Born circa 1902, National Hunt jockey Wilfred Arthur Whitwood Thatcher rode 32 winners over jumps between 1923 and 1931, over half of them being achieved in just two horses.
Wilf had his first ride in public on Double Dahlia in the Barnes 3yo Selling Hurdle at Kempton Park on December 1, 1922, finishing out of the first nine in the 18-eunnrer field. He moved north soon afterwards and rode his first winner when guiding 5-1 chance Perisheen to a 20-length success in the Cummersdale Selling Handicap Hurdle at Carlisle on March 31, 1923.
He notched a double at Cartmel’s traditional Whit Monday fixture on June 1, 1925 aboard Greenogue in the Hartington Handicap Chase and Welham Lad in the Broughton Selling Handicap Chase.
However, the horses on which Wilf achieved most success were hurdler Cuban and chaser Triplex, winning seven races on the former and ten on the latter. He won for the first time on Cuban when landing the Acomb Selling Handicap Hurdle at Hexham on October 7, 1925. He recorded his first victory on Triplex in the Oldham Chase at Manchester on February 5, 1926. While five of Cuban’s wins came in selling company, Triplex’s successes included the West of Scotland Handicap Chase at Bogside and the Queen Margaret Handicap Chase at Hexham, both of those wins coming within the space of five days.
In addition to his wins over jumps, Wilf won one race on the Flat. This was at Ayr on May 21, 1927, when the seven-year-old Sosie landed the Carrick Selling Plate, beating Flint Stone by a head, with the 9/4 on favourite Garrison, the mount of Harry Wragg, two lengths back in third. He had about ten rides on the Flat that season, this being the only time he was placed.
Wilf had two winners at Perth on September 26, 1929, although one of them was obtained in the stewards’ room. He finished second on Manver in the opening contest, the Stewards’ Selling Handicap Hurdle, but was awarded the race on the disqualification of the winner for ‘crossing and boring’. He then rode Triplex to win the Cramock Handicap Chase.
He had another double at Hexham on April 30, 1930, dead-heating on Jolly Fair with Jack Cooke’s mount His Excellency in the West Dipton Selling Handicap Hurdle, then riding Triplex to land the Queen Margaret Handicap Chase, the second of four wins he was to have on him that year.
Wilf’s most successful season was 1930/31, during which he rode seven winners, three of them on Triplex. His last two were gained on selling hurdle Bynac on successive days at Kelso’s two-day meeting on Tuesday 5th and Wednesday, 6th May 1931, in the Nenthorn Selling Handicap Hurdle on the Tuesday and the Sydenham Selling Hurdle the following day.
Despite that having been numerically his most successful campaign, Wilf’s career ended early the following season, finishing unplaced on his last ride, Tor Tinker, in the Mansfield 3yo Hurdle at Perth on September 24, 1931.
His seven wins on Cuban were, in chronological order:
1. October 7, 1925: Acomb Selling Handicap Hurdle, Hexham
2. May 22, 1926: Shire Selling Handicap Hurdle, Hexham
3. October 13, 1926: Ferneyhill Selling Handicap Hurdle, Kelso
4. November 12, 1926: Sedbury Handicap Hurdle, Catterick Bridge
5. March 8, 1928: Scotch Corner Selling Hurdle, Catterick bridge
6. April 9, 1928: Spring Handicap Hurdle, Carlisle
7. September 26, 1928: Tay Selling Handicap Hurdle, Perth
His 10 wins on Triplex were, in chronological order:
1. February 5, 1926: Oldham Chase, Manchester
2. April 7, 1928: Lonsdale Handicap Chase, Carlisle
3. March 14, 1929: Brettanby Handicap Chase, Catterick Bridge
4. Maech 30, 1929: Lonsdale Handicap Chase, Carlisle
5. September 25, 1929: Cramock Handicap Chase, Perth
6. April 25, 1930: West of Scotland Handicap Chase, Bogside
7. April 30, 1930: Queen Margaret Handicap Chase, Hexham
8. October 10, 1930: Eckford (Optional Selling) Chase, Kelso
9. October 11, 1930: Kalewater (Optional Selling) Chase, Kelso
10. February 26, 1931: Manor Selling Chase, Kempton Park