Percy Smith

Percy Smith

Article by Alan Trout

Percy Allsopp Smith had some success under both codes, mostly before the First World War, ending his career with 27 wins, 15 on the Flat and a dozen over jumps. 

Born in 1892, he served his apprenticeship with John Hallick and had his first ride when partnering Lark, unplaced in the Apprentices’ Plate at Newmarket on July 26, 1907. It was not until Newmarket’s Craven meeting on April 14, 1909 that he rode a winner, when Sosana, owned and trained by Hallick, led nearly all the way to land the Apprentices’ Handicap, beating Stanley Wootton on Retrenchment by half a length. 

By the end of 1911 Percy had added 13 more, but then he turned his attention to the jumps, finishing fourth on his first attempt on Exclusive in the Newbury Juvenile Hurdle at that Berkshire venue on November 30, 1911. Just nine days later the same horse gave him his first success under National Hunt rules when taking the Milburn Maiden Hurdle at Sandown Park, taking the lead before the last flight and staying on to beat Sand Storm by four lengths. 

Although he only had one winner in each of the next two years, Percy was making progress, and he had his best season in 1915 with four victories. His last success over jumps was at Lingfield Park on January 24, 1918. Having finished second on Yankee Pro in the Hever Handicap Hurdle earlier in the afternoon, he then went one better and scored on Fifty-five in the Holtye Handicap Hurdle, finishing a length and a half ahead of Jack Reardon on Count Bleddyn. 

He had rarely ridden on the Flat since 1912, but had more than a dozen mounts in 1919, and was successful on one of them, when the four-year-old filly Ella galloped on resolutely to take the Stainsby Selling Plate at Derby on November 14 by half a length. The Sportsman newspaper noted that the winner caused some amusement in the sales ring after the race as she was “the most hollow backed racehorse that has ever been seen, the centre of her back being fully eight inches lower than her withers or her rump”. 

Percy had just one further ride on the Flat when unplaced on Prawle Point in the Barford Selling Handicap at Warwick five days later. He continued to take the occasional ride over jumps, the last coming at Newbury on February 25, 1920, when Lancovil was a faller in the February Hurdle. 

Percy Smith’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Sosana, Newmarket, April 14, 1909

2. Sosana, Newmarket, June 29, 1909

3. Merry Masque, Alexandra Park, July 3, 1909 (walkover)

4. Sosana, Windsor, July 22, 1909

5. Red Star, Newmarket, September 28, 1909

6. Dandaloo, Haydock Park, October 8, 1909

7. Bombastic, Windsor, September 22, 1910

8. Bamboo, Alexandra Park, October 1, 1910

9. Salts, Nottingham, October 4, 1910

10. Exclusive, Pontefract, April 6, 1911

11. Saint’s Douche, Newbury, April 8, 1911

12. Ballymaney, Wolverhampton, June 6, 1911

13. Protegee, Worcester, June 29, 1911

14. Red Star, Ripon, August 7, 1911

15. Exclusive, Sandown Park, December 9, 1911

16. Allegiance, Windsor, December 11, 1912

17. Allegiance, Warwick, February 12, 1913

18. Early Berry, Windsor, December 9, 1914

19. Bruce, Lingfield Park, December 16, 1914

20. Step Dancer, Cheltenham, December 26, 1914

21. Redditch, Derby, March 1, 1915

22. Marchog Gwyn, Newbury, March 18, 1915

23. Piper’s Hill, Cardiff, April 5, 1915

24. Gulvain, Stratford-on-Avon, April 19, 1915

25. Yankee Pro, Windsor, January 15, 1918

26. Fifty-five, Lingfield Park, January 24, 1918

27. Ella, Derby, November 14, 1919