Granville Davies, jump jockey and Milton Bradley stalwart, dies at age of 60

Classic-winning rider Jason Weaver on Sunday paid tribute to former jump jockey Granville Davies following his death recently at the age of 60.

Davies, who had suffered from cancer, became a familiar name in the 1980s thanks to his association with prolific winners Grey Dolphin and Yangtse-Kiang. Both were trained by the recently retired Milton Bradley, to whose yard Davies was attached.

It was at that base near Chepstow that Weaver, who broke into the big time when winning the 2,000 Guineas in 1994 on Mister Baileys, first came across someone who would play a big part in shaping his career.

Milton Bradley: trainer employed Davies as stable jockeyCredit: Edward Whitaker

"I was only a kid in school in Wales and I only worked for Milton on the weekends and holidays and Granville was the stable jockey at the time," he said.

"All the lads who worked there all looked up to him because he was a fantastic rider with so much ability – thinking back he was a real stylist. We'd watch him schooling in the front field and were in awe of his jockeyship. He was a proper horseman."

Weaver, who was also associated with Gold Cup hero and popular stayer Double Trigger before becoming an accomplished television pundit, went on to remember some of the finer points of Davies's influence on him.

"I was a kid, but he was someone I still looked up to," he added. "I was thinking about being a jockey, but I was only 15, yet he was great around the yard with advice on tricky horses and before I even cantered a racehorse, he'd make me trot with my irons really short to strengthen up my thigh muscles.

"At that point in your career, you could only dream of being as good as him. I was around a lot of horse people in the point-to-point and showjumping spheres, so I saw a lot of good horse people, but he was the first one you'd look at and think, 'Jesus, he can really ride'.

"He was brilliant fun and always had a cheeky humour and good bit of zip and life about him, so it's very sad he went so young."