Neil Varley
Flat jockey Neil Gareth Varley racked up 82 winners during nine-year riding career which was ended by injury.
Flat jockey Neil Gareth Varley racked up 82 winners during nine-year riding career which was ended by injury.
Neil served his apprenticeship initially with Ian Balding at Kingsclere and then with James Fanshawe at Newmarket. He enjoyed his biggest win when a 7lb claimer on Fanshawe’s good sprinter Splice in the valuable Coral Handicap at Newmarket on May 16, 1992.
Neil served his apprenticeship initially with Ian Balding at Kingsclere and then with James Fanshawe at Newmarket. He enjoyed his biggest win when a 7lb claimer on Fanshawe’s good sprinter Splice in the valuable Coral Handicap at Newmarket on May 16, 1992.
He rode a winner on the Michael Madgwick-trained Our Line in a six-furlong handicap at Lingfield on July 11, 1997. It was another of Madgwick’s horses, the ironically-named Good News, which nearly ended Neil’s career when he was injured in the stalls prior to a race at Salisbury on August 1, 1997. Neil was to ride one further winner: Onefortheditch, trained by James Fanshawe, in the Carousel Limited Stakes at Nottingham on 4th October 1997.
He rode a winner on the Michael Madgwick-trained Our Line in a six-furlong handicap at Lingfield on July 11, 1997. It was another of Madgwick’s horses, the ironically-named Good News, which nearly ended Neil’s career when he was injured in the stalls prior to a race at Salisbury on August 1, 1997. Neil was to ride one further winner: Onefortheditch, trained by James Fanshawe, in the Carousel Limited Stakes at Nottingham on 4th October 1997.
He tried to return to race riding but found he had lost all his rides and contacts, ending up going up and down the country for very few rides, so he elected to call time on his career.
He tried to return to race riding but found he had lost all his rides and contacts, ending up going up and down the country for very few rides, so he elected to call time on his career.
He found a job work-riding for Godolphin in Dubai but he also took up gardening in his spare time. In 2001, he decided he could make a career out of this sideline. Having successfully completed four courses, ranging from garden design to pesticides, Neil set up his own gardening business.
He found a job work-riding for Godolphin in Dubai but he also took up gardening in his spare time. In 2001, he decided he could make a career out of this sideline. Having successfully completed four courses, ranging from garden design to pesticides, Neil set up his own gardening business.
In October 2005, Juddmonte Farms in Cheveley approached the Neil about a vacancy they had in estate maintenance. He took the job and later that year was the recipient of the Richard Davis Achievement Award promoted by JETS, the Jockeys Education and Training Scheme, for his work as a landscape gardener.
In October 2005, Juddmonte Farms in Cheveley approached the Neil about a vacancy they had in estate maintenance. He took the job and later that year was the recipient of the Richard Davis Achievement Award promoted by JETS, the Jockeys Education and Training Scheme, for his work as a landscape gardener.
