'He was a genius' - Mick Easterby leads tributes following death of Derby-winning jockey Edward Hide

Edward Hide, the prolific northern-based jockey whose greatest hour came when he guided Morston to victory in the 1973 Derby, has died at the age of 86.

Hide had his first ride at the age of 13 in 1950 and won six domestic Classics among a total of 2,593 winners in Britain between 1951 and 1993, a mark which was only recently passed by Joe Fanning as the highest total for a jockey never to be crowned champion.

Hide was initially apprenticed to his father Bill and later enjoyed fruitful associations with Malton-based Captain Charles Elsey and later his son Bill, as well as more fleeting spells as retained jockey to Sir Gordon Richards and Clive Brittain, for whom he won the last of his six British Classics aboard Julio Mariner in the 1978 St Leger.

Edward Hide: won every British Classic except the 2,000 GuineasCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Although never officially stable jockey, Hide also struck up a notable association with Mick Easterby and the pair combined to win the 1977 1,000 Guineas with the 16-1 shot Mrs McArdy. Five years earlier Hide won the fillies' Classic for Bill Watts on Waterloo in the colours of Richard Stanley, brother to Lord Derby.

Easterby paid heartfelt tribute to Hide, highlighting the studious way he went about reading the formbook and getting rides in an era when few jockeys had agents.

"He was a genius," he said. "He was incredible; he never left a leaf unturned and I can't praise him highly enough. He rode my best horses, Mrs McArdy and Lochnager, who he stole the July Cup on. He kicked in the Dip and they never got to him."

Lochnager and Hide ran up a remarkable sequence in 1976, landing the Temple Stakes, the King's Stand, the July Cup, the William Hill Sprint Championship (now the Nunthorpe) to be crowned champion sprinter.

Easterby added: "He used to pick all his rides and if he didn't pick one of mine I knew it didn't have much chance. There wasn't an agent clever enough to work for him and he could live on fresh air.

Edward Hide rode Mrs McArdy and Lochnager to big-race success in the 1970s for Mick EasterbyCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"I used to see him regularly. I could tell stories about him forever, I wouldn't know where to begin. He used to come in and would always say what he was going to do, where he wanted to be in a race and how he was going to ride it. He was absolutely incredible."

Morston's Derby triumph was notable on several counts. It was only the Arthur Budgett-bred and trained colt's second racecourse appearance, while the 36-year-old Hide was by no means the first choice for the ride, which he secured because Frankie Durr chose to stick with 2,000 Guineas winner Mon Fils and Willie Carson recovered from injury in time to get back aboard Hide's intended mount Ksar.

The jockey was champion apprentice in 1954, 1956 and 1957, a year in which he was also runner-up in the main title race behind Scobie Breasley and earned the first of his 16 crowns as 'Cock of the North'.

He is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Sue, his son William and his daughter Lizzie.

EDWARD HIDE

Full name Edward William George Hide

Born Stanton Lacy, near Ludlow, Shropshire, April 12, 1937

Family Parents: Bill Hide (farmer & trainer) and Connie, daughter of Charlie Edwards. Brother: Tony Hide (trainer). Wife: Sue (nee Brett), married 1961. Children: William and Elizabeth

Apprenticed to Bill Hide, Stanton Lacy, near Ludlow, Shropshire 1950-57

First mount Copper Wire, last at Birmingham, August 29, 1950

First winner Ritornello, Chepstow, September 22, 1951

First big-race winner Limereagh (1954 Naas November Handicap)

First winner for The Queen Opera Score, Newmarket, May 3, 1957

Derby winner Morston (1973)

Other British Classic winners Cantelo (1959 St Leger), Pia (1967 Oaks), Waterloo (1972 1,000 Guineas), Mrs McArdy (1977 1,000 Guineas), Julio Mariner (1978 St Leger)

Champion sprinter Lochnager (1976 Temple Stakes, King's Stand Stakes, July Cup, Sprint Championship (Nunthorpe))

Champion juvenile Tudor Melody (1958 Chesham Stakes)

Eclipse Stakes winner Henry The Seventh (1962)

King's Stand Stakes winners Lochnager (1976), Fearless Lad (1982)

July Cup winner Lochnager (1976)

Nunthorpe Stakes/Sprint Championship winners Blue Cashmere (1974), Lochnager (1976), Haveroid (1977)

Queen Anne Stakes winner Radetzky (1978)

St James's Palace Stakes winner Don (1977)

Coronation Stakes winner Tolmi (1981)

Falmouth Stakes winners Waterloo (1972), Duboff (1976)

Cheveley Park Stakes winner Waterloo (1971)

Dewhurst Stakes winner Billum (1958)

Champions and Chater Cup winner (Hong Kong) Gay Eighties (1986)

Other Classic winners Flying Friendship (1958 Dansk Derby, Norsk Derby), Wolfsbane (1971 Norsk Derby), Lord Udo (1974 Henckel-Rennen)

Big-handicap winners Precious Heather (1956 Ayr Gold Cup), Prelone (1956 Cesarewitch), Babur (1957 Lincolnshire Handicap), Great Rock (1957 Northumberland Plate), Guersillus (1959 City and Suburban Handicap), Henry The Seventh (1961 Cambridgeshire dead-heat, 1962 Zetland Gold Cup), Double Cream (1971 Lincoln), Sovereign Bill (1972 Lincoln), Petty Officer (1973 & 1974 Timeform Gold Trophy)

Other notable non-handicap winners Be Careful (1958 Gimcrack Stakes, Champagne Stakes), Cantelo (1958 Royal Lodge Stakes, 1959 Ribblesdale Stakes), Pia (1966 Cherry Hinton Stakes, Lowther Stakes, 1967 Park Hill Stakes dead-heat), Vervain (1969 King Edward VII Stakes), Waterloo (1971 Queen Mary Stakes), Trasi's Son (1976 Dante Stakes), Peterhof (1981 Flying Childers Stakes), Line Slinger (1983 Yorkshire Cup)

Best mount Alcide (unplaced on debut, Newmarket 1957)

Last winner Lexus, Newmarket, May 22, 1993

Main retainers Charles Elsey 1954-60, Bill Elsey 1961-68, Sir Gordon Richards 1969-70, Bill Elsey 1971, freelance 1972-77, Clive Brittain 1978-79, Bill Watts 1980-83

Champion apprentice 1954, 1956, 1957

Runner-up in jockeys' championship 1957 (behind Scobie Breasley)

Cock of the North 16 times between 1957 and 1983

Derby Award (Flat Jockey of the Year) 1972

Five winners in a day Liverpool, June 28, 1961; Newcastle, July 27, 1981

Number of centuries 10

Most wins in a season 137 (1974)

Total wins in Britain 2,593 (1951-93); 9th in British all-time Flat list; record for a non-champion

Compiled by John Randall

Edward Hide: his five top horses

Morston

Won the 1973 Derby on only his second start and although in form terms he was not one of the higher-rated winners of the Epsom race, his work afterwards improved markedly and he was considered to be a better horse than his half-brother Blakeney, the 1969 Derby winner who was also owned and trained by Arthur Budgett. Morston was never to fulfill his potential though for he developed heat in a tendon while being prepared for the Great Voltigeur Stakes, which was to be a stepping stone to the St Leger, and never ran again. Like Blakeney he was named after a village on the north Norfolk coast, but unlike him he was a failure as a stallion.

Cantelo

A top-class filly trained by Captain Charles Elsey, although she was no match for the outstanding Petite Etoile in the 1959 Oaks. With no all-weather gallops, her preparation for the St Leger was an interrupted one due to firm ground on the Malton gallops and she was beaten at odds-on in the Park Hill Stakes on the opening day of Doncaster's St Leger meeting. She then caused a furore among punters when, having benefited from her run in the Park Hill, three days later she won the St Leger in the colours of William Hill, who was one of the leading bookmakers of the day.

Lochnager

Hide did not ride Lochnager in all his races, but  enjoyed a memorable year on him in 1976 when Lochnager became champion sprinter in winning four of the year's top events, the Temple Stakes, King's Stand, July Cup and what in those day was the William Hill Sprint Championship but is better known as the Nunthorpe Stakes. A big, powerful sort, he was trained by Mick Easterby who brought him up through handicaps to Group 1 success, and although unfashionably bred, he went on to become a successful sire.

Blue Cashmere

One of the first top-class horses to be trained by Sir Michael Stoute. He was originally considered to be a miler but he did not stay and excelled when dropped to sprint distances. Won the Ayr Gold Cup as a three-year-old and Hide partnered him to win the Nunthorpe in 1974. The rider went on to win the race again in 1976 on Lochnager and made it three wins in four years on Haveroid in 1977.

Petty Officer

A remarkably tough and durable horse trained by Arthur Budgett. He went into the record books as being the most successful gelding ever on the Flat by winning 12 races and £45,000 in prize-money. Hide won three times on him, including the Timeform Gold Trophy at Redcar, where he gave 31lb and a beating to Royal Ascot winner Dakota. He was also up to winning in Pattern company for his last win was in the Jockey Club Cup at Newmarket.

Written by Colin Russell

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