – Windscale 

1962: Queen’s Vase – Pavot 

1962: Royal Hunt Cup – Smartie 

1962: Bessborough Stakes – Fiacre 

1962: Lanark Silver Bell – Lanesborough 

1963: Thirsk Hunt Cup – Gay Casino 

1963: Carlisle Bell – Mighty Gurkha 

1964: Great Metropolitan Handicap – Gold Aura 

1964: Cheshire Oaks – Paddy’s Song 

1964: Lanark Silver Bell – Casting Vote 

1965: Queen’s Vase – Beddard 

1965: Cumberland Plate – Master Barry 

1966: Zetland Gold Cup – Preclusion 

1966: Champion Two-Year-Old Trophy – Horned Moon