Harry Watkin

Harry Watkin

Article by Alan Trout

Harry Watkin was apprenticed to William Elsey and had his first ride when dead-heating for second place in the Barnsley Selling Plate at Hull on August 4, 1909. In the tightest of finishes his mount, Lady MacBeth, could not be split from Stort, ridden by Alex Langham, both of them being a short head behind John Hughes on Bumble Kate. 

He rode on the Flat in the years before World War One and had two wins, both in 1912. The first was on an unnamed three-year-old chestnut colt by Galashiels in the Carlton Selling Handicap at Stockton on April 27; the second on Derby Lad in the Stewards’ Apprentice Plate at Newcastle on October 23. 

It was not until Harry became a National Hunt jockey after the war that he had any further success, with 13 wins in his first full year and 24 in all. . 

His first ride over jumps was at Manchester on February 2, 1921, when Rainy Day was unplaced in a field of 23 for the County Hurdle. He had his first win the following month at Wetherby on Easter Monday, March 28, when Double Chance landed an eventful Harrogate Optional Selling Chase at Wetherby by a distance. There were five runners and all but the winner fell, although three were remounted to complete the course. It was no surprise that Double Chance was able to negotiate the Wetherby fences without mishap, for although only five years old at the time, he would go on to win the 1925 Grand National in the hands of Major Jack Wilson. 

Harry registered another dozen winners before the end of the year, including a treble at Hexham and three winners at Sedgefield’s two-day Christmas meeting. He had four wins each on the chasers Awbeg and Dun Scotus. 

Although 1922 was less successful with seven wins, he did have rides in two major races. On March 24 he rode 100/1 outsider Dunstanburgh in the Grand National, their participation ending with a fall at the fifth fence. They fared better when finishing third in the Scottish Grand National at Bogside, victory going to Sergeant Murphy, ridden by the intrepid Captain ‘Tuppy’ Bennet, beating Jack Anthony on Mythical by three-quarters of a length, with Harry and Dunstanburgh four lengths further back. Sergeant Murphy would go on to win the next year’s Grand National when 13-years-old, with Captain Bennet again in the saddle.

There were just two wins for Harry in 1923, none in 1924, and two more 1925, his final victory coming at Hexham on Whit Monday, June 1, 1925, when Norgill took the Dotland Handicap Chase by 15 lengths. His last ride was on the faller St. Jago in the Easter Handicap Chase on Easter Monday, April 5, 1926. 

Harry Watkin’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Unnamed 3yo ch c by Galashiels, Stockton, April 27, 1912

2. Derby Lad, Newcastle, October 23, 1912 

3. Double Chance, Wetherby, March 28, 1921

4. Garleton, Kelso, May 23, 1921

5. Awbeg, Kelso, May 24, 1921

6. Awbeg, Perth, September 28, 1921

7. Dun Scotus, Hexham, October 5, 1921

8. South Cliff, Hexham, October 5, 1921

9. Awbeg, Hexham, October 5, 1921

10. Dun Scotus, Sedgefield, October 12, 1921

11. Dun Scotus, Kelso, October 15, 1921

12. Awbeg, Bogside, November 5, 1921

13. Don Scotus, Sedgefield, December 26, 1921

14. Dunstanburgh, Sedgefield, December 26, 1921

15. Dunstanburgh, Sedgefield, December 27, 1921

16. Dunstanburgh, Manchester, January 2, 1922

17. Don Scotus, Sedgefield, April 4, 1922

18. Camelot, Kelso, April 22, 1922

19. Camelot, Kelso, April 24, 1922

20. Steel Park, Kelso, April 24, 1922

21. Camelot, Hexham, May 4, 1922

22. Standfast, Kelso, October 14, 1922

23. Tom Fool, Wetherby, April 2, 1923

24. Tom Fool, Wetherby, May 21, 1923

25. Camelot, Carlisle, April 13, 1925

26. Norgill, Hexham, June 1, 1925