Ray West
Article by Chris Pitt
Article by Chris Pitt
National Hunt jockey Raymond Anthony West held a licence for four seasons and rode a total of seven winners – including two dead-heats – all of them on the same horse.
National Hunt jockey Raymond Anthony West held a licence for four seasons and rode a total of seven winners – including two dead-heats – all of them on the same horse.
That horse was a three-mile chaser named Fearless Cavalier, owned and trained by John Hooton at Wilmington, near Polegate in Sussex, for whom Ray worked.
That horse was a three-mile chaser named Fearless Cavalier, owned and trained by John Hooton at Wilmington, near Polegate in Sussex, for whom Ray worked.
The partnership had got off to an inauspicious start when falling at Fontwell in December 1962. They scored for the first time together when landing a 25-1 shock victory in the Abergavenny Challenge Cup Chase on Plumpton’s 1963 Easter Monday card. The combination followed up at Wye the next month but scored just once from five attempts in the 1963/64 season, when winning the Whitelaw Challenge Cup at Fontwell.
The partnership had got off to an inauspicious start when falling at Fontwell in December 1962. They scored for the first time together when landing a 25-1 shock victory in the Abergavenny Challenge Cup Chase on Plumpton’s 1963 Easter Monday card. The combination followed up at Wye the next month but scored just once from five attempts in the 1963/64 season, when winning the Whitelaw Challenge Cup at Fontwell.
Ray and Fearless Cavalier dead-heated with Stan Mellor’s mount Gallant Warrior – Fearless Cavalier and Gallant Warrior, a great result for ‘hunch’ bet punters seeking the dual forecast! – at Plumpton in February 1965 and subsequently finished third behind Yogi Bear at Wye. It was then decided to launch an ambitious assault on the Grand National.
Ray and Fearless Cavalier dead-heated with Stan Mellor’s mount Gallant Warrior – Fearless Cavalier and Gallant Warrior, a great result for ‘hunch’ bet punters seeking the dual forecast! – at Plumpton in February 1965 and subsequently finished third behind Yogi Bear at Wye. It was then decided to launch an ambitious assault on the Grand National.
Rumours were rife at the time that the 1965 Grand National would be the final one. In the summer of 1964 Aintree’s owner, Mirabel Topham, announced that she was selling Aintree racecourse to a building developer, Capital and Counties Limited, whose stated intention was to develop it for housing. The 1965 Grand National would be, according to Mrs Topham, the last one at Aintree.
Rumours were rife at the time that the 1965 Grand National would be the final one. In the summer of 1964 Aintree’s owner, Mirabel Topham, announced that she was selling Aintree racecourse to a building developer, Capital and Counties Limited, whose stated intention was to develop it for housing. The 1965 Grand National would be, according to Mrs Topham, the last one at Aintree.
The course’s former owner, Lord Sefton, who had sold the land to Tophams Limited in 1949, declared that he would seek an injunction to prevent the sale on the grounds that it breached covenants in the 1949 sale, which restricted the use of Aintree to racing and agricultural purposes during his (Sefton’s) lifetime. Nonetheless, it still looked certain that this would be the final Grand National because, even if Lord Sefton’s injunction was successful, nobody could actually force Tophams to continue staging the race.
The course’s former owner, Lord Sefton, who had sold the land to Tophams Limited in 1949, declared that he would seek an injunction to prevent the sale on the grounds that it breached covenants in the 1949 sale, which restricted the use of Aintree to racing and agricultural purposes during his (Sefton’s) lifetime. Nonetheless, it still looked certain that this would be the final Grand National because, even if Lord Sefton’s injunction was successful, nobody could actually force Tophams to continue staging the race.
The result of all this conjecture was that a greater number of long-shots and no-hopers than usual lined up in the 47-strong field for the ‘last’ Grand National, run on March 27, 1965, with Fearless Cavalier among the 100-1 outsiders. His participation didn’t last long. Having safely negotiated the first two plain fences and the big open ditch, he dug his toes in and refused at the fourth, ending Ray West’s Aintree dream.
The result of all this conjecture was that a greater number of long-shots and no-hopers than usual lined up in the 47-strong field for the ‘last’ Grand National, run on March 27, 1965, with Fearless Cavalier among the 100-1 outsiders. His participation didn’t last long. Having safely negotiated the first two plain fences and the big open ditch, he dug his toes in and refused at the fourth, ending Ray West’s Aintree dream.
However, the Aintree experience evidently had a positive effect because Fearless Cavalier and Ray combined to win their next three races, beginning with a repeat victory in Plumpton’s Abergavenny Challenge Cup on Easter Monday 1965. They then won the Hythe Handicap Chase at Folkestone and completed the hat-trick by dead-heating for the Stour Handicap Chase at Wye.
However, the Aintree experience evidently had a positive effect because Fearless Cavalier and Ray combined to win their next three races, beginning with a repeat victory in Plumpton’s Abergavenny Challenge Cup on Easter Monday 1965. They then won the Hythe Handicap Chase at Folkestone and completed the hat-trick by dead-heating for the Stour Handicap Chase at Wye.
That last win had a sad sequel, in that the horse that forced the dead-heat, Essendem, collapsed and died while walking back. He knuckled over in front of the stands and was dead within a couple of seconds. The 12-year-old had run 69 times, winning 17, and had also distinguished himself in point-to-points.
That last win had a sad sequel, in that the horse that forced the dead-heat, Essendem, collapsed and died while walking back. He knuckled over in front of the stands and was dead within a couple of seconds. The 12-year-old had run 69 times, winning 17, and had also distinguished himself in point-to-points.
That was also Ray’s final ride, for he retired at the end of that season, bringing to an end a relatively brief career in which all of his seven winners came courtesy of one horse. He went close on John Hooton’s novice chaser Feeloptic, being placed half a dozen times but without quite getting her head in front; hence Fearless Cavalier remained the sole contributor to his winning tally.
That was also Ray’s final ride, for he retired at the end of that season, bringing to an end a relatively brief career in which all of his seven winners came courtesy of one horse. He went close on John Hooton’s novice chaser Feeloptic, being placed half a dozen times but without quite getting her head in front; hence Fearless Cavalier remained the sole contributor to his winning tally.
Ray West’s winners were, in chronological order:
Ray West’s winners were, in chronological order:
1. Fearless Cavalier, Plumpton, April 15, 1963
1. Fearless Cavalier, Plumpton, April 15, 1963
2. Fearless Cavalier, Wye, May 30, 1963
2. Fearless Cavalier, Wye, May 30, 1963
3. Fearless Cavalier, Fontwell Park, November 25, 1963
3. Fearless Cavalier, Fontwell Park, November 25, 1963
4. Fearless Cavalier, Plumpton, February 10, 1965
4. Fearless Cavalier, Plumpton, February 10, 1965
5. Fearless Cavalier, Plumpton, April 19, 1965
5. Fearless Cavalier, Plumpton, April 19, 1965
6. Fearless Cavalier, Folkestone, May 3, 1965
6. Fearless Cavalier, Folkestone, May 3, 1965
7. Fearless Cavalier, Wye, May 24, 1965
7. Fearless Cavalier, Wye, May 24, 1965