Doug Smith (21 November 1917 – April 1989) was an English

flat racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

and trainer. During his career he was champion jockey 5 times (1954, '55, '56, '58, '59) finishing second on the riders' list 7 times, riding a total of 3,112 winners. In addition he was champion apprentice in 1937. His first winner was a horse called Denia at

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of ...

in 1932. He quickly rose to prominence and by the end of World War II was among the leading jockeys in the country. Doug Smith rode four classic winners - Hypericum (

1,000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 ...

, 1946),

Our Babu Our Babu (1952–16 December 1977) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from May 1954 to June 1955 he ran nine times and won four races. He was Britain's top-rated juvenile of 1954 when ...

(

2,000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year ...

, 1955), Pall Mall (2,000 Guineas, 1958) and Petite Etoile (1,000 Guineas, 1959) - and trained another one - Sleeping Partner (

Epsom Oaks The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards ...

, 1969). He never won the

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

, but came third twice, first in a controversial finish on Swallow Tail in 1949, then on Acropolis in 1955. Doug was well known as an outstanding rider of stayers. During his career he won the

Doncaster Cup The Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 2 miles 1 furlong and 197 yards (3,600 metr ...

seven times, the

Goodwood Cup The Goodwood Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 2 miles (3,2 ...

three times, the Cesarewitch Handicap six times and the

Ascot Gold Cup The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4,01 ...

twice. He stated that Alycidon, winner of the Stayers' Triple Crown (rated 138 by Timeform, in the top 20 of their all-time ratings) was the best horse he ever rode. For the last 21 years of his career he was retained by Lord Derby and could still ride at 7st 9lb at retirement. Doug was brother to Eph Smith (1915–1972), who rode 2,313 winners in a riding career spanning 1933–1965. Their 5,425 winners make them the most prolific riding brothers in English racing history. In addition, he was son-in-law to Frederick N. Winter ( champion apprentice in 1911) and brother-in-law of Fred Winter (multiple champion National Hunt jockey and trainer). In 1989, he committed suicide by drowning himself in the swimming pool at his home in Newmarket. He was 71. There is a road named after him in Newmarket, Suffolk "Doug Smith Close", intersecting with "Lester Piggott Way". His biography, Five Times Champion, (Pelham Books, London, 1968) was written in collaboration with Peter Willett.

References

Bibliography

* "Encyclopedia of British Horseracing" Routledge {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Doug English jockeys 1917 births 1989 deaths British Champion flat jockeys British Champion apprentice jockeys Suicides by drowning in England 1989 suicides