UK Horse Racing Tips

Not without just cause is Steve Smith-Eccles’ autobiography entitled ‘Last of the Cavaliers’ but, while the former National Hunt jockey enjoyed and, to some extent, still enjoys, highlighting the hedonistic aspects of his life, he was, nonetheless, a highly accomplished horseman. He retired in 1994 after a 23-year career during which he rode 876 winners.

Smith-Eccles began his riding career with Newmarket trainer Harry Thomson ‘Tom’ Jones and, although he never rode as an amateur, was initially listed as ‘Mr. S. Smith-Eccles’ purely because of his double-barrelled surname. In any event, he rode his first winner, Ballysilly, in a novices’ hurdle at Market Rasen, early in the 1974/75 season, but it was his association with Jones’ stable star, Tingle Creek, that really brought him to the attention of the racing public. Deputising for stable jockey Ian Watkinson, Smith-Eccles won the Sandown Pattern Chase on his first ride on the spectacular steeplechaser in 1977, breaking the two-mile course record in the process, and won the same race on him again in 1978, breaking the course record again.

By that time, Smith-Eccles had already ridden the first of his eight winners at the Cheltenham Festival, Sweet Joe, trained by Jones, in the Sun Alliance Chase. It would be eight years before he rode another but, in 1985, he replaced the injured John Francome on See You Then, trained by Nicky Henderson, and steered the five-year-old to a comfortable, 7-length success. Two further victories, on First Bout, also trained by Henderson, in the Triumph Hurdle, and Kathies Lad, trained by Alan Jarvis, in the Grand Annual Chase, were enough to make Smith-Eccles leading jockey at the Festival that year.

John Francome retired from race riding in April, 1985, so Smith-Eccles retained the ride on the fragile, ill-tempered, but undeniably talented See You Then in the Champion Hurdle in 1986 and, again, won by 7 lengths. The following year, despite missing work and being distinctly ‘undercooked’, See You Then was still sent off 11/10 favourite to become the first horse since Persian War, in 1970, to win the Champion Hurdle three years running. Smith-Eccles had to work a little harder than in previous years but, while the aptly-named Flatterer briefly flattered to deceive on the run-in, See You Then never really looked like being beaten, eventually winning by 1½ lengths.

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