Joe Mercer, to me the finest jockey I ever saw ride a racehorse, died today at the age of 86. He may not have been the greatest jockey of the last 75 years, though he wasn't far off it. It was watching him ride a horse in early 1967 that got me totally entranced with racing.
A tremendously stylish jockey with great rhythm- and obviously a lovely human being. My uncle Frank backed no other trainers’ horses apart from R.J.Colling and Walter Nightingall but, when Dick Hern took over at West Isley, he backed the latter’s horses. I said to him once ...” You’re backing Joe Mercer the jockey really, aren’t you?” “I suppose I am, he said. He’s always been my favourite.” Dick Hern always seemed to have stamina-laden horses and Joe won innumerable races, especially at Newbury, by kicking on around the bend and galloping them raggged. Wonderful memories, Joe. RIP.
Of course, he rode Brigadier Gerrard (amongst many other good horses) but he was also champion apprentice twice and won the Oaks while he was an apprentice
Here's Mercer winning the 1980 Gold Cup on Le Moss. A naturally right handed jockey he was so skilled that riding with his whip in his left hand it looked a mirror image. You also didn't see him switch from right to left it was done so deftly. This day he led most of the way on a lazy horse who Cecil had struggled to train. He beat a horse called Ardross that day who did the stayers triple crown in 1981 as well as finishing 2nd in the Arc. Le Moss did the Triple Crown in 1979 and 1980. He beat Ardross narrowly in the other legs despite having to give weight to him because he'd won at Ascot. The judgement of Mercer getting the pace right was uncanny.
I could never understand why Joe was supplanted by Willie Carson as stable jockey, although Hern’s loss was Henry Cecil’s gain. I’d rate Carson similar to Ryan Moore- strong in a finish but in a class behind the likes of Piggott, Breasley, and Mercer. Then again, I never could fathom why Breasley didn’t ride for a better stable than Gordon Richards.’ Loyalty, I suppose. Both Vincent O’Brien and Noel Murless knew who the best two jockeys were- Piggott and Breasley, and they employed them in that order. Apologies for digressing.
Excuse me writing this but I was dissatisfied with the inadequacies of the obituries etc. back in May. I hope some of you indulge me. To read what has been written about Joe Mercer, on his death earlier this year, you would think that he was a nice chap, who rode very stylishly and at one stage rode a brilliant racehorse called Brigadier Gerard: err that’s about it, end of story. You would have missed that when he retired he was the fourth winning-most jockey of all time on the UK turf (behind then Gordon Richards, Doug Smith and Lester Piggott). First and foremost Joe Mercer was a stable jockey and in his 34 seasons as a stable jockey rode for 3 stables: if he’d had had his way he’d have ridden for just one stable. In the early ‘50s Gordon Richards had 5 retainers and one of them was with Jack Colling. Colling, an ex-jockey himself, had moved to West Ilsley after the 2nd World War and was highly successful. Richards recommended Mercer to Colling in 1952 when Mercer was winning his first Apprentice Jockey Championship. One day one of Colling’s leading lads took Mercer aside and said ‘you’re riding well but if you keep beating Richards in gallops he’ll choose to ride your horse, so save a bit for yourself’. That Autumn Richards’ retainer was discontinued and the apprentice Joe Mercer was made stable jockey at West Ilsley, a role he fulfilled through to the end of the 1976 season. Colling was a highly respected trainer and owned West Ilsley. He trained for the great owner-breeder, the 2nd Lord Astor, and after him for his two sons, Jakie Astor and the third Lord Astor. His relationship with Astor stretched back to the glory days of Manton where he served as an apprentice in the stable of Alec Taylor Jr. In 1918 he rode a colt for Astor in the 2000G and finished 3rd, to the stable’s leading hope Gainsborough, on a colt called Blink. Both Astor and Colling were certain Blink would turn the tables on Gainsborough in the Derby but Colling was devastated to be told by Astor’s racing manager (!) to ride Blink to ensure Gainsborough won. He finished 2nd to that Triple Crown winner, but after that promised himself he’d never have anything to do with racing managers if he could help it. The next year he was appointed as stable jockey for Taylor but early in the season had to relinquish the role and subsequently retired because of weight problems. I think you can say he knew a bit about jockeys. He was also definitely his own man. In his first season at West Ilsley Mercer was champion apprentice again with 61 winners (you had to go back to 1935 to find a higher winning score) but Mercer also rode the Oaks winner, Ambiguity, for the 3rd Lord Astor. Sadly, this was to be Colling’s only classic winner, though he had a better filly called Rosalba who was owned by Jakie Astor but who was unfortunate to be born in the same year as Petite Etoile: she was a champion 2yo filly and also won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Coronation Stakes whilst finishing 2nd to Petite Etoile in the 1000G. He also trained several fine racehorses including Hornbeam, Counsel and High Stakes. In style Colling was similar to Towser Gosden (John’s father) and West Ilsley was a betting stable (though not the owners) with horses well placed and laid out for handicaps. He’s also famous for his quote ‘give me a stable of geldings and I’ll have the bookies crying for mercy’. High Stakes typified this in that he was good enough to win stakes races (he was actually 2nd in the St Leger while a colt) yet won 34 races in all: a record that still stands. In 1962 Colling retired and sold West Ilsley to Jakie Astor. Jakie retained Mercer and employed Dick Hern to take over. The new line-up got off to a good start and had a lot of success with horses like Tree Leopard, Darling Boy and especially Grey of Falloden. In 1964 Mercer rode a century of winners for the first time and he did it again in 1965 when the stable (and he) won both the English and Irish St Legers. As both winners were kept in training, 1966 was looked forward to but turned out to be a disaster. The stable was hit by an equine virus (in those days there were no defences (or blood testing) against it as there is today) and the season was a write-off for Hern. Of course, Mercer rode for other stables and formed a strong relationship with up and coming trainer Peter Walwyn. Walwyn who referred to Mercer as his ‘beau ideal’ Stable Jockey made it clear that Mercer could be his stable jockey as soon as he wanted. Mercer also rode for good stables like John Sutcliffe Jnr, Brian Swift and Derick Candy. 1967 came along and the virus withdrew. Hern had 60 horses in all and won 60 races, which is a very impressive strike rate in days when it was a 7 month season. Mercer was also having his best year and by mid-August was 20 clear in the jockey’s championship and looked certain to win his first title. Unfortunately, having gone to Folkestone for a winning ride, he got an offer of a further ride in the last. Leading with a furlong to go the filly he was riding crossed its front legs and Mercer’s season was over with broken vertebrae. 1968 could have been a better year for Mercer as the stable had a fine colt called Remand, who many judges felt certain was a likely Derby winner. It wasn’t to be as by mid-May the virus had returned and in early June the stable closed down for a month. Remand, as a sick horse, ran 4th in the Derby beaten only 4 lengths by Sir Ivor (Hern described him as the unluckiest horse I ever trained and thought it amazing that he’d got to finish so close). The virus didn’t seem to leave West Ilsley until the end of the 1969 season and it was slim stable pickings for Mercer. He described it as pitiful riding horses with classic pedigrees down the field at courses like Folkestone. Despite that, and further offers from Walwyn and others, Mercer remained loyal to Hern, Astor and West Ilsley and in fact persuaded Walwyn to take on his friend Duncan Keith. After 3 out of 4 miserable years 1970 was a revelation. Highest Hopes, Brigadier Gerard, Charlton, Heavenly Thought and others relit the flame at West Ilsley. In August of that year Jakie Astor was offered a price he couldn’t refuse by Arnold Weinstock who was looking for a stable as his current trainer Sir Gordon Richards was asked to vacate Whitsbury (William Hil owned it and wanted to turn it back into a stud). There were certain ramifications of the purchase brought about by the conditions Astor insisted upon. Those conditions were that Hern and Mercer were to remain in place. This meant that Richards retired and became Sobell/Weinstock’s Racing manager to which he added the management of Lady Beaverbrook’s horses, for whom he’d also trained at Whitsbury. Another casualty was Edward Hide who’d just moved south in 1969 to become Richards’ stable jockey. It is generally felt that the great jockey Richards was not really suited to training. A tough man in the saddle and in his negotiations with trainers, he found it difficult to deal with his staff. Many judges also point out that he was soft on his horses with them continually looking as if they were not fit enough (always looking well but too bonny). Hern was nothing like this. Hern’s great friend, Ian Balding, said in his autobiography that he could not have trained Brigadier Gerard because he found it difficult to be as tough on training his horses, Richards was similar. Of course, he had good horses, and in Reform an exceptional one, but he wasn’t a leading trainer. Under new management the West Ilsley team couldn’t have had a better start in 1971. The stable star was of course Brigadier Gerard (who won 6 races), but they also had fine horses such as Sallust, Sun Prince and Homeric (2nd St Leger). It was a move up in class for Sobell & Weinstock and continued in 1972 when they won 3 Group 1s with Sallust and Sun Prince. That year Hern was champion trainer, helped by the 7 wins by Brigadier Gerard. Though 1973 was a lesser year (though Sun Prince won his 3rd Group 1, Lady Beaverbrook’s Boldboy won 4 Group races and Astor’s Sharp Edge won the Irish 1000G and Prix Jean Prat), 1974 was almost as strong as ’72 with the stable winning 4 Classics: the 1000G and French Oaks (with Highclere), the St Leger (Bustino) and Irish 1000G (Gaily: though Mercer didn’t ride her in this race as he rode Boldboy to win the Lockinge at Newbury that day). In addition, Mercer rode Buoy to win 3 Group races including the Group 1 Coronation Cup. Mercer seemed to be riding-high but it was noticeable that the Stable’s owners’ horses were now not hitting the high notes after their highly promising start. The stable was winning Group races and even Sobell/Weinstock were winning some but not with the regularity their investment demanded and not with their own-bred horses (Weinstock had purchased the Ballymacoll Stud in 1960 and expected a return: having said that the ‘60s were hardly filled with big winners outside of Reform and Dart Board). It seems Mercer took some blame for this. At the same time Mercer was used to dealing with owner breeders and felt it essential he gave them an unvarnished view of their horses, especially fillies. It seems the new owners didn’t warm to this candid approach. He also had a falling out with new owner Simon Weinstock (for whom he rode his purchased Auction Ring to win two Group races). The occasion was a small race at Newbury and Weinstock enquired why Mercer hadn’t brought his father’s horse, Cupid, around the field. Flabbergasted Mercer told Weinstock that Cupid had enough room to go up the rail but was just not good enough. In truth Weinstock Snr had been complaining about Mercer’s riding for a few years and had said to Hern he thought he was too hard on his horses, especially 2yos. To most judges, and Hern, this would come as a surprise as Mercer was famous for his hands and heels approach and only used the stick if absolutely necessary, in fact to most racegoers Carson would have seemed the ’harder’ rider. What Mercer did believe in was getting 2yos to use their speed and getting them to run. Weinstock also disapproved of the fact that Mercer had invested earlier in his career in a haulage business, not that it stopped Mercer riding out every day. At the end of the 1975 season Mercer was told that 1976 was to be his last season as stable jockey at West Ilsley. Not that you would know that from Mercer’s riding as he started the ’76 season with a bang, winning on a number of good horses for Hern and Ian Balding. In fact 1976 was numerically his best season since 1965, with 98 winners. One of those winners was Relkino who was fancied for the Derby, which Mercer had never won. Relkino was a non-stayer, as he proved as a 4yo when winning the Lockinge Stakes and Juddmonte, yet was given a fine ride by Mercer to finish 2nd to Empery. Then before racing the next day Mercer, Hern and Lord Porchester entered the Press Office at Epsom and a statement was read out which announced Mercer’s removal as Stable Jockey to be replaced by Willie Carson. Carson had been retained by Bernard Van Cutsem up until his death in late 1975 and it was Carson’s availability (sic) that finally forced the exit of Mercer. This totally ignored the fact that Carson had then been retained by Clive Brittain, who had not been told of his jockey’s poaching. In addition, none of the other West Ilsley owners were told (a few of whom went into print in annoyance). Captain Marcos Lemos, who was Brittain’s principal owner, was quoted as saying ‘It was the way the whole wretched business was announced. I first heard the news on television. I still maintain I should have been told first'. JohnOaksey’s immediate comment on ITV was ‘the mind boggles if you are not happy with Joe Mercer’ and in general the Press was aghast with Mercer’s sacking. Tom Forrest of the Sunday Express got an interview with both Weinstock and Mercer. Weinstock said two points had made the decision, those being Mercer’s age (43) and the availability of Willie Carson. Mercer generally limited his comments but said two important things. The first was that since the announcement that 4 stables had approached him (we know one was Balding). He followed this by saying that ‘I’ve had marvellous offers before, but had always turned them down because loyalty meant more. That is what hurts’. It is hard to imagine today what furore this event caused then. For days after articles were written by every racing journalist. It caused a ‘cooling’ towards Hern, who many felt should have fought for Mercer. It is probable that he did, but Hern was not a Jack Colling (i.e. the owner of the stable) but a salaried employer. He could have gone on his own but it would have involved starting from scratch. Years later Weinstock said ‘It was a painful thing and even today, in some quarters, we have not quite been forgiven’. Most of the press activity subsided a few weeks later when Mercer announced he’d accepted an offer from Henry Cecil to be his stable jockey from the start of 1977. To the modern racing fan Henry Cecil is/was all about Frankel, whereas of course he had a long career with nearly 25 years at the top of the trainers’ tree long before Frankel came along. In 1976 Cecil had narrowly finished as Champion trainer for the first time, just wresting the title from Peter Walwyn who was attempting to win it for the third consecutive year. His win was largely due to the exploits of Wollow, who won the Greenham, 2000G, Eclipse, Sussex Stakes and Juddmonte. He was owned by Italian Carlo D’Alessio and ridden in all his races by Gianfranco Dettori. Cecil, D’Alessio and Dettori had also won the previous year’s 2000G with Bolkonski. In 1977 Cecil faced a great challenge as he was moving from his Marriott Stables to take over his father-in-laws’ stables, Warren Place. He was also taking over the horses belonging to Noel Murless’s excellent owners such as Jim Joel, Lord Howard de Walden and Louis Freedman. Mercer faced a similar challenge complicated by the fact that all his racing life had been centred around Newbury. Like many professionals changing a job in the middle of their careers, Mercer did not fully ‘move’ to Newmarket but got himself a flat whilst retaining his farm/home in Berkshire. An aside here: one of the horses Mercer left behind at West Ilsley was the maiden filly Dunfermline. He had ridden her in 3 races, in all of which she was placed. The latter two were the May Hill and the Fillies Mile and Piggott had ridden both winners and thought Dunfermline was ingenuine. Mercer didn’t agree and felt she was just immature. In Curling’s 1978 book he said Carson didn’t rate Dunfermline as anywhere near the best 3yo filly in the yard. At that time Wilkinson Sword ran a competition which presented an actual sword to the ‘Jockey of the Month’ and I knew the marketing manager of WS. He was at the launch and met Carson saying to him ‘congratulations on getting the Hern job’ to which Carson replied ‘why? He’s got nothing’. My friend was dumbfounded. Dunfermline was to win 2 classics and treble Carson’s classic winners. Mercer turned out to have been right about Dunfermline. Mercer had his first winner for his new stable at the Newmarket Craven meeting and won on two more at Newbury later in the week, though he admitted he’d been surprised by Cecil riding up to him on the gallops one day and moaning that ‘I haven’t got a really good horse this year’. Despite that the stable continued to clock up winners and though Cecil didn’t retain his championship he did have his best total of wins at 74. Mercer had his 3rd best total with 102 wins. They seemed to be forming an excellent partnership and in midsummer issued a bulletin that said 1977 was to be a build-up year and that the benefits would be seen in future years. What is more the d’Alessio relationship with Dettori was ended about this time and from then on Mercer rode for all Cecil’s owners. In 1978 Cecil regained his trainer’s championship though his leading money-winner came to him through Mercer, and that was Gunner B. This 5yo had been trained by Geoff Toft and, often ridden by Mercer, had won several races. At the end of his 4yo career his trainer felt he could not really test him on the gallops and was beginning to have problems with him. He was transferred from Beverley to Warren Place and didn’t look back. He won his first 4 races, two of which were Group 1 (Prince of Wales Stakes & Eclipse). Earlier on hard ground he’d broken the Sandown course record. After the Eclipse he ran 2nd in the Juddmonte and 3rd in the Champion Stakes while also winning a further race at Goodwood. Given his soundness and toughness it was no surprise he became a consistent NH sire. The stable had an injection of new horses from a surprising source. In 1977 Daniel Wildenstein had sent a group of horses to Peter Walwyn and achieved some success (Vitiges won the Champion), however the relationship came undone at Royal Ascot 1978. Wildenstein’s favourite horse Buckskin (he’d beaten Sagaro in the Cadran in 1977) was favourite for the Gold Cup. He finished a disappointing 4th to Shangamuzo. Wildenstein exploded in the unsaddling paddock and accused Pat Eddery of ‘not being man enough to ride Buckskin’. Walwyn immediately asked Wildenstein to remove his horses, and move they did to Warren Place (though not all of them as Cecil didn’t have space). Looking at the results Wildenstein couldn’t have been more delighted as Cecil won a pile of races for him. Buckskin won twice (Doncaster Cup and Jockey Club Cup) and both times left his fields trailing in his wake, including Shangamuzo. Cecil was having problems training him as he had both bad legs and poor suspensory ligaments which the trainer described as being like chewing gum. Mercer described Cecil’s training of Buckskin as his greatest feat. The stable also had another useful young stayer in the shape of Le Moss. Mercer had won twice on him before tackling the St Leger. In the classic he ran a peculiar race being coltish at the start, showing little interest in the race until hit broadside by another horse, whereupon he took off and just failed to beat the winner Julio Mariner. The area of real strength in depth for the stable was amongst the 2yos. Cecil had the top rated 2yo of 1978 with Formulate (a filly) and many others such as One in a Million, RB Chesne, Lyphard’s Wish, Main Reef and Kris. I put Kris last on purpose as even Cecil did not seem to have great expectations of him. This Sharpen Up colt had made his successful debut at Leicester over 5f in May and won his second start shortly after at lowly Folkestone. He pulled a muscle in this race and did not appear again until mid-October. In between Cecil won a series of big 2yo races like the Chesham Stakes, July Stakes, Limekiln Stakes, Solario Stks, Champagne Stakes, Houghton Stakes and Fillies Mile. Kris returned at York and easily won a listed event before coming out about a week later to win the Horris Hill. With all these wins Cecil became champion without winning a Classic and Mercer had 115 winners, up to then his best result. 1979 was an outstanding year for Mercer (and Cecil). As usual the season really started at the Craven meeting. Cecil’s first runner of the season was Lyphard’s Wish, who was taking on the 2000G favourite Tromos (who had stylishly won the Dewhurst). Mercer led all the way to beat Tromos by 4 lengths and destroyed that colt’s Classic aspirations. That was just the start of it as Cecil, in all, ran 10 horses at Newmarket and Newbury that week, all Mercer ridden and 7 of them won. What is more those 10 horses ended up winning 31 races that season. Mercer ended up Champion Jockey with 167 winners at a rate of nearly 27% wins to rides, while Cecil won 128 races and was Champion Trainer again. It was noticeable from September onwards that ‘the man who never rang up for a ride’ was riding and winning for stables he normally wasn’t used by. It seemed that almost the whole Racing Industry wanted Mercer to win the title and they were getting him to ride for them. In the end he finished 20 ahead of Carson who had had more than 200 more rides than him. Kris was probably the stable star, though he surprisingly finished 2nd in the 2000G. One in a Million won the Nell Gwyn, the 1000G and the Coronation Stakes, while Cecil also had the best staying 3yo filly of the year in Connaught Bridge who didn’t even reappear until late June but was then ridden by Mercer to win the Nassau and Yorkshire Oaks. Buckskin reappeared at Sandown and won by 15 lengths in the Henry II Stakes and the decision was taken to let him have another shot at the Gold Cup despite his legs. Cecil was duty bound to run Le Moss in the same race and on good to firm ground Mercer felt the younger stablemate had the advantage. Despite that he stuck with Buckskin, who ran a fine race but could not pull away from his field on this ground and, eased in the final furlong, finished 2nd 7 lengths behind Le Moss. There then followed an extraordinary spectacle in the winner’s enclosure when Cecil emotionally greeted his beaten horse first before acknowledging his winner. Of course, Le Moss went on to win the stayer’s triple crown with Mercer in the saddle. After 1979 it wasn’t surprising that 1980 couldn’t match it. Mercer got his century again but Cecil didn’t have the firepower or the luck of the previous year. An example of this bad luck was the injury sustained by Kris on his 2nd win of the season in early June which meant he wasn’t seen for almost 3 months. There were still some highlights. Le Moss again did the stayer’s triple crown and highlighted Mercer’s excellent judgement of pace. Up against him he had the formidable Irish colt Ardross (who was subsequently to win the next two Ascot Gold Cups, achieve the Stayer’s Triple Crown and finish 2nd in the Arc). Le Moss led most of the way in the Gold Cup and beat Ardross narrowly. In the Goodwood and Doncaster Cups Le Moss had now to give weight to Ardross, yet still won both in close finishes. The wonderful economy of Mercer’s riding was exemplified in these finishes with Mercer keeping the stayer as straight as a die. Mercer also won the St Leger on Light Cavalry. This victory came at the end of a difficult week for Mercer when he announced he was leaving Cecil to become stable jockey for his old friend Peter Walwyn. Apparently Mercer picked up on the grapevine that Coolmore were seeking to get Eddery to leave Walwyn to join them. Piggott, the O’Brien incumbent at that time, was likely to be asked to ride Charles St George’s horses at Warren Place. He had had 4 good years at Warren Place but a move to Walwyn meant at the age of 50 he could be at home. He announced his move just after riding St George’s Geilgud to win the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. The next day he won on Kris at Goodwood on his reappearance and Light Cavalry bookended the week perfectly. He gave this colt a fine ride, leading from start to run the finish out of the Hern/Carson favourite. It is hard to compare the late ‘60s/early ‘70s fortunes of Peter Walwyn with those of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s. In the former he was one of the top trainers in the country (being top trainer in 1974 and 1975) but from 1978 onwards his fortunes were on the slide. He had virus problems in 1977 and the following 2 years. He lost owners who moved their horses to other trainers. An example is the move of Nureyev from his stable to Francois Boutin during his 2yo career in 1979. He was just not the same trainer. Having said that Mercer’s 5 years at Seven Barrows were not wholly unsuccessful. In the first season Walwyn had a decent filly called Travel On who won the Cherry Hinton and was 2nd in the Lowther. He also trained the Cesarewitch winner Halsbury. With these winners Mercer also picked up some good rides from his old boss Hern. Carson was badly injured at York and Mercer was the recipient of nice wins on the Queen’s Height of Fashion in both the May Hill Stakes and Fillies Mile. On the same day as he won the May Hill he also rode Hern’s second string in the St Leger. This was to be Shergar’s race but Mercer came with a long run on Cut Above (28-1) to take the lead at the distance and go away from the field. Owned by Jakie Astor, it was a direct rerun of the 1965 Leger when the same line-up won with Provoke (also at 28-1). 1982 was perhaps the lowest point for Walwyn and Mercer, though Mercer did pick up some outside rides and won the Cambridgeshire on Cumani’s Century City. 1983 looked to be going the same way, when suddenly a plumb ride came his way. Henry Candy’s stable jockey Billy Newnes had a nasty gallops accident and was ruled out of riding the stable’s star Time Charter in the King George. For once Mercer broke his rule of never ringing up for rides (he felt strongly that you don’t eat someone else’s breakfast) and called Candy (Mercer had ridden many of Henry’s father’s leading horses: Ascot Gold Cup winner Parbury, Champion Sprinter Song and, famously, that wonderful stayer High Line amongst others). Candy’s response was ‘I’ve been waiting for you to call’. Mercer rode Time Charter to win the KG from Diamond Shoal and favourite Sun Princess. By the time of the Arc, Newnes was fit and so Mercer accepted the mount on Sailor’s Dance who was the pacemaker for his stable companion Sun Princess. Days later he was offered the ride on All Along by Daniel Wildenstein. She was to have been the mount of Piggott but he chose not to ride her. Mercer declined the ride on the basis that he did not break his word and Swinburn got the mount (of course All Along then won with Sun Princess 2nd and Time Charter 4th). After that Wildenstein told Cecil that Piggott would never ride for him again but was very happy to have Mercer ride his horses. Suddenly Mercer was back riding these horses and had a few winners such as Legend of France in the famous blue colours. Sadly early in 1984 the Cecil/Wildenstein relationship broke down completely and his horses left Cecil (eventually at the end of the season Piggott was replaced by Cauthen as Cecil's stable jockey). One bright 2yo came along midsummer when Khozaam won on his debut for Mercer & Walwyn on King George day. He then followed up with a very impressive win in the Washington Singer Stakes before being narrowly beaten in the Royal Lodge by Reach, whose jockey hit Mercer’s horse across the face in the finish. The word then was that Mercer was holding back on retiring so he could ride Khozaam in the Derby. It wasn’t to be. Khozaam just did not train on. He ran twice in trials but showed form about 30lb below his 2yo form (strangely enough his half-sister was exactly the same two years later). It was no surprise that at the end of July he announced that this was to be his last season. As it was Walwyn had some decent 2yos that year, amongst them Stalker and Luqman. Stalker was a small colt who won his first two races and then ran creditably in a number of listed/group races, including a close-up 3rd behind Green Desert. At York he won his 3rd race when leading all the way to win the Gimcrack. Luqman was slower to come to hand but had won 4 smaller races by the time he ran against Stalker in the Mill Reef. Mercer chose to ride Stalker but he could not give 4lb to his stable companion. Normal service was resumed when Mercer rode Stalker to win the Middle Park (with Luqman 4th) to give Walwyn his first Group 1 since October 1977 (An amusing interview followed the race when Derek Thompson asked Walwyn ‘what was the plan now for Stalker?’, to which Walwyn replied ‘that was the plan’): it was to be Walwyn’s last Group 1 and Stalker never won again. That would have been a great way to finish but a few weeks later he gave a riding masterclass to win the Zetland Stakes for John Dunlop. His last day on the UK turf was the traditional Doncaster meeting. In the first race Jeremy Hindley (for whom Mercer had won several races when Newmarket based) had the short priced favourite Comme L’Etoile. Stable jockey Michael Hills ‘got-off’ the favourite to ensure Mercer had a winner on his last day: and win he did. He was cheered all the way in to the unsaddling enclosure. Later in the afternoon he rode a 20-1 outsider, called Bold Rex, for Dunlop in the November Handicap. By then the going was very soft and Mercer kept his horse near the rear. When the field entered the straight going up the middle, Mercer chose to bring his horse up the nearside and riding hands and heels (as you’d expect) hit the front at the 2f marker to come away and win by 5 lengths. The cheering was even louder and he was in tears by the time he unsaddled. 1985 November H'cap Bold Rex Inc Replay - Bing video So that was the end of a superb career, and he went out on a high. The next year he acted as a jockey’s agent for Brent Thompson and Tony McGlone. The year after he was offered the job of racing manager for Maktoum al Maktoum and he successfully did this until he retired on the death of his boss in 2005/6. I think Joe Mercer was the best jockey I’ve ever seen ride a horse. He rarely rode a bad race. When he rode a horse it ran straight as a die, none of the wandering around you see with many jockeys today. Being a Stable Jockey mattered to him, and especially mattered to him in the days of the big British owner-breeders. He rode for the Astors, Durham, Rotherwick, Sobell/Weinstock, Joels, de Walden, Freedmam and others. More than any other Royal Jockey he was identified as just that, as he not only rode Hern’s Royal horses but by 1974 also Baldings. Here are some words written by the distinguished commentator and race-reader John Hanmer, in 1976 he wrote this ’The great thing about Eddery is that he is completely ambidextrous….Piggott is far better with his right hand but can use both. Joe Mercer is the best at using the stick in either hand. He has never rung up for a ride in his life, and I think he is better than Eddery or Piggott but probably few will agree with me. To me his win on Counsel at York in 1957 was the greatest display of riding I ever saw. Joe on Bustino in the Coronation Cup was poetry in motion: also on Highclere beating Eddery on Polygamy in the 1,000Guineas and in defeat on Homeric by Mill Reef in the Coronation Cup. Age is no barrier to jockeyship but I think Mercer has pulled more races out of the fire than any other jockey’. This comes from a man who was the chief race reader for Raceform for about 30 years, and who watched every race every day. Of course Mercer never won the Derby. I think he should have done on Bustino, but had a nightmare passage at the top of the hill and was baulked. I would add Mercer’s ride of Great Wall for Scobie Breasley in the 1970 ‘Nijinsky’ Derby to Hanmer’s list. Why Great Wall ran in the Derby one can only guess. He was an 80-1 shot and in his previous race had almost jumped the far rail when trying to come round the Lingfield bend in their Derby Trial (how was he supposed to tackle Tattenham Corner?). Mercer kept him balanced right at the back of the field until the run down to Tattenham Corner. In about a furlong and a half he passed the whole field, on the inside, to find himself leading over two furlongs out. He was rightfully passed in the finish and came 4th though was squeezed up by the ungainly Gyr and could probably have finished 3rd to Nijinsky but for that: a masterful ride. It was the equine equivalent of the helter-skelter. My greatest racing memories are being in the stands at Newbury shouting 'come on Joe'.
Really interesting read Bustino - many thanks for posting. Mercer retired a couple of years before I got interested in racing but it sounds like he had fine qualities, both as a jockey and a human being.
".My greatest racing memories are being in the stands at Newbury shouting 'come on Joe'." Yes, I understand that too well. His brother Manny, so tragically killed at Ascot in September, 1959, when he was thrown from a filly and kicked in the head by her on the way down to the ground. Manny won the 1,000 Gns on Happy Laughter (pleased to say I had 10 bob e/w ante-post at 33/1), and in 1954, I think it was) on Darius in the 2000 Gns. Had recently arrived in Miri, Sarawak, when Darius won. Remember having my head glued to the BBC radio broadcast. Manny is also remembered in horseracing history for his superb ride on Wilwyn in winning the inaugural running of the Washington DC International at Laurel Park. Great memories!
Bustino, thank you for your compact account of Joe Mercer’s racing career- quite a mammoth effort by dint of typing alone! There can be no doubt that Joe was a tremendous jockey, and it was obvious that loyalty was a quality Joe possessed to the nth degree. We all have our favourite riders as we grow up loving horse racing. In my case, Scobie Breasley was my favourite. For your part, it’s safe to say you liked Joe Mercer- a little bit! Happy New Year to you and your family.
Though I was very young, I distinctly remember the afternoon Manny Mercer died. With Grandstand on ( some amateur boxing, then racing, moto-cross, scrambling and then Rugby League before the football results teleprinter in those days) I was playing Ludo when it was announced that Manny Mercer had died on his way to the start of the Red Deer Stakes ( later the Princess Royal Stakes). The filly that threw him against the running rail (then concrete and wood), then trampled on him was called Priddy Fair. His death eventually led to the safety helmets and plastic running rails we see on the racecourse today. Strangely enough Priddy Fair was the grandddam of the ill-starred Dibidale who had the Oaks at her mercy but then had her saddle slip, such that Willie Carson had to ride her bareback. Manny Mercer was generally considered the most talented jockey of his era. He was stable jockey to George Colling (who trained the Derby winner Nimbus but also the horses of Dick Hollingsworth) but also was Marcel Boussac's appointed rider for his UK runners. At the time of his death he had formed an alliance with Sir Jack Jarvis, for whom he could do no wrong. He was generally reckoned to be a certain future champion jockey. It wasn't to be.
Yes happy New Year Tamerlo (named after a Sobell/Weinstock horse). I can't agree with your earlier comments on this thread. When Murless chose Piggott to be his stable jockey in 1954 (on the career ending injury of Richards) he couldn't have chosen Mercer because Mercer had already been chosen by Colling and indirectly by Richards. For all we all know Murless offered the job to Mercer. As regards Breasley, as fine a jockey as he was, I don't think you can use O'Brien's use of him in the late '50s to support the assertion that he was a superior jockey. At that time O'Brien wasn't the best flat trainer in the UK, he wasn't even the best flat trainer in Ireland (that has to go to Paddy Prendergast). Yes O'Brien trained Ballymoss (and Breasley rode him in the UK and France), but he was mostly famous at that time as a jumps trainer, and one swallow doesn't make a summer. Prendergast was the leading Irish trainer until at least 1965 and would use Mercer when he could, which wasn't often (though even I was at Royal Ascot to see Joe ride a winner for Paddy). O'Brien became the Master after the injection of American money, through Guest, Englehard and others, in the late '60s and then lured Piggott away from Murless.
That's fair comment, Bustino, but I was referring to the sixties, not fifties, when Scobie rode Murless' horses at Royal Ascot (1966) when Lester was injured. Having said that, I accept it's a dubious justification, but I do think Scobie was a better jockey than Joe. Peerless at the starting tape in sprints ;great hands,especially with two year olds: fantastic judge of pace, especially coming from behind (Tamerlo's win in Goodwood's News of the World Handicap was unbelievable); and lost very few races he should have won. At the end of the day, it's a matter of opinion. Mentioning Joe's loyalty, I don't really understand why Scobie stayed loyal to Gordon Richards who never provided him with a Classic winner, although both Reform and Greengage may have done so if entered. Yes, Scobie rode many winners for Gordon Smyth, Staff Ingham, Atty Corbett, Arthur Budgett, John Benstead, etc, but his talent surely merited a better retainer than Richards. Having said that, Joe Mercer was obviously a lovely person as well as a fine jockey. I was deeply impressed with his TV interview with Mike Cattermole.
Fair comment Tamerlo. I've often wondered how Richards got Reform to achieve what he did. I've read enough stuff from trainers to know that with horses of lower expectations the simple aim is to get them fit as they can and win with them early. There were very low expectations of Reform and perhaps Richards forced him more than he normally did his other horses. He surprised them as to his ability on his start then won 6 races as a 2yo. It is perhaps informative that on his 3yo debut when he was beaten and Raceform noted that he did not look fully fit.
Yes, Reform just lost the Greenham at Newbury to Walter Nightingall's ordinary but hyper fit Play High but, more surprising, was St Chad turning the tables on Reform in the Wills Mile at Goodwood - albeit the former was a good horse. I also believe Reform could have been a top sprinter. I remember his slaughtering future Irish 1000 Guineas and Cambridgeshire winner, Lacquer, over 6 furlongs as a two year old. Sadly ironic he was never entered for the Guineas. I did have a good win on Lacquer, though, in the following year's Cambridgeshire- I thought she was outstanding with only 8st 6lbs (I think)! Hidden Meaning must have been one hell of a filly to win the race previously carrying 9st 0lbs as a three year old- another sad, non-entry in the Guineas.
