Philip Waldron

Born on May 27, 1950, at Newbury, Philip was apprenticed to Ian Balding for seven years from 1965 during which time he rode his first winner; Aldie, at Bath on July 5, 1969. He became champion apprentice with 59 winners the following year and, a year later, had his best season numerically with 64.

In 1975, left Balding's stable to become first jockey to Henry Candy and excelled on the chestnut Master Willie, winning the 1980 Benson & Hedges, the 1981 Coronation Cup and the 1981 Coral Eclipse. The pair also came second to Henbit in the 1980 Epsom Derby.

Philip won the Cambridgeshire in 1972 on Negus and the 1977 Cesarewitch on Assured.

Then, surprisingly, he turned his back on the secure and successful relationship which he enjoyed with Candy, and signed a lucrative contract to ride the horses of Esal Commodities, trained by Geoff Lewis, Pat Haslam and John Sutcliffe.

Inadvisedly, he gave his opinion on the 2,000 Guineas which was that he thought that the Candy-trained Wind and Wuthering would beat the Sutcliffe-trained Tender King.

Philip was proved correct, but he had angered the wrong people, and he lost the support of John Sutcliffe.

It was uphill from there and, by 1985, his season's total dropped to just 18.

What was to prove particularly galling for Philip was the emergence of the brilliant filly Time Charter at Candy's which, had he not left, he would certainly have ridden.

He hung his boots up in the early nineties and took a job as a starter at Sha Tin racecourse for the Hong Kong Jockey Club.


Philip never sat on a horse until he was 15.

He won 21 races in the royal colours.

Philip married Pauline Hagan on March 3, 1973

He lived at 58, Conifer Crest, Wash Common, Newbury, Berks.

Philip was a keen golfer and - in his younger days - a fine boxer.


Big winners:

1970: King George V Handicap – Clip Joint

1972: Greenham Stakes – Martinmas

1972: Cambridgeshire Handicap – Negus

1975: Goodwood Stakes – Dubrovnik

1977: Cesarewitch Handicap – Assured

1978: Stewards Cup – Ahonoora

1979: Royal Hunt Cup – Pipedreamer

1979: Bunbury Cup – Pipedreamer

1979: Park Hill Stakes – Quay Line

1979: Jockey Club Cup – Nicholas Bill

1980: Geoffrey Freer Stakes – Nicholas Bill

1980: Benson & Hedges Gold Cup – Master Willie

1981: Jockey Club Stakes – Master Willie

1981: Coronation Cup – Master Willie

1981: Richmond Stakes – Tender King

1981: Jockey Club Cup – Centroline

1981: Dewhurst Stakes – Wind And Wuthering