Jessica Wallace

Jessica Wallace

Article by Alan Trout

After riding three winners as an amateur, Jessica Wallace, known as Jesse, turned professional and added one more. She was the daughter of the Hon. Mrs K. V. Wallace who trained with a permit at Lambourn and supplied all of her daughter’s four wins. 

Jesse had her first victory at Stratford-on-Avon on February 7, 1981, when 20-1 shot Tan Troed defeated 19 rivals to land the Horatio Handicap Hurdle. The eight-year-old took the lead at the last flight and ran on to beat Heroic by a length and a half. 

They followed up just five days later, this time at Huntingdon, using similar tactics to beat Precienne by three-quarters of a length in the Long Stanton Handicap Hurdle. After finishing a creditable fourth at Newbury on March 6 they achieved their third win together at Nottingham 18 days later when beating Ingham by half a length in the Soar Handicap Hurdle. 

Jesse turned professional the following season but had to wait until Towcester on Easter Monday 1985 for what proved to be her sole success in the paid ranks when Mithras took the lead three flights out and held the challenge of the Fred Winter-trained favourite Conquering by half a length to take the Penrhyn Handicap Hurdle. 

That Towcester victory appears to have been Jesse’s final ride. Mithras changed hands before his next race, which he won. Mithras went on to win several races and was prominent for a long way in the 1989 Grand National before being pulled up three fences from home. 

Jessica Wallace’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Tan Troed, Stratford-on-Avon, February 7, 1981

2. Tan Troed, Huntingdon, February 12, 1981

3. Tan Troed, Nottingham, March 24, 1981

4. Mithras, Towcester, April 8, 1985