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SAMMY LOATES - DERBY JOCKEY WON THE DERBY

The celebrated Derby Stakes run each year at Epsom Downs in Surrey is one of the highlights of the British sporting calendar. Here sports historian Peter Seddon presents a brief pen-picture of Sammy Loates, the Derby-born jockey who won the race on two occasions.

The Derby-born jockey Sammy Loates, who was twice victorious in the celebrated Derby Stakes

Sammy Loates as depicted in an 1896 edition of the popular magazine Vanity Fair. The caricature was drawn by Leslie Ward under his usual pen-name 'Spy'

Samuel Loates was born in Derby in 1864 at the Crown and Cushion Inn on Chapel Street, where his father Archibald Loates (1823-1890) - a former cordwainer (shoemaker) - had been landlord since 1860.

Samuel's mother Louisa was a 'hand' at the Silk Mill, but also helped to run the Crown and Cushion. The pub closed in 1907 due to pressure from members of the Temperance Society, but the building was much later incorporated into another public house, the Blessington Carriage, which remains a popular hostelry today.

In the early 1870s the Loates family moved the short distance to the Oddfellows Arms in King Street, which also closed in 1907. Sammy spent his middle childhood there, but in his early teens was apprenticed to a racehorse trainer in Newmarket.

He began as a stable lad, but being a lightweight of small stature, was a 'natural' to progress to the role of jockey. This he did to remarkable effect.

At the age of 17 he rode his first winner, and in 1884 at the age of 20 he was victorious in The Derby on 'Harvester'. That year's race was a particularly historic one, for in fact 'Harvester' had finished in a dead heat with 'St. Gatien', and both the victory and the stakes were declared 'shared' equally.

As if to prove a point, Sammy Loates won The Derby again in 1895, this time outright on 'Sir Visto'. He was considered one of the very top jockeys of the Victorian age, and in 1899 finished the season as Champion Jockey on the flat, with 160 wins from 179 days racing. In that same season he also won The Oaks and the St. Leger to secure racing's coveted 'Triple Crown' of victories.

Few of the big race titles eluded him - he also won the Jockey Club Stakes (1898), the 2000 Guineas (1898) and the Ascot Gold Cup (1899).

Sammy Loates was one of the first batch of jockeys to win very large prize money - however, his schedule was gruelling. It is recorded that in 1899 he travelled 11,000 miles by rail between meetings, including one spell of 2,000 miles in only 17 days.

Short-legged and very lightweight, his riding was considered quite innovatory, for he introduced the 'American style' to British racecourses - short leathers, forward in the saddle - which gave the impression that he was perched atop his mount in a very precarious position.

On retiring from the saddle he became a trainer for Mr. Solomon Joel, and for some time had charge of the Derby winner 'Pommern'.

No information on the date of his death has been forthcoming - if anybody knows, please add it here.

It would be customary to end by saying that no other man born in Derby could match the success of Sammy Loates on the turf. However, he had a younger brother Tommy who also won The Derby twice, and was considered an even greater jockey than Sammy. Read about him at Loates, Thomas - Champion Jockey and Derby Winner.

So that's two for the price of one - and for good measure, two more of the Loates brothers - John and Charles - were jockeys too! Not a bad record for four lads born into humble surroundings in the West End of Derby - might it be time to hang some appropriate racing prints at the Blessington Carriage?

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County:  Derbyshire

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