William Higgs (jockey)
| William Higgs | |
|---|---|
2000 Guineas (1907) | |
| Racing awards | |
| British flat racing Champion Jockey twice (1906, 1907) | |
| Significant horses | |
| Slieve Gallion, Willonyx |
William Arnold "Billy" Higgs (1880–1958) was a British
owner and breeder, colloquially referred to as "Farmer Higgs".[1][2] He was twice Champion Jockey of Britain
.
Career
For the most successful period of his career, he was stable jockey to
2,000 Guineas on Slieve Gallion. He was a short-priced favourite to follow up in the Derby, but the colt did not stay the distance and eventually finished third.[1] In 1907, he finished with 146 winners from 732 rides, a near 20% strike rate.[3]
In 1911 he scored a succession of top-class victories on Darling's stayer, Willonyx, winning the Chester Cup, Ascot Gold Cup, Jockey Club Cup and Cesarewitch.[1] He also won the 1913 Doncaster Cup on Long Set.
Higgs later became a trainer and developed Blacklands Stud near Calne in Wiltshire, on a farm which he had bought in 1909; in 1928 he sold the business to Fred Darling, Sam's son.[4]
In 1999, he was ranked the 28th greatest flat jockey of the 20th century by the Racing Post.[5]
Major wins
Classic Races
- 2,000 Guineas – Slieve Gallion(1907)
Selected other races
- Ascot Gold Cup – Willonyx (1911)
- Cambridgeshire Handicap – Land League (1907)
- Cesarewitch Handicap – Willonyx (1911)
- Chester Cup – Willonyx (1911)
- Doncaster Cup – Long Set (1913)
- Hardwicke Stakes – Beppo (1907)
- Jockey Club Cup – Willonyx(1911)
- Jockey Club Stakes – Beppo (1906)
References
- ^ a b c "Higgs, William Arnold (1880–1958)". National Horseracing Museum. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Captain X" [Pseud.] (23 September 1944). "English Cavalcade VII: Knights of the Pigskin". Auckland Star. Auckland, New Zealand. p. 4. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ "Sport And Pastime. The Turf". Auckland Star. Auckland, New Zealand. 11 January 1908. p. 14. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ Crowley, D. A., ed. (2002). "Blackland". A History of the County of Wiltshire, Volume 17. Victoria County History. University of London. pp. 17–27. Retrieved 25 March 2022 – via British History Online.
- ^
"Richards is in a class of his own; A century of racing – 50 greatest flat jockeys". The Racing Post. 17 May 1999. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
 | This English horse racing biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |