Tom Sherwood Jr.

Tom Sherwood Junior

1883-1970

Article by Alan Trout

Lewis Tom Sherwood, who rode as ‘L. Sherwood’ but was always known as Tom, enjoyed some success at the start of the 20th century with 21 Flat winners in four seasons. He then went on to add another 18 over jumps.

Born at Epsom on January 25, 1883, he was apprenticed to his father, also named Tom (1838-1923), who trained at Downs House, Epsom. He had his first ride when Mountain Buck ran unplaced in the Maiden Two-Year-Old Plate at Kempton Park on August 9, 1899. 

His first success came in the Apprentices’ Plate at Epsom on April 25, 1900 on Murvagh, owned and trained by his father, winning comfortably by three lengths. That was his only victory of the campaign, but 1901 went much better with a score of ten wins. This included a double at Folkestone and winning the Bristol Plate Handicap at Brighton in August on David II when beating three of the leading jockeys of the day in Otto Madden, Skeets Martin and Kempton Cannon. 

There were eight wins in 1902, but only two in 1903, both at Worcester’s two-day July fixture. What was to prove his final Flat victory came on an unnamed three-year-old gelding by McMahon out of Musketoon in the Elmley Plate on July 3.

His Flat wins were, in chronological order:

1. Murvagh, Epsom, April 25, 1900

2. Nipperkin, Gatwick, May 18, 1901

3. Moneyspinner, Salisbury, May 24, 1901

4. Korosko, Worcester, July 26, 1901

5. David II, Brighton, August 6, 1901

6. Young Neville, Hurst Park, August 23, 1901

7. Queen Of The Moor, Lingfield Park, September 26, 1901

8. Moneyspinner, Worcester, October 24, 1901

9. Young Neville, Northampton, November 14, 1901

10. Lady Alicia, Folkestone, November 21, 1901

11. Young Neville, Folkestone, November 21, 1901

12. Grisi, Birmingham, April 1, 1902

13. Moneyspinner, Lingfield Park, May 1, 1902

14. Wolfhall, Haydock Park, May 16, 1902

15. Moneyspinner, Salisbury, May 30, 1902

16. Blythswood, Kempton Park, June 7, 1902

17. Teuton, Worcester, July 4, 1902

18. b. or br. g. by Tanzmeister out of Intelligent, Hurst Park, August 4, 1902

19. Phulnana, Sandown Park, October 23, 1902

20. Court Belle, Worcester, July 2, 1903

21. br. g. by McMahon out of Musketoon, Worcester, July 3, 1903

Tom then rode 18 winners under National Hunt rules between 1904 and 1907, achieving a best score of 10 in 1905. 

He had already had his first mount over jumps while still riding on Flat. This was at Lingfield Park on January 23, 1903, when finishing third on Tenton in the Yuletide Handicap Hurdle.

He had a few more rides that season and continued to combine the two codes for the next two years, his final ride on the Flat being aboard an unnamed two-year-old filly by Sailor Lad out of Othilde in the Kidbrooke Two-Year-Old Plate at Lingfield Park on May 6, 1905, finishing eighth of the 15 runners.

By then he had ridden half a dozen winners under National Hunt rules, the first having been O’Donovan, owned and trained by his father, in the Godstone Selling Hurdle at Lingfield Park on March 18, 1904. The following afternoon the Sherwood father/son combination struck again when Rouge et Noir landed the Whyteleaf Selling Handicap Hurdle, beating six-time champion jockey ‘Tich’ Mason on Gift Of Song by two lengths. 

Although he did well in 1905, he was unable to maintain the momentum and only won six times in the next two years. He had one ride in a major race when Henley was unplaced in the International Hurdle at Gatwick in February 1096. 

His final win was on Easter Monday, April 1, 1907, when Eastergate beat three rivals to land the Waterloo Open Selling Handicap Chase at Huntingdon by a length and a half. He then missed a couple of seasons but came back to take a few more rides, the last being at Hawthorn Hill on March 20, 1911, when L.O. finished fourth and last in the Four-Year-Old Selling Hurdle. 

His National Hunt wins were, in chronological order. 

1. O’Donovan, Lingfield park, March 18, 1904

2. Rouge et Noir, Lingfield Park, March 19, 1904 

3. Perigarnet, Lingfield Park, February 25, 1905 

4. Henley, Kempton Park, March 17, 1905

5. Perigarnet, Kempton Park, March 18, 1905

6. Henley, Lingfield Park, March 25, 1905

7. Red Mantle, Plymouth, September 7, 1905

8. Call Duck, Wolverhampton, October 2, 1905

9. Red Mantle, Wolverhampton, October 3, 1905

10. Black And Star, Gatwick, October 30, 1905

11. Call Duck, Maiden Erlegh, November 15, 1905

12. John Shark, Wolverhampton, December 27, 1905

13. Call Duck, Hurst Park, February 16, 1906

14. Red Mantle, Hurst Park, February 17, 1906

15. Call Duck, Lingfield Park, February 23, 1906

16. Gold Paint, Portsmouth, February 24, 1906

17. Cherry Nob, Lingfield Park, February 16, 1907

18. Eastergate, Huntingdon, April 1, 1907

Thereafter, he trained for 15 years at Downs House, Epsom with modest success.

Lewis Tom Sherwood died at Epsom on September 9, 1970, aged 87.