Horse racing is said to be the sport of kings. And, in truth, Lord John Oaksey was the closest we got to nobility, being the 4th Baron Trevethin and 2nd Baron Oaksey. Those who enjoyed Channel 4 Racing will remember John McCririck calling him ‘My Noble Lord’.
To be fair, encompassing the life and times of John Geoffrey Tristram Lawrence takes some doing. He was a man of many talents, loves, and passions.
If we asked him the question: ‘Who am I?’ he would have said: ‘Aristocrat, horse racing journalist, television commentator, and amateur jockey.’
Some called him ‘quite possibly the outstanding racing figure of modern times…’
Born on the 21st of March 1929, he was the son of noted legal scholar Geoffrey Lawrence, the 1st Baron Oaksey. Formerly known as John Lawrence, he later became John Oaksey following his father’s passing in 1971.
From a very privileged background, he attended Eton College, one of the most expensive boarding schools in the country, which educated prime ministers, Oscar winners, and nobility. It was founded by Henry VI in 1440.
After studying at Eton, he did National Service, thereafter reading Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University. Upon graduating, he studied Law at Yale University in the United States. It looked like he was going to follow in his father’s footsteps.
However, John Oaksey always had horse racing in his blood.
We can learn much about the man from his fascinating autobiography Mince Pie For Starters, published by Headline on the 6th of October 2003.
Mince Pie was an old pony Oaksey learned to ride. In fact, he had his first brush with fame and injury when, as a six-year-old, he was catapulted from the back of the errant Mince Pie while competing in the 1935 Purton Pony Trials. The next day, his photo appeared on the front page of the Daily Express.
At the age of 29, he had his first point-to-point ride at Siddington. He tasted victory the following year (1951), riding Next Of Kin at the Pegasus Club meeting at Kimble. Clearly, this showed the circles he moved in, as the race was restricted to lawyers and their families!
In 1956, he began racing under rules. He was twice crowned British Champion Amateur Jump Jockey. His career came to an end with a fall at Folkestone in 1975. His riding career spanned 19 years.
His major successes included:
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1956 – First win under racing rules, Pyrene
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1958 – Hennessy Gold Cup, Taxidermist
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1966 – Kim Muir Challenge Cup, Jimmy Scott
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1971 – Kim Muir Challenge Cup, Black Baize
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1973 – Foxhunters’ Chase, Bullocks Horn
He rode in the Aintree Grand National 10 times, starting in 1961 on Taxidermist, who fell at the 6th fence.
Aintree Grand National Rides:
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1961 – Taxidermist 40/1 (Fell, 6th)
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1962 – Taxidermist 20/1 (Pulled up, 26th)
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1963 – Carrickbeg 20/1 (2nd, beaten 5L)
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1964 – Crobeg 50/1 (9th)
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1966 – Solimyth 100/1 (Pulled up, 20th)
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1967 – Norther 50/1 (Pulled up, 23rd)
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1968 – Master Mascus 66/1 (Fell, 9th)
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1971 – Regimental 66/1 (9th)
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1974 – Royal Relief 18/1 (Fell, 1st)
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1975 – Royal Relief 22/1 (Fell, 7th)
One of his biggest disappointments was winning the 1974 Whitbread Gold Cup, only to be demoted for interference with The Dikler. Oaksey said: “The passing of time has done nothing to diminish my feeling that a great injustice was done.”
In his racing career, he achieved 200 winners—20 on the Flat, the rest in National Hunt racing.
He was crowned Amateur Champion Jump Jockey in 1957–1958 and 1970–1971. However, Sir Peter O’Sullevan said: “He didn’t have any natural ability riding, it was pure application, but he did become most successful.”
It’s important to remember that for Oaksey to ride as an amateur, he needed to have a job and had a career as a journalist.
He wrote for the following publications, mostly as a racing correspondent:
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Daily Telegraph (30 years)
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Sunday Telegraph (28 years)
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Horse & Hound (27 years)
He wrote many acclaimed pieces about his ride on Carrickbeg, who finished 2nd in the Aintree Grand National.
Additionally, he wrote a biography about the racehorse Mill Reef and a film script called Something To Brighten The Morning.
Most horse racing fans, beyond his jockey years, would know Oaksey from his work with the BBC. This opportunity came about due to his upcoming ride on Grand National hope Carrickbeg (1963). Four days before the big race, he toured the course by helicopter.
Interestingly, his first television work came through the short-lived Pay-TV (1965), a pay-as-you-view setup by boxing promoter Jarvis Astaire.
Other work included:
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ITV’s World of Sport (1969)
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Lead presenter on ITV racing coverage (1978)
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BBC Radio (1980)
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Channel 4 Racing (1984–1999)
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Retired from regular broadcasting in 1999
Perhaps his greatest legacy was working for the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), of which he later became president.
He said: The Injured Jockeys Fund ‘gave him more pride than any other activities in my racing life’.
In 2009, the IJF complex was named Oaksey House in his honor.
For his work with the IJF, he was awarded the OBE in 1985.
Other awards:
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Racing Journalist of the Year (1968)
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Honorary Member of the Jockey Club (2001)
Lord John Oaksey suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease and passed away on the 5th of September 2012, aged 83.