Born in 1899, John Sinnott rode a few winners in his native Ireland after the First World War, the first of them on Carburne in the June Chase at Kells on June 6, 1919. He also rode occasionally in Britain and had two wins, spread seven years apart.
His first ride in Britain was a winning one, albeit after an objection. At Bogside on January 5, 1921 he rode Tainted Goods in a match for the Eglinton Chase and was beaten two lengths by Jack Payne on Prince Francis. However, the owner of the runner-up objected to the winner on grounds of having taken the wrong course. The stewards examined the relevant part of the track, agreed that that had indeed been the case, and disqualified the winner.
John rode Tainted Goods in that year’s Irish Grand National but pulled his mount up when in arrears. Later that year he had his first two rides over Liverpool’s Grand National fences, both times on Tainted Goods, in the Grand Sefton Chase on November 10 and the Valentine Chase two days later, but both attempts ended in falls.
John’s last win in Ireland came on Roydon Laddie in the October Selling Hurdle at Proudstown Park (known today as Navan) on October 23, 1926.
He had his second and final British victory came at Bournemouth on March 28, 1928, when Re-load was a comfortable winner of the Boscombe Selling Handicap Hurdle, beating Letcombe Lassie by six lengths.
John returned to Ireland but was back in 1929 for three more rides at Liverpool. On March 21 he rode the six-year-old Rasputin in the Stanley Chase but failed to finish. The following day he lined up together with 65 others in the largest field ever assembled for the Grand National, aboard 200/1 outsider Odd Cat. Again, though, they did not manage to complete the course. In November that year he rode Le Sultan in the Molyneux Chase but they were among the fallers.
His final ride in Britain was an unplaced effort on Breezy Jack in the Metropolitan Maiden Hurdle at Sandown Park on February 1, 1934.
Thanks to Alan Trout for providing the bulk of this article.