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Frank Wootton (jockey)

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Frank Wootton
OccupationJockey
Born1894
Died1940
Sydney, Australia
Major racing wins
British Classic Race wins as jockey:
Epsom Oaks (1909)
St Leger Stakes (1910)
Racing awards
British flat racing Champion Jockey 4 times (1909, 1910, 1911 1912)
Significant horses
Swynford


Frank "Frankie" Wootton (1894 - 1940) was an Australian horse racing jockey who had his greatest success in the Edwardian era when he was British champion for four successive years.

Early life

He was born in Australia, the eldest son of Richard Wootton. His brother was Stanley, another jockey, trainer and jockey coach. Richard, or "Old Man" Wootton was a "tall, dark-visaged, hard-bitten Australian".[1] He arrived in Epsom, Surrey, via a spell in South Africa, in 1906, with a view to setting up a jockey academy. The early beneficiary of this plan was his own son Frank.

Riding career

Frank was a successful jockey from a very young age. His first victory was at Turffontein, South Africa, aged only 9, and he had his first win in England aged just 13. By the age of 16 he was the the youngest-ever Champion Jockey, having also won his first classic - The Oaks on Perola. The next year he retained his title, having teamed up with what he considered the best horse he ever rode - the St. Leger and Eclipse winner Swynford.[2] In his teens, he was showing what was called "miraculous dash and skill"[1]. He mainly rode in the cerise, gold and blue silks of his father, or the pale blue and maize hoops of owner Edward Hulton.[1]

He retained the title in each of the next two years. By then though, he had grown and was beginning to struggle with his weight. Rumours of imminent retirement started circulating in 1912, accompanied by denials from Wootton himself.[3] But the following year, the strain of keeping his weight down had become too much and he all but retired.[4][5] He took to training a few lower-grade horses[1] but his burgeoning training career was curtailed by the advent of World War I during which he served with the Army in Mesopotamia.

Returning from the war, he turned to National Hunt racing, where the requirement to meet low weights is less. It has been said that he did not make a success of this[2] but earlier sources deemed him a "brilliant" rider over hurdles, who "took his place among the champions almost immediately", albeit with an initial unfair advantage of a 5lb allowance as a new jumps jockey.[1]

Training career and retirement

Ultimately, though, he became a trainer, sending out over 100 winners. He returned to Australia in 1933, and died in Sydney while still only in his forties.[2]

Major wins

United Kingdom Great Britain

Classics

Selected other races

Career statistics

Total Winners by Season

  • 1906 16[1]
  • 1907 39[1]
  • 1908 129[1]
  • 1909 165[1]
  • 1910 137
  • 1911 187
  • 1912 118
  • 1913 onwards Unknown

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i ""Is he an Aussie?...."". Auckland Star. Auckland, New Zealand. 3 March 1945. p. 6. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "Wootton, Frank (1894 - 1940)". National Horseracing Museum. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  3. ^ "Wootton is not retiring". Evening Post. Wellington, New Zealand. 7 October 1912. p. 4. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Frank Wootton Retires". Marlborough Express. Whangarei, New Zealand. 10 November 1913. p. 2. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Wootton's retirement". Northern Advocate. Whangarei, New Zealand. 14 November 1913. p. 5. Retrieved 22 April 2013.