Peter Newth

Peter Newth

Article by Alan Trout

Peter Newth did not have many rides during his National Hunt career but did manage to win twice. 

His first start was at Worcester on January 23, 1978, when pulling up on Rough Flight in the Blakedown Novices’ Hurdle (Division 1). He opened his account at the same course on August 11, 1979, when Hanley Swan led all the way and came clear to win the Pontypridd Selling Handicap Hurdle by 20 lengths. It was a far cry from their first outing seven days earlier when the seven-year-old had been a faller at Newton Abbot.

Peter regularly rode the David Wintle-trained gelding and, after finishing third and then fifth in two subsequent starts, the pair struck again at Newton Abbot on September 5, when despite making mistakes, including one at the last, they held on to take the Okemant Novices’ Selling Hurdle by four lengths. 

Those five rides would appear to be the only ones Peter had that season. Although having won on two of them his career as a jockey was nearly over. He had at least one more ride, when Sweet Koe was pulled up in the Monmouth Novices’ Hurdle at Hereford on May 16, 1981. 

As for Hanley Swan, next time out after his Newton Abbot success, he won a race at Cheltenham in dramatic fashion. Ridden now by James Darlington, he led the field in the Nicholson Opportunity Handicap Hurdle before Neale Doughty took over on Gin N’ Lime. Neale then took the wrong course and the rest of the jockeys, Darlington included, followed him. However, the latter then went back and took the correct course and was eventually declared the winner after the disqualification of Gin N’ Lime and those that had not retraced their steps.