Albert Taylor

1914 - 1992

Albert Patrick Taylor was born in Manchester on October 22, 1914 and was forever known as ‘Manch’ Taylor. He served his apprenticeship with Herbert Smyth at Epsom and rode winners on the Flat before the war.

He also rode under National Hunt rules before the war, managing one win. His first attempt over jumps was when finishing second on St Bernard in the Juvenile Hurdle at Newbury on December 2, 1936. He finished third on St Bernard in his next start at Gatwick on January 9, then four days later rode his only winner over jumps when the five-year-old Kept-On did just that to land the Merton Hurdle at Hurst Park. 

‘Manch’ retained the ride and finished second on him in the prestigious International Hurdle at Gatwick on February 19, 1937, beaten two lengths by Jack Moloney on Lobau. He had his final ride over jumps just six days later when unplaced on Shady Glen in the Lambourn Selling Hurdle at Worcester. 

On the Flat in 1937 he finished second aboard Kept-On in three major handicaps, Kempton’s Queen’s Prize, the Chester Cup and the Ascot Stakes. 

He resumed riding after the war and had around two dozen more wins. He won four races on Ron Smyth’s Fair Turk, two in 1948, two in 1949. His sole success of 1950 came on Tommy Carey’s Romastra at Sandown in July, while both of his wins for 1951 were courtesy of Herbert Smyth’s three-year-old Indelible at Kempton in May and September.

‘Manch’ enjoyed a much better season in 1952, booting home eight winners, mostly for Herbert Smyth, including the valuable Warwickshire Breeders’ Foal Stakes at Birmingham on Smyth’s juvenile Trial By Jury. However, his greatest thrill was when taking the lead three and a half furlongs from home on 40/1 shot H.V.C. in that year’s Derby. They faded in the closing stages, finishing in seventh place behind Tulyar. ‘Manch’ then rode H.V.C. in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot, where they were a fast finishing fifth.

In 1953, his final season in the saddle, he rode six winners, all of them trained by Herbert Smyth, the last being Rodgers II at Brighton on August 26. His last ride in public was on Tower Of London at Lingfield Park on the final day of the season, November 14, 1953.

After retiring he trained for a while and later kept a pub. He died at Ashtead, Surrey in February 1992.

‘Manch’ Taylor’s winners from 1948 were, in chronological order:

Fair Turk, Folkestone, August 10, 1948

Fair Turk, Lingfield Park, October 7, 1948

Adjudicatrix, Epsom, April 20, 1949

Fair Turk, Newmarket, May12, 1949

Fair Turk, Wolverhampton, July 18, 1949

Romastra, Sandown Park, July 15, 1950

Indelible, Kempton Park, July 26, 1951

Indelible, Kempton Park, September 21, 1951

Advance, Birmingham, June 2, 1952

Trial By Jury, Birmingham, June 23, 1952

Queen’s Jester, Alexandra Park, July 5, 1952

Enthusiasm, Epsom, August 2, 1952

Garrison Hack, Lingfield Park, August 22, 1952

African Prince, Chepstow, September 13,1952

African Prince, Brighton, September 17, 1952

City Scandal, Newmarket, October 3, 1952

Jock Fox, Bath, May 14, 1953

City Scandal, Doncaster, May 25, 1953

Willy L. Kempton Park, July 22, 1953

Pin High, Birmingham, July 27, 1953

Yorktown, Newbury, August 14, 1953

Rodgers II, Brighton, August 26, 1953