1941 Wartime Derby Newmarket

Thanks for posting, sparrow.

But the odds shown are for the 2yo race that was run an hour after the Derby. The board would have been complicated by 7 of them being unnamed (including the winner). If you expand the photo, you can make out 'High Hat' (not the later, famous horse of Winston Churchill's), who finished last, and also Proud Peter. Cliff Richards rode the winner (brother of Gordon).

Harry Wragg rode the 2nd in this race, and the 2nd in the Derby, but rode 3 winners on the card.

Well spotted there ged,  but unfortunately I never took notice of the names of the runners.

Harry Wragg's two brothers also rode in that Derby. Sam finished 8th, and Arthur was unplaced.

Great posts fellas, how many war time Derbys were run at Newmarket, i know Ocean Swell won one of them.

The two Smith brothers, Doug and Eph, also rode in it, but there was only one Richards, and that was Cliff. I don't know where Gordon was that day, I guess he was injured.

stewarts:

1940 thru 1945.

It was run as the New Derby Stakes for the first 5 of those years, and as the Derby Stakes for the last of them.

Thanks Ged.

Gordon Richards broke his leg on May 9 when a horse kicked him at the start at Salisbury. He missed the rest of the season, so Harry Wragg won the jockeys' championship in 1941. It was the only year Gordon didn't win it from 1931 thru 1953.

More wartime New Derbies at Newmarket:  1915 thru 1918.

The one in 1917 was run on July 31, as the Government had imposed a ban on horse racing, which resumed on July 17.