Brian Taylor

1939 - 1984

photos courtesy  Chris Pitt

Brian Taylor was born in Southend on 6 July, 1939 and trained as a carpenter. Because of his small size he decided to become a jockey and was apprenticed to Harvey Leader at Newmarket for whom he rode his first winner, Creole, at Yarmouth, in the Sandringham Apprentices' Nursery Handicap on Tuesday, September 18, 1956.

His five-year apprenticeship expired in 1959, yet it had produced just 3 winners. Therefore, he signed on to do another three years with the stable.

In 1962, Brian had still not lost his allowance but was then too old to continue claiming. However, showing a remarkable faith in his ability, Leader appointed him stable jockey.

Over the next nine years, Brian amply rewarded that belief. 

Brian won the 2,000 Guineas Trial on Lucky Biscuit, the 1,000 Guineas trial on  Orabella ll in 1966, the Yorkshire Oaks on Palatch in 1967 and again the next year on Exchange and the Park Hill Stakes in 1968 on Bringley.

Brian also rode No Mercy to win the Free Handicap in 1971, the last important race that Harvey Leader ever won. 

When Leader retired at the end of 1971, Brian rode as a freelance for a short time before accepting a retainer from Daniel Prenn, whose horses were trained by John Winter.

In 1974, Brian won the Epsom Derby on 50/1 Snow Knight. Taking up the running at the top of the hill, Snow Knight ran on to beat Imperial and Giacometti.

The following year, Brian won both the Chester Vase and the Cesarewitch on Shantallah.

However, it was at Ryan Price's stable at Findon where he enjoyed his most successful period. His best season came in 1976 with 108 winners. 

Big wins included Gairloch (1976 Royal Lodge Stakes and the William Hill November Handicap on Gale Bridge.

Other trainers who regularly employed him were Jeremy Hindley and Gavin Pritchard-Gordon.

Taylor's last ride in England came on August 4 1984 when he won at Newmarket on Barra Head for John Dunlop.

Brian Taylor rode 1,254 winners in Britain, the highlight being his win on Snow Knight in the Epsom Derby of 1974.

On December 8 1984, he was thrown from his horse at the Sha Tin racecourse, Hong Kong. He died two days later in a Hong Kong hospital, aged 45.

Brian would tuck a pipe into his boot so that he could have a smoke at the start.

Brian also enjoyed some success over hurdles in the 1963/64 National Hunt season with eight wins from some three dozen rides. They were:

1. Scribbler, Newbury, November 30, 1963

2. Mirage, Cheltenham, January 8, 1964

3. Mirage, Warwick, January 25, 1964

4.  Final Case, Windsor, January 31, 1964

5.  Faucaprice, Windsor, February 1, 1964

6. Final Case, Warwick, February 13, 1964

7.  All Of A Kind, Birmingham, February 17, 1964

8. Mirage, Lingfield Park, February 21, 1964
   Scribbler and All Of A Kind were trained by Harvey Leader, the rest by Ken Cundell.

Classic winner:

Derby: Snow Knight (1974)

Other big winners:

1963: Dee Stakes – My Myosotis 

1963: King George V Handicap – Master Cappelle 

1965: City of Birmingham Cup – Dites 

1966: Gordon Richards Stakes – Super Sam 

1966: Lingfield Derby Trial – Black Prince II 

1966: Musidora Stakes – Orabella II

1966: Temple Stakes – Polyfoto 

1966: King George V Stakes – Polyfoto 

1967: Musidora Stakes – Palatch 

1967: Cherry Hinton Stakes – Cease Fire

1967: Falmouth Stakes – Resilience II 

1967: Northern Goldsmith’s Handicap – Resilience II 

1967: Yorkshire Oaks – Palatch 

1968: Victoria Cup – Rome 

1968: Musidora Stakes – Exchange 

1968: Dante Stakes – Lucky Finish 

1968: Lancashire Oaks – Bringley 

1968: Goodwood Stakes – Acharacle 

1968: Goodwood Cup – Ovaltine 

1968: Geoffrey Freer Stakes – Levmoss 

1968: Yorkshire Oaks – Exchange 

1968: Park Hill Stakes – Bringley 

1970: Jockey Club Stakes – Queen of Twilight 

1970: Queen Mary Stakes – Cawston’s Pride

1970: Molecomb Stakes – Cawston’s Pride 

1970: Lowther Stakes – Cawston’s Pride 

1970: Cornwallis Stakes – Cawston’s Pride 

1970: Diadem Stakes – Realm 

1970: Challenge Stakes – Realm 

1971: Free Handicap – No Mercy 

1971: Extel Handicap – Spoiled Lad 

1971: Yorkshire Cup – Alto Volante 

1971: Falmouth Stakes – Favoletta 

1971: July Cup – Realm

1972: Chester Vase – Ormindo 

1973: Ormonde Stakes – Ormindo 

1973: Lingfield Oaks Trial – Syrona 

1973: Cork and Orrery Stakes – Balliol 

1973: Cherry Hinton Stakes – Celestial Dawn 

1973: Princess Margaret Stakes – Celestial Dawn 

1973: St Simon Stakes – Ballyhot 

1974: Lingfield Oaks Trial – Riboreen 

1974: Temple Stakes – Bay Express

1974: Queen Anne Stakes – Brook 

1974: St James’s Palace Stakes – Averof 

1974: King’s Stand Stakes – Bay Express 

1975: Chester Vase – Shantallah 

1975: Brigadier Gerard Stakes – Rymer 

1975: Hungerford Stakes – Court Chad 

1975: Cesarewitch Handicap – Shantallah 

1976: Chester Vase – Old Bill 

1976: Queen Anne Stakes – Ardoon 

1976: King Edward VII Stakes – Marquis de Sade 

1976: Hungerford Stakes – Ardoon 

1976: Lowther Stakes – Icena 

1976: Royal Lodge Stakes – Gairloch 

1976: November Handicap – Gale Bridge 

1977: Earl of Sefton Stakes – Heaven Knows

1977: Lingfield Oaks Trial – Lucent 

1977: Victoria Cup – Duke Ellington 

1977: Brigadier Gerard Stakes – Jellaby 

1977: Queen Anne Stakes – Jellaby 

1978: Sandown Classic Trial – Whitstead 

1978: Lingfield Derby Trial – Whitstead 

1978: Coventry Stakes – Lake City 

1978: Great Voltigeur Stakes – Whitstead 

1978: St Simon Stakes – Obraztosvy

1979: Jockey Club Stakes – Obraztosvy 

1979: Coventry Stakes – Varingo 

1979: Norfolk Stakes – Romeo Romani 

1979: Hardwicke Stakes – Obraztsovy 

1981: Ormonde Stakes – Pellerin 

1981: Hardwicke Stakes – Pellerin 

1981: Bunbury Cup – Captain Nick 

1981: Solario Stakes – Silver Hawk 

1982: Rockfel Stakes – Saving Mercy 

1983: Craven Stakes – Muscatite 

In Ireland

1978: Irish St Leger – M-Lolshan 

1981: Irish St Leger – Protection Racket 

In Germany

1979: Grosser Preis von Baden – M-Lolshan 

In Italy

1970: Derby Italiano – Ortis 

1973: Premio Regina Elena – La Zanzara 

1973: Premio Emilio Turati – Brook 

1975: Derby Italiano – Orange Bay 

1978: Gran Premio di Milano – Stuyvesant