BRUCE RAYMOND

RIP, a very good jockey.

RIP

RIP. A nice man imo.....

Bruce Raymond was born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, on May 10 1943 and, from 1959 to 1964, was apprenticed to Willie Stephenson (whose daughter Jillian he married on December 2, 1965).
His first winner came on Arctic Bar at Birmingham on June 19, 1961 and,  just a year later, he was top apprentice with just 13 winners, which remains the lowest winning total ever (outside of the war years).
Bruce's 13 wins did include, however, a great victory in the City & Suburban on Eastern Nip.
He had one winner from 12 rides over hurdles in the 1964/65 season, that being on Grey Charger at Southwell on December 12, 1964.
From being second jockey to Jack Clayton, he moved up to become stable jockey to Humphrey Cottrill, a position he held for five years before transferring to Michael Jarvis' stable in 1970. He rode for Jarvis until August 1985 when he left Britain to take up a three-year contract in Hong Kong. While there, Bruce had his licence suspended until May 1986 following a wide-ranging inquiry into corruption.
His first British Group 1 win came on board Easter Sun in the 1982 Coronation Cup.
His earliest big race win was on Rainstorm in the 1962 Newbury Autumn Cup. Bruce also won two Northumberland Plates (Grey God and Totowah), July Cup and Nunthorpe Stakes (Forlorn River), Ayr Gld Cup (Jon George) and Vernon's Sprint (Runnett).
Bruce's best season numerically came in 1982 with 74 winners.
He once said "For a jockey, racing is a constant fight. You are never able to sit on your laurels because there is always someone chasing your rides. A trainer is always going to give his best horses to the best jockeys." Raymond's riding career continued into his 50s, and in 1993 he rode his best Derby at Epsom to finish second aboard Blue Judge, a rank outsider owned by Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the former Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
His riding career came to a dramatic end on Sunday, August 21, 1994 when, riding in Germany, he broke his neck in a race fall. Aged 51, Bruce, riding Moving Shoulder in a valuable six-furlong event in Hanover, was unseated when leaving the stalls. He was detained at the Hanover University Medical Centre.
Bruce said 'The horse reared and I banged my head against the roof of the stalls, then fell off backwards, landing hard on my back. It will keep me out until the end of the season.'
His son Martin said 'He will have to wear a head brace for 12 weeks so will miss the rest of the season. It's a shame because he was going well with 40 winners this year. There's no chance of him retiring - he'll be back.'
In December that year, after 36 years as a jockey, Bruce Raymond announced his retirement. He became  the assistant to another former jockey, Joe Mercer, who was the racing manager at Sheikh Maktoum's Gainsborough stud.
Bruce was the father of two boys, Richard and Martin. His wife, Gillian, died in 1993.
Bruce's father had served his apprenticeship with Fred Darling at Beckhampton but had left racing before the war and was working in an aircraft factory in Hatfield when Bruce was born. His father took young Bruce racing one day at Brighton and he was hooked on racing from that moment.
Big winners:
1965: Britannia Stakes – Sheridan
1966: Carlisle Bell – Aberdeen
1966: Horris Hill Stakes – Alcan
1967: July Cup – Forlorn River
1967: Nunthorpe Stakes – Forlorn River
1972: Cumberland Plate – King’s Fancy
1973: Queen Mary Stakes – Bitty Girl
1973: Molecomb Stakes – Bitty Girl
1975: Queen Alexandra Stakes – Cumbernauld
1975: Northumberland Plate – Grey God
1975: Mill Reef Stakes – Royal Boy
1976: St Simon Stakes – Mart Lane
1977: Ayr Gold Cup – Jon George
1979: Wokingham Stakes – Lord Rochford
1979: Northumberland Plate – Totowah
1981: Haydock Sprint Cup – Runnett
1981: Mill Reef Stakes – Hays
1981: Cornwallis Stakes – My Lover
1982: Diomed Stakes – Prima Voce
1982: Coronation Cup – Easter Sun
1982: Ribblesdale Stakes – Dish Dash
1982: Queen Alexandra Stakes – Ore
1982: Cumberland Plate – Ambience
1983: Queen Mary Stakes – Night of Wind
1984: Victoria Cup – Mummy’s Special
1984: Wokingham Stakes – Petong
1984: Stewards Cup – Petong
1984: Haydock Sprint Cup – Petong
1984: Rockfel Stakes – Kashi Lagoon
1985: Prince of Wales’s Stakes – Bob Back
1985: Norfolk Stakes – Colmore Row
1985: Cherry Hinton Stakes – Storm Star
1987: Norfolk Stakes – Colmore Row
1988: Chesham Stakes – Jacamar
1989: Queen’s Vase – Weld
1989: Cumberland Plate – Cheerful Times
1989: Richmond Stakes – Contract Law
1989: Jockey Club Cup – Weld
1989: November Handicap – Firelight Fiesta
1990: Criterion Stakes – Rock City
1990: Beeswing Stakes – Savahra Sound
1990: Carlisle Bell – Causley
1990: Stewards Cup – Knight of Mercy
1990: Lowther Stakes – Only Yours
1990: St Simon Stakes – Down the Flag
1991: Ormonde Stakes – Per Quod
1991: Dee Stakes – Hundra
1991: Britannia Stakes – Ajaad
1991: July Stakes- Showbrook
1991: Gimcrack Stakes – River Falls
1992: Haydock Sprint Cup – Sheikh Albadou

In Ireland
1991: Moyglare Stud Stakes – Twafeaj

In Italy
1984: Premio Parioli – Southern Arrow
1985: Premio Presidente della Republica – Bob Back

In Norway
1973: Norwegian Derby - Starry Ho

RIP, one of racing's best.

Sad news,i was a big fan back in the Day.

Respect to a fine horseman.

1992: Haydock Sprint Cup – Sheikh Albadou

Will always be a favourite.

Sad to hear this news, was a very good jockey during the era of really good jockeys and some old favourites listed amongst those winners. Cheerful Times and Causley were both trained by Bryan Mcmahon and both won their respective races at Carlisle, the Plate and the Bell.
    Another horse he rode not listed here was Homeboy can't recall who trained it, may have been Dunlop not sure but won at 14/1 at Goodwood or Ascot one of the horses along with Abergwiffy 33/1 (Denys Smith) i think that landed a super yankee for me in the mid 70s. Some things you never forget do you, and he came across as an absolute gentleman when interviewed in later years, RIP.
    If Onlooker was still around i'm sure he'd look up the date in his formbooks maybe Ged might find the time later.

Petong, one of my favourites.

Aceform , the race in question and a good winner   

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=haydock+sprint+cup+1992#f...

ive tried to find anything on homeboy in the 70s but unable sorry

Thanks for that Hayden I was there that day……superb memories no disco……

Homeboy trained by Michael Jarvis won at 14/1
Abergwiffy trained by Maurice Camacho won at 33/1
30th july 1977

R.I.P.
Rode very short like Lester.

RIP, great jockey, and a great listen too....

Well done Shalimah finding that info. and you elisjohn for your precis.
Saddened to hear the news.
92, 93 and 94 were bad years it seems but he moved on, stayed in racing and contributed in another way.
Always a constant on the race-cards and the tributes here tell all.
I’m sure I saw him interviewed on the ITV Racing show and he came across as a lovely bloke who loved his involvement in racing.
R.I.P.

Thanks Elise for looking and Shalimar for finding the results and actual trainers, my memory not as good as i thought it was though. Did you find the course Homeboy won at Shalimar, pretty sure was a southern track and Abergwiffy was up North, pretty sure they won "across the card" as we used to say 3.00-3.15 or similar. Trying to think what the other 3 horses were, one may have been a Bryan McMahon horse, Thinkluckybelucky possibly.
  Ged used to find old racing results, was it from the Times archives anyone recall?

Also noticed on that list of big races Bruce won, he's down as winning the "Norfolk stakes" twice on the same horse, a bit of a blip as it's a 2 yo race.

Other results for flat meetings on 30th july 77
Goodwood
1.45 Tumbledownwind  B.Hobbs G. Baxter  5/2
2.15 Laudon  C.Brittain  E.Hide  4/1
2.50 Homeboy M.Jarvis B.Raymond  14/1
3.20 Triple First M.Stoute G.Starkey 13/2
3.50 ABS Masson H.Ballantine 11/2
4.20 Danish King Cecil J.Mercer 5/2

Newmarket
1.30 False Witness Hobbs G.Lewis 4/5
2.00 Sellbob Rohan J.Seagrave 3/1
2.30 Johnny Apollo Robinnson R.Fox 6/4
3.00 Sexton Blake B.Hills E.Johnson 4/5
3.30 Topling Hobbs G.Lewis 6/1
4.00 All At Sea Hobbs G.Lewis 10/11
4.30 Burma Pink Harwood G.Lewis 5/2

Thirsk
1.45 The Dodger P.Robinson P.Young 7/2
2.15 Ludstone J.Watts J.Lowe 5/2
2.45 Abergwiffy Camacho ****ter 33/1
3.15 Superior Class G.Toft S.Lawes 2/1
3.45 Foreign Embassy W.A.Stephenson  J.Reid 5/2
4.15 Gold Rupee J.Winter J.Lowe 3/1

Windsor
6.20 Princess Story Holt P.Waldron 11/2
6.45 Be Sweet Walwyn P.Eddery 4/7
7.10 Baroncroft Ingham P.Eddey 6/1
7.40 Happy Donna Stoute P.Cook 7/2
8.10 Equal Opportunity Cole G.Baxter 2/1
8.40 Body Blow R.Price G.Baxter 6/4

Thanks Shalimar, very good of you, Tumbledownwind 5/2 was the joined up name i was trying to think of rather than Thinkluckybelucky.

met him a few times when i worked for Sheik Maktoum Al Maktoum at Gainsborough Stud, always very chatty,polite and a very good jockey. Bruce RIP.

I led him up when i worked for Robert Armstrong back in the 70s and it Won i forget the Horses name it might have been Hillbrow or Floral Royal.

I remember backing Sexton Blake that day.  Was up in Aberdeen, summer hol/break meeting the wife’s folks for the first time.  Independent on the Gt Northern Road at Sandilands.  Funny what you remember.

Why don’t you take his place you melt….

If the last poster’s post was abusive I apologise to the thread.  I blocked him years ago but sadly for him he keeps seeking me out.
A shame, on such a sombre and respectful thread.

You just seeked me out on another thread you idiot…..

Creep

RIP a fine jockey and seemed well-liked by all

Loyal Honcho know the independent bookie you talked about (might be a Hills now) but was never in it
Sandilands area has/had a reputation for being a bit sketchy lots of drugs/crime/poverty etc
probably improved vastly over the years but that name still gets a reaction when mentioned
not being aloof as I grew up on a council estate in Aberdeen albeit one of the better ones at the time...

Yes.it was just becoming the drugs chithole it became.  Her sister brought up two boys on her own so of course took anything she could get. Worked her socks off night and day to feed, clothe and secure.  Both successful fathers and one a Grandad now.  Eventually got a new build at South Sheddocksley.  I can still hear her delirium over the phone!  Salt of the earth.  Sometimes circs. dictate and when needs must,…….

sandilands had a terrible reputation in the 70s and 80s , but even back then, the poorer areas of aberdeen were not poor when compared to other comparable cities.

As for sandliands today, improved greatly, lots of poles moved in, a real houseproud lot with values that are long gone here....lol

i was once in a polish boys house, in one of the poorer areas of Aberdeen, froghall terrace, from the outside, not the best looking flats, inside, his flat was like a palace.

great lot are the poles, we had a few played 5s football with us....introduced us to the best of polish vokda, vodka, so smooth , it almost tasted like water, had to be drank, straight....no mixer to pollute it.

oh, one other story about the poles.....my mate was a fish merchant, his own business, employed a lot of poles over locals , because they were hard working and reliable....you could never tell from one day to the next, if the scottish boys would turn up for work.

the poles were outside his business would always be waiting to start work before he arrived every day.

Rip, I remember him well but not the punters best friend imo, I remember a short one at Thirsk he was slow out of the stalls, lol anyway yes good talker and jockey in the main

Agreed aberdonia.  Used to fill up at a garage operated by a pole.  Decent lad, liked him.  Then he was replaced by another young pole.  I mentioned it to him and he said he was his brother.  Somehow they were able to work it that they worked 3 months then went home, and the other worked the next three months, etc;  so always taking money home for the family. I don’t know if he was pulling my leg or not and to be honest wasn’t worried.  They were both efficient and clearly industrious and that’s what mattered.  They have a good reputation everywhere from what I hear.