Andy Turnell

1948 - 2022

Andy Turnell, born on August 27, 1948, won two Norwegian Grand Nationals and a Swedish Grand National, but it’s the one at Aintree which really excited him.

“There’s a magic about it,” he once said. “I loved riding in it. You feel you’ve really achieved something just to complete the course, or get over the chair for that matter.”

Andy tried an unlucky 13 times to conquer racing’s Everest: the nearest he came was in 1974 on Charles Dickens, who, despite a slipping saddle, kept on bravely to finish third to Red Rum and L’Escargot.

The son of trainer Bob Turnell, Andy was apprenticed to his father. He had his first ride in public aged 15 and rode his first winner on Deck Quoit at Worcester on September 7, 1963. He rode a dozen winners on the Flat before going jumping.

He rode his first winner over jumps, aged 16, on Jim Joel’s hurdler Mayfair Bill at Wincanton on December 3, 1964. The combination won again at Leicester the following month, was then disqualified on grounds of crossing and bumping the runner-up at Doncaster, but gained compensation by landing the 1965 County Hurdle at Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting. Andy had also ridden Mayfair Bill to win twice on the Flat, at Warwick and Worcester, in 1964.

Another horse that got him going was Paul Mellon’s hurdler Fine Arts, who gave Andy his second jumps winner when winning at Sandown on December 11, 1964, following up at Kempton on Boxing Day.

He understudied Jeff King and Johnny Haine riding for his father and soon made his mark over fences, winning the 1967 Scottish Grand National on Fred Rimell’s The Fossa. Along with Haine, he was acknowledged as the most stylish jockey of his generation, riding with far shorter stirrups than any other, his exceptional balance establishing a fluid rhythm with his mounts.

Among the best chasers he rode were Cuckolder, April Seventh and Balinese, while over hurdles he was associated with Tree Tangle, Birds Nest and Beacon Light, all trained by Bob Turnell.

Birds Nest – the ‘Birds’ does not contain an apostrophe as in many accounts – had the misfortune to be around at the same time as a vintage crop of hurdlers which included Night Nurse, Monksfield and Sea Pigeon. Twice placed in a record-equalling six Champion Hurdle appearances, he would undoubtedly have won at least one championship title in any other hurdling era. He won 16 hurdle races including both the Fighting Fifth and the Bula Hurdle three times each, (twice with Andy on board, once with Steve Knight). He also won Kempton’s Christmas Hurdle and two runnings of the Scottish Champion Hurdle and was capable of beating some of the best hurdlers of all time. He has been described as the best hurdler never to win the Champion Hurdle.

Andy rode a total of 494 winners during his career, 482 over jumps plus 12 on the Flat. He also rode a few winners abroad. Secret Ballot gave him his last big race victory when winning Haydock’s Royal Doulton Hurdle in 1982. Following the death of his father later that year, Andy took over the training operation and soon made up for his lack of Aintree success as a jockey by winning the 1987 Grand National with Maori Venture, ridden by Steve Knight.

He was at his peak as a trainer during the 1990s, winning many big jumps prizes with the likes of Katabatic (1990 Grand Annual Chase, 1991 Queen Mother Champion Chase), Cogent (1993 Hennessy Gold Cup), Country Member (1993 Agfa Diamond Chase, 1995 Grand Military Gold Cup) and Squire Silk (1996 Tote Gold Trophy Handicap Hurdle, 1997 Maghull Novices’ Chase).

In 1998 he left his East Hendred yard and ventured north to train at Brackenbrough, near Thirsk. Two years later he moved to the historic Highfield Stables in Malton, from where he sent out Jelani to finish fourth in 2002 Derby. However, the move was not a great success and in 2005 he returned south and took over the retiring Jeff King’s yard at Broad Hinton, near Swindon.

In recent seasons he did not enjoy the same level of success as before his move north, his best horse being dual-purpose performer Blue Bajan, with whom he won the 2007 City and Suburban Handicap at Epsom and the 2008 Swinton Handicap Hurdle at Haydock.

Andy suffered a stroke in 2013, from which he has made a steady recovery. His last winner as a trainer was Breezy Kin at Stratford on September 14, 2015. He trained a total of 494 winners between 1982 and 2015. 389 over jumps, 105 on the Flat. Curiously, that was exactly the same number of wins that he rode as a jockey in Britain.

In November 2015 he handed over the trainer’s licence to his assistant, Sally Randell, who had joined Andy 16 months earlier. She saddled her first runner in her name when Sir Albie ran in a junior bumper at Haydock on November 20. The roles were effectively been swapped with Andy now being Sally’s assistant.

Andy Trurnell died on March 9, 2022, aged 73.

His big race victories as a jockey were:

County Handicap Hurdle: Mayfair Bill (1965)

Scottish Grand National: The Fossa (1967)

Fred Withington Chase: The Ghost (1972)

Massey-Ferguson Gold Cup: Arctic Bow (1972)

Wills Premier Chase: Balinese (1973)

Whitbread Trial Chase: Balinese (1973)

Benson & Hedges Handicap Hurdle: St Columbus (1973)

Marlow Ropes John Skeaping Trophy: St Columbus (1973), Tree Tangle (1974)

Mackeson Gold Cup: Bruslee (1974)

National Hunt Handicap Chase: Charter Flight (1970), Cuckolder (1974)

Great Yorkshire Chase: Cuckolder (1974)

Hennessy Gold Cup: April Seventh (1975)

Welsh Champion Chase: Summerville (1975, 1976)

Black and White Whisky Cup Chase: Tree Tangle (1976)

Mecca Bookmakers’ (Tingle Creek) Chase: Tree Tangle (1977))

Mildmay of Flete Chase: Summerville (1975), Snowshill Sailor (1980)

Lloyds Bank Champion Novice Hurdle: Beacon Light (1976)

Fighting Fifth Hurdle: Birds Nest (1978, 1979)

Bula Hurdle: Birds Nest (1977, 1978, 1980)

Christmas Hurdle: Tree Tangle (1974), Beacon Light (1977, Birds Nest (1979)

Scottish Champion Hurdle: Birds Nest (1979, 1981), Secret Ballot (1980)

Royal Doulton Handicap Hurdle: Beacon Light (1979) Secret Ballot (1982)